Ubuntu 10.04 server cli resolution too small

dgermann · 11-24-2010, 09:13 PM

Hi--

After installing Ubuntu 10.04 lts server, when I go to log in, the type on the screen is so small I almost need a magnifying glass!

I have tried several changes in /etc/default/grub:

uncommented line GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=800x600x24
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=720x480x8

After each one I ran update-grub and rebooted. None of them made any difference. I suspect I am barking up the wrong tree.

How do I make this large enough to read without going blind?

Thanks!

TobiSGD · 11-25-2010, 06:39 AM

I think your problem is connected to KMS (Kernel Mode Setting). What graphics chip does your server use? If it is Intel try to add

Code:

915.modeset=0

to your kernel line in grub.

dgermann · 11-25-2010, 10:58 AM

TobiSGD--

Yes, it is an Intel mobo--d915gav.

Not sure where to add that line in grub. In etc/default/grub.cfg? There is no kernel line in that file. This version of grub does not have a menu.lst file. I do see that there is a file /boot/grub/915resolution.mod but it is a binary file.

Thanks for helping me, TobiSGD!

TobiSGD · 11-27-2010, 08:09 AM

Add it to the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line in your /etc/default/grub file, then do

Code:

update-grub

as root.

dgermann · 11-27-2010, 11:30 AM

TobiSGD--

Thanks for finding that for me, TobiSGD!

No joy, so far, but some hints perhaps. Here's what I did:

1. I added these lines to /etc/default/grub and ran grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg. Still the type is tiny.

Code:

GRUB_GFXMODE=800x600x24
#GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

2. I commented out the line with 800x600x24 and uncommented the line already in there calling for 640x480 and ran sudo update-grub. Still the type is tiny.

3. I appended "915.modeset=0" without quotes to the end of the "GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet"" line. Upon running sudo update-grub got an error message.

4. Re-edited to put a comma in front of 915.modeset=0; still got error message.

5. Put in a second GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT= line and put in the 915.modeset=0 line here, and finally update-grub ran without complaint. When I rebooted, got a lot of error lines scrolling too fast to read--but in a larger type. (Yay!) But then it switched back to the tiny type. (Boo!)

6. Tried commenting out the old GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet" line, but still got the scrolling larger type switching to tiny.

7. Tried rebooting and holding down shift key so I could get the grub menu so I could run the "vbeinfo" to see if I just need to specify a different resolution, but got no grub menu.

Any thoughts on what I can try next?

Thanks for helping me, TobiSGD!

TobiSGD · 11-27-2010, 12:22 PM

Disabling modesetting should do the job. What error-message do you get when adding 915.modeset=0?
To give you an example, here is how my line looks, I have ATI-graphics, so a different modeset-option.

Code:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet nomodeset"

dgermann · 11-27-2010, 12:40 PM

TobiSGD--

The error message was:

Code:

/etc/default/grub: 9: 915.modeset=0: not found

Still tiny type.

Here is my /etc/default/grub file:

Code:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet 915.modeset=0"
#GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=915.modeset=0
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
#GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=720x480x8
#GRUB_GFXMODE=800x600x24
#GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep




# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

I have tried that one line also as the following, but still get tiny type:

Code:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet nomodeset 915.modeset=0"

I feel like you have gotten me so close!

Thanks, TobiSGD!

dgermann · 11-27-2010, 12:45 PM

TobiSGD--

Bingo!

I changed the order of that line to read:

Code:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet 915.modeset=0 nomodeset"

and it seems to have worked!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now: will this keep this resolution when I have an upgrade to say grub2? Do I need to uncomment that line "#GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep"?

Any wisdom on why it worked?

Thanks!