monitor screen resolution

skale · 2007-01-07 04:40:33

How would I go about changing the screen resolution of my laptop? It is a Dell Latitude D600 if you care.
I run Openbox + Rox, and neither have a tool for doing so (which is good, as now I get to learn something.
Google has more questions than definitive answers, and I can make little of the few answers there.

Here are the relevant bits of information.

xorg.conf:

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "Monitor0"
                Option "DPMS" "true"
#       HorizSync    28.0 - 78.0 # Warning: This may fry very old Monitors
        HorizSync    28.0 - 96.0 # Warning: This may fry old Monitors
        VertRefresh  50.0 - 75.0 # Very conservative. May flicker.
#       VertRefresh  50.0 - 62.0 # Extreme conservative. Will flicker. TFT default.
        #  Default modes distilled from
        #      "VESA and Industry Standards and Guide for Computer Display Monitor
        #       Timing", version 1.0, revision 0.8, adopted September 17, 1998.
        #  $XFree86: xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/etc/vesamodes,v 1.4 1999/11/18 16:52:17 tsi Exp $

da-da-da

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Card0"
        Driver      "vesa"
        VendorName  "All"
        BoardName   "All"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Card0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        DefaultColorDepth 16
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     1
                Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     4
                Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
 da-da-da

This generic monitor stuff worries me.
The scree resolution is optimally 32bit 1400x1050.

So, what to do?
Thanks ahead.

Arch · 2007-01-07 07:44:41

Would running xorgconfig from root be of use?

Tatey · 2007-01-07 08:31:58

I'm not entirely sure, but I think that X reads the highest mode from the mode line under the screen section. X will display this as the default resolution provided that it's valid (IE, your display is capable of this resolution). Here is an example of what you could try using.

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Card0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        DefaultColorDepth 24

        SubSection "Display"
                Depth    24
                Modes "1400x1050" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection

I can't remember the exact reason, but all you require is 24bit colour. It will give you true colour, more than the human eye can even see.

mr.MikyMaus · 2007-01-07 11:19:30

You won't get 1400x1050 with vesa driver. You'll have to set up driver according to your video hardware.

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Card0"
        Driver      "your_card_driver"
        VendorName  "All"
        BoardName   "All"
EndSection

And maybe add some options for it to work. What's your graphics hardware?

-miky

skale · 2007-01-07 23:32:41

My video card is ATI, bolth Radeon 9000 and Mobility R250, depending on who you ask. (Go figure). I have not installed any drivers as of yet; I'll install them and then try some of the other things.

Thanks.

weeniewhite · 2007-01-08 01:53:23

You can use the command : xrandr.
With this, you can change your screen resolution.

manmower · 2007-01-08 05:08:40

With the proprietary ati driver, fglrx, comes a handy tool to setup your xorg.conf, aticonfig. I'm not sure if it will support your desired resolution though, since the driver currently ignores any modelines in your xorg.conf, you'll have to hope it natively supports this resolution.

Otherwise try the open source driver (xf86-video-ati), which is what I currently use, it should allow you to set any resolution you want. You will then have to add a modeline for your desired resolution and refresh rate (there are several modeline generators on the web) and add your resolution as the preferred mode by placing it first in the "Modes" such as Tatey described.

skale · 2007-01-09 00:25:43

Great, it works wonderfully. The open-source driver altered the fonts considerably, but nothing too serious.

By the way, xrandr doesn't seem to work if the resolution you specify is not configured in xorg.conf under the depth you are using. It does some weird streaky stuff if the resolution is not on the list. Just a tidbit for someone who searches for it on the forum.

Thanks.

Arch Linux

#1 2007-01-07 04:40:33

monitor screen resolution

#2 2007-01-07 07:44:41

Re: monitor screen resolution

#3 2007-01-07 08:31:58

Re: monitor screen resolution

#4 2007-01-07 11:19:30

Re: monitor screen resolution

#5 2007-01-07 23:32:41

Re: monitor screen resolution

#6 2007-01-08 01:53:23

Re: monitor screen resolution

#7 2007-01-08 05:08:40

Re: monitor screen resolution

#8 2007-01-09 00:25:43

Re: monitor screen resolution

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