Desktop resolution

cvzyl · 03-24-2006, 02:19 PM

I have a Samsung Syncmaster 753S monitor connected to my PC. The graphics card is a NVidia GForce MX card. When I ran Xandros 3.0 I could increase the desktop resolution up to 1600x1200. I recently decided to install Kanotix as I started to find the Xandros configuration a bit limiting. I really like the Debian distro but cannot set the desktop resolution to anything higher than 1024x768. I went as far as downloading and installing the latest Linux drivers from the NVidia site (quite an ordeal for a newbie like me) but still cannot increase the desktop resolution. What am I missing? Where can I find the settings for the monitor? I am starting to get the idea that Xandros detected my monitor correctly and therefore allowed higher resolutions but that Kanotix did not install the correct driver.

Thanks
Cobus

cvzyl · 03-25-2006, 02:37 PM

For those interested, I found a way to increase the resolution. Did not install a driver for the monitor, seems like you just have to add the resolution (to the config I think). Found the answer on the Kanotix forum. Here is how it is done:

Open a console and type fix-res 1600x1200 (think you have to run it as root)
Restart x using Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
Now you can select the new resolution from Control Center>Peripherals>Display.

Hope it can help someone.

brianeanna · 12-19-2006, 05:44 PM

I followed cvzyl's instructions and used fix-res. My screen has a maximum resolution of 1024x768. However, when I restart KDE and go to the peripherals section of the Control Center, the maximum resolution offered remains 800x600.

Very annoying.

Any suggestions?

jschiwal · 12-19-2006, 06:13 PM

There is an X windows program called gtf. Enter "gtf 1024 768 60 -x" for example for 1024x768@60hz and it will output a modeline you can use in your xorg.conf file.

For example:

Code:

> gtf 1024 768 60 -x

  # 1024x768 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 47.70 kHz; pclk: 64.11 MHz
  Modeline "1024x768_60.00"  64.11  1024 1080 1184 1344  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync

I've had better luck removing the ".00" from the modeline name.

If you don't already have a "Modes" section you can enter it in the Monitor section itself.

See the xorg.conf manpage for details on that.

In the "Screen" section, change the "1024x768" items to "1024x768_60" so the right modeline is referenced.

Code:

fragment:
Section "Screen"
  DefaultDepth 24
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      15
    Modes      "1024x768_60" "800x600"
...

brianeanna · 01-05-2007, 05:36 PM

Thank you, jschiwal. Your suggestion worked perfectly.

I edited xorg.conf, replacing the offending line with the one generated by gtf. Although I logged out and back in again, the screen remained unchanged until I logged back in again as a new user.

Odd, that.

The screen did, however, update fully when I restarted the computer. It looks fine now.

Onwards and upwards!