LinuxQuestions.org - login font too small to see

i recently went from ubuntu 7.10 to 8.04.

i have a problem now which showed up once i upgraded. Before the gui loads i have to log in with user and password. what i type in in these log in boxes is very small, almost too small to even count the number of characters typed. i have tried to adjust the screen within ubuntu but it does not seem to have any effect on the font size that happens before the gui loads.

ive used linux for sometime and i am trying to learn more about it but i feel like a noobie. i do not know how to change the graphic behavior at the login prompt on what would be the splash screen.

i apologize for what are more than likely noob mistakes that i have made in this my first post. thanks in advance for any pointers or help.

here is some info on my system.

lspci -v
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8377 [KT400/KT600 AGP] Host Bridge
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8377 [KT400/KT600 AGP] Host Bridge
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 8
Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 2.0
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 PCI Bridge (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
I/O behind bridge: 0000c000-0000cfff
Memory behind bridge: e0000000-e00fffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: d8000000-dfffffff
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
Subsystem: Belkin F5D5000 PCI Card/Desktop Network PCI Card
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 16
I/O ports at d000 [size=256]
Memory at e0110000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at 50000000 [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2

00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 17
I/O ports at d400 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 17
I/O ports at d800 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 17
I/O ports at dc00 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 82) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 17
Memory at e0111000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 19
[virtual] Memory at 000001f0 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8]
[virtual] Memory at 000003f0 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [size=1]
[virtual] Memory at 00000170 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8]
[virtual] Memory at 00000370 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [size=1]
I/O ports at e000 [size=16]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
Subsystem: Biostar Microtech Int'l Corp Unknown device f614
Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 20
I/O ports at e400 [size=256]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:12.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev 74)
Subsystem: Biostar Microtech Int'l Corp Unknown device 2200
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 18
I/O ports at ec00 [size=256]
Memory at e0112000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon RV100 QY [Radeon 7000/VE] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon 7000/Radeon VE
Flags: bus master, stepping, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 21
Memory at d8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
I/O ports at c000 [size=256]
Memory at e0020000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at e0000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [58] AGP version 2.0
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2

sudo glxinfo | head
name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: SGI
server glx version string: 1.2
server glx extensions:
GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context, GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap,
GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_SGI_make_current_read, GLX_SGI_swap_control,
GLX_SGIS_multisample, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group