I'm trying to change the screen resolution on a box with Ubuntu 8.04 and a CRT monitor, LaCie Electron Blue 22inch.

The Ubuntu was installed in a repair shop without access to my monitor and is set at 800x600. (My sight is poor, but not that poor.) Going into the Preferences menu and then Screen Resolution only offers even huger resolutions, all at 60Hz. Clicking on `Detect Displays' has no effect.

The /etc/X11/xorg.conf file was full of bland defaults. Here is the relevant bit as installed:

>>>>>>>

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

<<<<<

and here is what I changed it to:

>>>>>

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "electr22b4"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "electr22b4"
Device "Configured Video Device"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Modes "2048x1536" "1920x1440" "1600x1200" "1400x1050"
EndSubSection
EndSection

<<<<<

This is the code that work with the same monitor and a different box (older) with Ubuntu 7.10 installed. What I want is 1400x1050 at 85Hz.

I don't understand why editing xorg.conf (and restarting) has had no effect. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?

K

What video card driver are you using in the "Device" section of xorg.conf?

Thanks Blue C. Just

>>>

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

<<<

I don't think I know how to get details for this.

K

The problem seems to be with Ubuntu 8.04. I reinstalled 7.10 and got the correct resolution easily. Here is the relevant part of /etc/X11/xorg.conf :

>>>

Section "Device"
Identifier "nVidia Corporation C51PV [GeForce 6150]"
Driver "nv"
BusID "PCI:0:5:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 30-70
VertRefresh 50-160
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "nVidia Corporation C51PV [GeForce 6150]"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
EndSection

<<<

This file has far more info than the file under 8.04. I answered all the install questions in exactly the same way. The box is just 12 months old, so I'd expect it to be compatible with 8.04. Very odd.

It seems odd that the newerversion of 'buntu would have this issue. When I went through the installation process for this distro, the screen resolution settings were fine, but like Kamoflauge said, prior to installation, the resolution went to 600x800. Is there an easier way to fix this problem, other than modifying xorg.conf? I am always hesitant to do much with Root.

I do not know if you edited it all away but your 8.04 xorg.conf seemed to be missing all this stuff about HorizSync and VertRefresh for the monitor section as well as the Driver "nv" input for Device section.
Howabout taking the same xorg.conf you have working in 7.1 and use it in 8.04?

My personal advice is - forget the configuration tools - if it has a nice dialogue box it will let you down. There is a way to reconfigure package installation, for example xorg. Don't remember how, some sudo apt-get option and it should have spilled a xorg.conf for the 8.04 that works...

Thanks ashburna, Jykke.

The problem actually seems worse than when I originally wrote. I've since done a reinstall of 8.04 (actually the latest download, which I think was 8.04-01), thinking that the repair shop had mucked up the installation, but got exactly the same problem. So it doesn't seem to have been the repair shop. I then went back to 7.10 and got a good 1400 x 1050 resolution.

Jykke, I did delete sections from the xorg.conf file, so I'll go back and have a look. Putting the 7.10 file in 8.04 sounds a good idea.

K