I decided to try out the Net Install of debian 3.1. After I successfully installed sarge to my second hard drive, I booted it up to find that desktop was 800x600 at 75 hertz (using the nv driver). I'm looking to run the desktop at 1024x768. 800x600 is the highest resolution available under the desktop preferences>screen resolution tab. I know I have to edit some config file somewhere, but I'm relatively new to linux and dont know exactly what I have to do. Any help would be appreciated.

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
When it asks what level you wish to configure your monitor at, choose advanced, and make sure you know your monitor's h/v refresh rates (google it).

ok so where do I enter this, in the root terminal?

Alternatively, if you want to edit a file manually, look for (as root) /etc/X11/XF86Config or XF86Config-4 (in the same directory). Edit that file with an editor of your choice (pico forever! :P) and the line you're looking to change is like such...

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Radeon9600SE"
Monitor "710S"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600"

And so on for every depth from there on. To start with, you'll probably only have "800x600" if that's all you can choose.

IMPORTANT: To do this manual editing, ALWAYS make a backup, and ALWAYS check your horizontal and vertical sync rates of your monitor match the ones listed under this section:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "710S"
HorizSync 30-71
VertRefresh 50-160
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

If they don't, it will refuse to go to a higher resolution, as it thinks the monitor will go kaput.

Hope that covers everything.

Ok, I have a few questions. First, do I edit this file (read only) by logging in as a root? Exactly how do I go about changing this file? Second, inside the file, it says "defaultdepth 24" and there are multiple instances of screen resolutions. WHat does this mean and should I change it to 1?

Hey,

I would typ and than choose for advanced options for your monitor. You have to know the refresh rates of your monitor and then you can also choose the resolutions you want. This is the more debianway of changing it.
Ofcourse you type that into a terminal. You can choose the rootterminal but you can also choose a normal terminal and their you type and then your password and then you are also working as root. If you choose to do it with the "su" command you type the dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 after you did the su and password; you will see # after your name so this means that you are root.
Hope this helps and you understand it because my English isn't very good. If you have more questions just ask.

Greetz,
Sabazios03

Hey thnx for explaning "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86"
I didnt know that But where does it save the config file? Mine just doesn't save anything? I deleted every config file but it doesn't save it and after making an empty XF86Config file in /etc/X11/ it still didnt work. Can u please help me? Now im stuck @ 640*480, i made this config file with xf86cfg.
thnx in advance

besides "medium", "simple" and "advanced" there should be a "monitor has warranty"-option for people who don´t know what they want and like to try out