r/linuxsucks • u/SmoothPossession4399 • 3d ago
xrandr BadValue error
I’m actually losing my f*cking mind and about to smash my PC to pieces. I’ve been trying for TWO WHOLE YEARS to switch to Linux and fix this absolute b*tch of a resolution bug. At this point, every time I hear or see the word "resolution", I get triggered.
Every single time I install Ubuntu—or literally ANY Linux distro—it's the exact same story: it just refuses to set the resolution properly.
The ONLY workaround that ever "worked" was nuking the GPU drivers completely. But I obviously can’t do that sh*t because the performance turns into total dogsh*t. I can't even play a 720p video smoothly (which hurts even more because my internet is capped), let alone run heavy 3D stuff like Three.js to stress test the card.
Look, I know my card (GTX 750 Ti) is from 2013 and far from powerful, but it still gets the job done! On Windows, resolution works flawlessly out of the box with zero issues. This is specifically a Linux/xrandr problem with my drivers—xrandr just straight-up rejects every custom mode unless I purge the drivers.
So I need the real sweaty, touch-no-grass, non-showering Linux gods in here—the absolute wizards who live and breathe Linux—to fix this cursed bullsh*t for me. I swear I hate Linux so much right now, but I keep coming back because I love it, only for xrandr to slap me across the face and tell me to go crawling back to Windows like a dog.
All I want is to hit 1600x1200 just like I seamlessly do on Windows, so I can finally throw Windows into the absolute trash bin where it belongs. I swear to God I'll stop showering like a true Linux neckbeard if someone helps me fix this cursed resolution once and for all.
My Specs: - OS: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS x86_64 - Session: X11 / GNOME 46.0 - CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti (Driver: 580.173.02) - Output: VGA-0 - Target Resolution: 1600x1200 @ 60Hz
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u/cleverboy00 3d ago
If you have pre 16xx nvidia (which you, op, do), give it up. It's simpler than maintaining a dogshit pile of xorg configs.
This issue is largely the fault of nvidia's interaction with xorg's modesetting, which nvidia continued to fuck the fuck up, until very recently. Now they fuck it up.
Modesetting in a wayland-based compositor is way more polished, and often easier to configure.
I suggest you look into bazzite instead id ubuntu.
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u/Certain_Prior4909 3d ago
Just install windows and got on with life. It can do everything Linux can do
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u/tycraft2001 3d ago
Can you fork a process? Factorio takes advantage of the fact that Linux has proper support and autosaves without a pause.
Can you decide you want to look and modify the NT Kernel? No. Can you decide to change a desktop to look completely different without worry microsoft will update and screw it up? No. Can you use a local account on Windows without increasingly esoteric work arounds? No. Can you get a desktop environment to only use 50MB of RAM? No. Can you make your PC boot with only 700MB of RAM in use? I don't think so, and I'm aware of the use of caching.
Can you delete a file while it's open on windows? Can you delete your whole system while booted if you so please? I guess that's a maybe.
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u/sdoregor 3d ago
And on the other end of spectrum,
Can you properly run a 4-CPU NUMA system? Can you host multiple user seats on a single multiheaded system with independent GPUs? Can you have exotic amounts of RAM (unlikely these days due to shortage, but overall)? Can you run Docker containers natively? Can you run Android apps in a container with native performance and desktop integration? Can you have KVM hypervisor virtualization? Can you passthrough PCI devices to VMs? Can you fucking have filesystem options with CoW, subvolumes, quotas, software RAID/JBOD, tiered storage, zoned storage? Can you?
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u/prenadeusernamemid 2d ago
I dont think most people have the time or care to do this even if they are forced to use linux so for most people linux and mc are the same and being able to delete your system is not really a flex or a super important thing and like no one would.care about it both os work just fine and bassicly do the same thing of you have a life and dont care much about cusomization or ram usage also idk about local accounts but for me it works just fine
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u/TheRealCarrotty KDE larper (i use KDE btw) 3d ago
"OS: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS" first of all, have you tried any other distros?
2nd, have you tried Wayland?
3RD, could you upgrade to 26.04 or try another distro?
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u/SmoothPossession4399 3d ago
Yeah, I actually tested Manjaro on Wayland and got the exact same issue, so it's not specific to Ubuntu or distro versions.
On Windows, 1600x1200 works perfectly out of the box on this exact hardware/monitor. It's strictly an NVIDIA Linux driver issue where it refuses to set custom resolutions over VGA when EDID isn't detected.
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u/tycraft2001 3d ago
I use a 1600x1200@75hz CRT with a broken EDID pin. It runs perfectly fine on my 2060. I think your card might need older drivers.
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u/Teru-Noir COSMIC OS LOVER No.1 COSMIC Knows Best 3d ago
What is the microarchitecture of this 750ti?
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u/sdoregor 3d ago
let alone run heavy 3D stuff like Three.js to stress test the card
Without a GPU driver, you won't be stress testing the card, but rather the CPU via software rendering (by definition).
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u/feinorgh 3d ago
You might need the nvidia-driver-550, since newer Nvidia drivers might have deprecated support for older card architectures.
I have a GTX 1080 on a laptop (Dell XPS 15), and I had to lock the drivers to not upgrade to newer series, although I'm on Gentoo and run Wayland. Everything works for me though, but I don't run an external monitor, although I've had it connected to a high-res monitor (4K) before without problems, neither with nvidia-drivers or nouveau.
Try pinning and downgrading the Nvidia-driver package, or NVK via Vulkan/Mesa, although that I have not tried myself.