how to get widescreen (1280x768) working on linux?

arroquant · 01-31-2007, 05:45 AM

firstly, sorry for my bad english.

currently practicing by joining into forums

i've installed mandriva2007 and ubuntu 6.10 on my ThinkPad Z61t, and have xorg.conf configured to run on resolution 1280x768 (widescreen). but its just won't work.

does anyone have solution for this problem??

thanks in advance.

Samoth · 01-31-2007, 07:06 AM

Well, to start off, what video card do you have, and what does your xorg.conf look like?(I assume you are trying to use your laptop display.)

bjagee · 01-31-2007, 09:30 PM

Have you by chance tried 1280x800 in your xorg.conf ?

jmpmjmpm · 02-03-2007, 09:14 AM

Am I right in thinking that it is centrino type graphics?
if so in ubuntu

Code:

sudo apt-get install 915resolution

making sure you have the extra repositories enabled should do the trick.

don't know about Mandriva tho since I don't use it

edit: and thats 1280 x 800 i believe

it's a intel video bios thing I believe, all the xorg.conf edits in the world wont fix it, you need the patch 915resolution

arroquant · 02-08-2007, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samoth

Well, to start off, what video card do you have, and what does your xorg.conf look like?(I assume you are trying to use your laptop display.)

i have Intel 945 GMA. does it really help if i post my xorg.conf? it is fresh installation

Quote:

Have you by chance tried 1280x800 in your xorg.conf ?

yes, i've tried. but every time xorg starts, it always override the setting i made on the xorg.conf. then X start on resolution 1024x768.

. . .
thanks to jmpmjmpm, i've tried using the 915resolution patch i got from the net. and it works!! my xorg runs on resolution 1280x768...

but it seems there are one problem, i kinda feel that the resolution is supposed to be 1280x800. because the icon appearance seems streched vertically

then i go to "init 3", enter command "915resolution -l" to list resolutions that my card supported. and there are no option 1280x800 listed!

argh!

does anyone have an idea about this?

. . .
** off topic **
@jmpjpm, is ubuntu 6.10 buggy? i've installed it in my computer (core2DUO processor), but sometimes the system crashed and said something about CPU0 and CPU1 (which i assume there's a problem regarding my dual-core processor)..

jschiwal · 02-08-2007, 05:53 AM

The xorg installation includes a program called "gtf" that you can use to generate your own mode line for that resolution:

Code:

>gtf 1280 768 60 -x

  # 1280x768 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 47.70 kHz; pclk: 80.14 MHz
  Modeline "1280x768_60.00"  80.14  1280 1344 1480 1680  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync

I have had problems with modelines that contain the decimal point in the label, and I always cut out the ".00" part.

If your xorg.conf file has a "ModeLines" section, then insert the modeline there. Notice the "UseModes" command in the "Monitor" section. Alternately, your xorg.conf file might have xorg calculate the modelines on the fly and not need a modelines section. In that case, add the modeline to the "Monitor" section.

First Method:

Code:

Section "Monitor"
  DisplaySize  332 207
  HorizSync    32-48
  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"
  ModelName    "ZV5000"
  Option       "DPMS"
  VendorName   "HP"
  VertRefresh  40-70
  UseModes     "Modes[0]"
EndSection


Section "Modes"
  Identifier   "Modes[0]"
  # 1280x768 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 47.70 kHz; pclk: 80.14 MHz
  Modeline "1280x768_60"  80.14  1280 1344 1480 1680  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync
  Modeline 	"1280x800" 80.58 1280 1344 1480 1680 800 801 804 827
  Modeline 	"1280x800" 67.25 1280 1328 1360 1440 800 803 809 822 +HSync -Vsync
  Modeline 	"1280x768" 80.14 1280 1344 1480 1680 768 769 772 795
...

Second Method:

Code:

Section "Monitor"
  DisplaySize  332 207
  HorizSync    32-48
  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"
  ModelName    "ZV5000"
  Option       "DPMS"
  VendorName   "HP"
  VertRefresh  40-70
  # 1280x768 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 47.70 kHz; pclk: 80.14 MHz
  Modeline "1280x768_60"  80.14  1280 1344 1480 1680  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

It would be a good idea to backup your xorg.conf file before editing it:

Code:

sudo cp xorg.conf xorg.conf.backup

Good Luck!

jmpmjmpm · 02-08-2007, 06:12 AM

6.10 it has been said was not the best Ubuntu release with many saying 6.04 was more stable. However I run it on an intel centrino core duo notebook with no probs (not core2 duo tho)

Not sure why your not seeing that 1200x800 resolution, I have every time

vsridhars · 02-11-2007, 09:27 PM

Hi,

915resolution -l would give you the list of resolutions detected.
It also has a mode to "patch" any one of the listed resolutions to "fake" a different resolution.

So you can have a "915resolution 1280 800" kind of command in any init program (say rc.local within fedora) - and it would patch and have the mode available when X comes up.