Setting Matrox Millenium to Higher Resolution in XFree86/OS2

NO WARRANTY!!!

This info was submitted by Thomas Dagen. Note the author defers any responsibility for damage or other problems. Take it or leave it.

This paragraph describes how to get a high resolution with a Matrox Millenium Graphic Card (maybe also other cards):

As the following tips are very close to the heart of the hardware make sure your monitor fits all your settings!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not responsible for damages or something else in any way!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course I have tested this for me and it works fine and also new equipment has a high standard, so you can't damage it so fast.

At first make sure you have got the newest driver for Millenium for OS/2 (as far as I know it's Version 1.12). Also you need Windows! (I don't know, how to handle it otherwise, because the OS/2 drivers has only a DOS program that doesn't display the timer settings).

The file 'mga.mon' included with the driver package should be the same Version (by date) with the Windows Version of this file. If not a simple copy is possible. Do the Xconfiguration at first and make sure it runs ok.

Now step-by-step:

  1. Start Windows (Version 3.1 is more than enough, but WinOS/2 is not advised) and if you don't have done this, install Matrox Millenium driver for Windows.
  2. Find out the correct settings for your Monitor with the Monitor program. Select your Monitor and have a view at the displays of this program. This program is giving you the exact timings for the Matrox card in combination with your Monitor!! The names are nearly equal to the technical names in X11: [MGA] Horizon Freq = Horizon Sync [XFree] and [MGA] Pix Takt = DotClock [XFree].
    Write down this settings for 640x480 and 800x600 and 1024x786. The number of colors is independent of the settings in each resolution, so it's equal which color depth is set.
  3. Edit the File 'XConfig', which is located in \XFree86\Lib\X11. Make a backup copy of this file.
    In the 'Monitor Section':
    Comment out all existing 'Modeline' statements.(with #) Add 3 new lines beginning with 'Modeline': Example:
       
       # 800 x 600 @ 85 Hz, 55.8 kHz hsync
       Modeline "800x600"   60.75  800  856  976  1040    600  647  643  666 +hsync +vsync
    
    This settings are a sample(Millenium 2 MB Card with MAG MX15F Innovision Monitor! You must set the timings you find out at 2.

    Make sure that the following is set (or above if your monitor is capable of more):

       HorizSync    30-64
       VertRefresh  50-100
    
  4. In the 'Graphics Device Section' edit the 'Device configured by xf86config': The line '# Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate' is to change, when you want a resolution of 1024x768, for 800x600 not! Example:
       
       VideoRam    2048
       Clocks   51.5   60.75   29.8   77.5
    
    Again it's only a sample for my configuration!
  5. In the 'Screen Sections' : The section for the 16-Color VGA server should look like this:
    # The 16-color VGA server
    
    Section "Screen"
        Driver      "vga16"
        Device      "MGA Millenium"
        Monitor     "MAG Innovision"
        Subsection "Display"
            Modes       "800x600" "640x480" "1024x768"
            ViewPort    0 0
            Virtual     1024 768 
        EndSubsection
    EndSection
    
    That`s a example which should for the most people. Order of resolutions is important! My configuration for 1024x768 is unstable, so I don`t use it. Test it for you.
  6. Save the changed file 'XConfig'. Test it. It should be working like it works fine for me, btw. the testing of various resolutions is gone. If you encounter problems have a look at the error.log (made by startx 2>error.log).
    Have fun and write me a E-Mail, if it works or not works for you.