Console mode only using 640x480 of 1024x768 area

cewnb · 2009-07-15 00:34:38

Previously, everything viewed on the screen that happend before the Windows shell had started was in a 640x480 resolution. That included bios startup, bios setup - anything before you got to the Windows shell login screen really. That changed after I had installed new configuration files for the display - in Windows ofcourse. Since that day the screen is always set to 1024x768 - bios setup, arch console - except things runs in a 640x480 sized window in the middle of the screen instead. It wasn't annoying at the time because I only operated inside the Windows environment. Now that I'm learning linux and Arch, it's a real nuisance not being able to use the full screen when I'm in console mode.

I've looked into the bios setup thoroughly but cannot find anything about resolution. Is it possible to fix this using arch?

tom5760 · 2009-07-15 04:55:06

This sounds like an issue with your monitor. Are there any menus built into your monitor that adjust scaling? If not, then I'd bet there is something somewhere in your BIOS to control this.

What kind of machine/monitor/video card do you have?

cewnb · 2009-07-16 12:34:56

I messed around with the bios settings, again, and this option "hv expansion", which controlled the "lcd horizontal/vertical expansion state". By turning it off , the screen the area used stretches to the full screen. It's much more comfortable, but still, it would be nice if it could run in 1024x768 and still make use of the whole screen area. Do you think these settings are "printed" onto the hardware and not reprogrammable from the os environment? Sorry if the answers are obvious. I'm relatively new to the advanced side of computers. Thanks for the help so far. I'm looking through thinkwiki.org to see if there's anything of help.

(My computer is an IBM T60 with the Intel 945GM controller and 82801G chipset.)

Last edited by cewnb (2009-07-16 12:36:20)

tom5760 · 2009-07-16 13:56:06

If you are using a console, you can either enable the kernel framebuffer (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRU … Resolution), or you can try KMS (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Int … _.28KMS.29).

KMS is new and will let you run in your console in native resolution, but it can be unstable for some people. It would be worth trying first. Otherwise, manually setting the framebuffer resolution will work.

Also, you could install X with some desktop environment which will also run at your native resolution.

arkham · 2009-07-16 14:02:04

Add vga=773 to your kernel line in /boot/grub/menu.lst

Last edited by arkham (2009-07-16 14:02:20)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-07-15 00:34:38

Console mode only using 640x480 of 1024x768 area

#2 2009-07-15 04:55:06

Re: Console mode only using 640x480 of 1024x768 area

#3 2009-07-16 12:34:56

Re: Console mode only using 640x480 of 1024x768 area

#4 2009-07-16 13:56:06

Re: Console mode only using 640x480 of 1024x768 area

#5 2009-07-16 14:02:04

Re: Console mode only using 640x480 of 1024x768 area

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