Yesterday, I modified my xorg.cong file to get my monitor (on a Toshiba M35 laptop) to run in the native 1280x800 resolution - all worked fine. Today, when I logged in under my same user name, the resolution settings were "lost" - however, if I login as root, the 1280x800 resolution works - if I create a new user and login, the 1280x800 resolution works. I am running Fedora Core 3 and keep the system updated.

What file, executed during the login process, might affect the screen settings?

Thanks,
Mike

I can't answer your question about which file might be involved, but I wonder if you couldn't delete your original ordinary user (the one that gets the wrong resolution now) and rename the new user that works successfully, to the old name? I think that's what I'd try, but I usually take the laziest way out of problems...

I thought about that, but what about all the user data and installed programs - they don't copy over...

Are you sure about that? I would think it would amount to that original user being gone for a while, and then
returning--all his/her stuff wouldn't be inaccessible, surely.

Maybe I can try it on my system and let you know. I'll create a new user, give him some stuff, then delete him,
and then recreate him, and see if he isn't right back where he left off.

Stay tuned.

Okay. Here's what I did:

I created a new user, Snoopy the Dog, nickname snoopy. Gave him a password. Put a bunch of files in his brand-new home directory. Changed owner so it was snooopy:snoopy (owner:group).

Did all this as root, naturally.

Then I deleted the user snoopy.

His files were still intact, as I did not opt to delete them along with the owner (which you can do).

The ownership was now root.

Then I created snoopy again. Now his files belonged to him again, just as though nothing had happened.

So in effect a user can "go on vacation" you might say. I don't see why you couldn't use a variant of this method to get your user set up the way you want. I would just be very careful in the process, since you ARE doing all this as root. You should have a backup of all your home files just in case you are distracted and wipe them out during all this. It would be VERY easy to do.

Otherwise, I see no problem with it. Hope this helps.

thanks Jon - I gave it a try - got the same results. The 'new' user has the correct resolution - the deleted and recreated user still has resolution problems.

My guess is that there's some file in the problem user's home directory that's causing the trouble. I know that at the beginning of an X session, some files there are used to create the user's environment, especially files related to Gnome stuff. I have no idea what they do--I only know I get a ton of error messages every time I start X, but they don't seem to have anything to do with everyday reality! My sessions work just like I want them to, despite the grumbling about gconf and permissions and all sorts of other things.

I just about bet something accessed from the problem user's home directory is the culprit.