booting resolution
 

when i boot linux, the resolution is too high for the monitor that it is currently on. it was installed on a monitor that could support high res... how do i get it to boot into a text shell to make the necessary mods with x configurator? i don't seem to see anyplace to do this. what do i do?

su
vi /etc/inittab
exit

in inittab change the "x" in #id:X:initdefault:

if you set X to 3 you will boot to the command line
if you set X to 5 you will boot into a GUI

I think that should work

Depends on your boot-loader (LILO / GRUB ?) -- assuming you can't briefly borrow a better Monitor. The boot-loader should allow an option to force a low resolution (600 * 800). So man <boot-loader> ;). You can carry on from there, I believe.

ok, i fixed the problem. not sure if it was the best way to do it, but it worked... i pressed ctrl+alt+bkspace until it got to the text only screen with the prompt "%hostname% login:" i logged in and ran Xconfigurator. this fixed the prob. i don't know if that was the right way to do it, though. there has to be a better way...

ceedeedoos

i know that would fix the problem of it going into the xterm login... and it would allow you to run Xconfigurator, but i could not get to a point to edit that file. the moment x would start, the monitor would turn off. you are right, though. that would work to boot me into a safe text only mode.

JZL240I-U

i'm using grub. don't know if that would work or not... do i do that while still in the boot loader (use the extra commands that it provieds) or do i do that at a prompt? that sounds like you are on the right track, though.

cee, jzl, thanks for the help, guys.

Just a personal comment: If it works, it is the right way :D. There may be better ways or optimizations to what you did, but for the moment it doesn't matter, because you solved a problem and made your system work -- and quite efficiently, at my opinion.

And it will keep your brain on alert (in this area at least ;)) when you see something concerning the boot sequence or GRUB commands ... so, all is well :).

[edited] Oh, yes, you would do that with the commands GRUB provides before it starts loading everything.