1680x1050 resolution in VESA @ Bootup/CLI mode?

Speng · 01-09-2009, 11:53 AM

Is there any way of doing this? I've got a 22" wide screen monitor and I hate seeing the next stretched when im in the CLI. I don't use the splash screen for booting up, I boot up in text mode and seeing it stretched out is really ugly.

I'm using OpenSUSE 11.1 with GRUB, I just want to set the resolution to 1680x1050. Is there any way of doing this? I've tried scanning but the closest there was is 1600x1200 but that obviously won't work. Is there any way of adding a mode?

rjwilmsi · 01-09-2009, 01:29 PM

If you go into YaST and under the hardware settings choose the monitor option you should be able to choose 'generic monitor' (I don't remember the exact wording) and then choose any resolution you want.

Speng · 01-09-2009, 02:51 PM

But what shall I set the bootloader vga= to?

jschiwal · 01-09-2009, 02:55 PM

You might try including "edd=off" and "vga=ask" on the kernel line of grub. You may be given a longer list of options than would be returned otherwise. This may depend on the kernel you use however, and which version of SuSE you have. I don't think you can simply create your own but one of the higher resolutions may work fine for you. It may amount to trial and error to see which looks best.

Speng · 01-09-2009, 03:10 PM

Bah, it came up with the same old list of VESA resolutions that are no good. I want to use the LCD resolutions I set for the CLI. Isn't there any way of doing that?

You might have noticed I'm new to all this.

SqdnGuns · 01-09-2009, 03:19 PM

Doesn't it need to be built into the kernel, the ability for higher rez? I don't uses Suse so I have no idea if that option is available.

Shadow_7 · 01-10-2009, 09:53 PM

vga=791 is 1024x768, slightly better than a traditional 80x25 terminal. But still stretched. I don't think there is a number for 1680x1050 (not that I've checked recently). None for 1280x720 or 1920x1080 either. Might have changed recently, but that's the crumbling cookie within the past two years anyway. You generally need the frame-buffer stuff enabled in the kernel, which you have if you have any fancy splash screen or those penguins at top when you boot (one for each cpu available). If you have to build a custom kernel, don't enable that VGA16 option. It seems to super-cede the other frame-buffer and is rather odd trying to get that overridden without a new kernel without that option.

SqdnGuns · 01-10-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow_7

vga=791 is 1024x768, slightly better than a traditional 80x25 terminal. But still stretched. I don't think there is a number for 1680x1050 (not that I've checked recently). None for 1280x720 or 1920x1080 either. Might have changed recently, but that's the crumbling cookie within the past two years anyway. You generally need the frame-buffer stuff enabled in the kernel, which you have if you have any fancy splash screen or those penguins at top when you boot (one for each cpu available). If you have to build a custom kernel, don't enable that VGA16 option. It seems to super-cede the other frame-buffer and is rather odd trying to get that overridden without a new kernel without that option.

Code:

VGA Modes

	640x480		800x600		1024x768	1280x1024	*1600x1200

256	769		771		773		775		*796
32k	784		787		790		793		*797
64k	785		788		791		794		*798
16m	786		789		792		795		*799

* Does not work for all.

This is what I come up with.........

Speng · 01-11-2009, 04:08 AM

Thanks, I get it now.

I'll go with vga=791, it should be enough.

jlinkels · 01-11-2009, 09:29 AM

It is dependent on your VGA adapter what it supports and what this mode is called.

To find this out:
- When GRUB boots, press 'c' to get a command prompt.
- In the command prompt you get then enter 'help'
- You'll see a list of commands. Check for the command which gives you a list of VGA modes.
- Do not try to test a mode, usually that doesn't work anyway.
- Enter the value for the desired VGA mode in the vga= parameter in you list of boot parameters.

I don't know the commands to get this list by heart, and I am too lazy to reboot my system, but it is not magic.

jlinkels

jschiwal · 01-12-2009, 03:11 AM

I had a long list when I picked a resolution for my Laptop. "v" was for 1440x900@8bits. I think that some kernels have a new console frame buffer device. If I don't enter "edd=off" I'll get a shorter list. The 1440x900 resolution was marked as being a VESA resolution which surprised me.

You might try entering "scan" instead of a number and see if you get a longer list.