Editing xorg.conf on Suse 9.2 w/ ATI Mob. 9700 Dell Inspiron 9200
 

I have my driver working great! I am just interested on how to change the resolution. My resolution is pretty good at the moment, but it is not configured for my Wide Screen Laptop (Everything is in detail and small, but it is slightly skewed because it isnt scaled for my screen). How do i edit my xorg.conf? I would just change the resolutions under all of these sections, but it is not the same resolution that my screen is running. This is what my xorg.conf looks like at the moment:

# generic X.Org configuration file

Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/truetype/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/URW/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/uni/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS0"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS1"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS2"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS3"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS4"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS5"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS6"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS7"
InputDevices "/dev/ttyS8"
InputDevices "/dev/psaux"
InputDevices "/dev/logibm"
InputDevices "/dev/sunmouse"
InputDevices "/dev/atibm"
InputDevices "/dev/amigamouse"
InputDevices "/dev/atarimouse"
InputDevices "/dev/inportbm"
InputDevices "/dev/gpmdata"
InputDevices "/dev/usbmouse"
InputDevices "/dev/adbmouse"
InputDevices "/dev/input/mice"
InputDevices "/dev/input/event0"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AllowMouseOpenFail"
Option "BlankTime" "0"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "glx"
Load "dri"
# extensions
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "kbd"
Identifier "Keyboard[0]"
Option "Protocol" "Standard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbKeycodes" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "mouse"
Identifier "Mouse[1]"
Option "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
HorizSync 25-40
Identifier "Monitor[0]"
ModelName "Initial"
VendorName "Initial"
VertRefresh 47-75
UseModes "Modes[0]"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
Identifier "Modes[0]"
Modeline "640x480" 31.5 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 # 6. Try
Modeline "640x480" 31.5 640 680 720 864 480 488 491 521 # 5. Try
Modeline "640x480" 28 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 # 4. Try
Modeline "640x480" 28.32 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 # 3. Try
Modeline "640x480" 25.18 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 # 2. Try
Modeline "640x480" 25.175 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 # 1. Try
EndSection

# Screen Section for module X support
# -------------------------------------
Section "Screen"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "640x480"
EndSubSection
Device "Device[0]"
Identifier "Screen[0]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
EndSection

# Screen Section for fbdev support
# ----------------------------------
Section "Screen"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
Device "Device[fbdev]"
Identifier "Screen[fbdev]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
EndSection

# Screen Section for vga support
# ----------------------------------
Section "Screen"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "640x480"
EndSubSection
Device "Device[vga]"
Identifier "Screen[vga]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
EndSection

# Screen Section for vesa support
# ----------------------------------
Section "Screen"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
Device "Device[vesa]"
Identifier "Screen[vesa]"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Driver "fglrx"
Identifier "Device[0]"
BusID "1:0:0"
# device_options
Option "sw_cursor" "on"
Option "UseInternalAPGART" "no"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Driver "fbdev"
Identifier "Device[fbdev]"
BusID "1:0:0"
# fbdev_options
Option "ShadowFB" "off"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Driver "vga"
Identifier "Device[vga]"
BusID "1:0:0"
# vga_options
Option "KGAUniversal"
Option "VGAClocks"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Driver "vesa"
Identifier "Device[vesa]"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout[all]"
InputDevice "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
Option "Xinerama" "off"
Screen "Screen[fbdev]"
EndSection

Help Please!

uuuuh look like Suse xorg.conf are uuuugly.

just change this part :
with the resolution you want to use (you better start with something trustrable like 800x600 then increase slowly). If you replace only the 640x480 it should be safe (if it fails just put back 640x480)

I tried that and nothing changed. Hmmm.

do you know what drivers your are using? This xorg.conf is strange, it has different screen resolution depending the driver. I thought I made you change the "default" one but look like I was wrong.
If you are using "fbdev" (frame buffer, some kind of... hmm... improved textmode drivers?) you will need to change the resolution in a totally other (harder) way... if you can chooser your X drivers (in some wizard... I dont know Suse much) tell me what choice you have.

I have a Dell Inspiron 9200 with Suse 9.2. Suse doesnt support the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 which came with my computer. I had to download the "standard ati linux driver" from ati. The Xorg one. then I forced the rpm file and it loaded. I then edited my xorg.conf by adding fglrx instead of radeon in section 'device' and added some options. I think this overrides somthing, I am not sure. I cant access anything directly through Suse's configuration tools. It says i am running in text mode only, no graphics. I think I may have stumbled on a 'dirty hack' of a fix for bypassing the fact that Suse has no support for the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700. But there is little documentation on this kind of thing and the only other option I found didnt work at all. I am new to Linux for sure, and I appreciate your help!

hehe you bypassed some Suse limitation? You are certainly a worthable newbie :)
The problem here is that I am unable to find for sure what driver you are using, but I am almost certain your aren't using the ati one (or maybe in a so twisted way that your system take it as something else, like VESA).
I doubt you will be able to use ATI drivers, ATI are just lame idiots, they probably never booted a linux system, their last drivers release is only usable for RH9.0 (distribued as RH RPM!!!). Obliviously, they don't care about Linux users... but that's not that bad because some opensource drivers in Xorg support most ati card. Unless you want to play game and need all the FPS you can get, you probably want to use this one.

So here is what I suggest. Back up your current xorg.conf file and run the following script (as root of course) : xorconfig.
This a really nice configuration script that will ask you all possible question about your system and will create an xorg.conf file from your answer. You will probably have to guess some answer (like the frequency of the screen) but you should be fine :D
The script will let you choose from existing ati drivers that are in Xorg already, with some luck you will find one suitable for your card :)
if something goes bad, just copy over your backuped xorg.conf file over the new one.