How to make screen resolution changes permanent?

[crimson.wing]

Whenever Kubuntu starts, it defaults to 1280x1024 resolution of my CRT monitor. However, I wish for the resolution to be at 1024x768. I have tried changing the resolution using KRandRTray, but it still defaults back to 1280x1024 after I shutdown.

My computer is an Acer Veriton 3600G.

[phil1349]

Re: How to make screen resolution changes permanent?

I (and many others) have had this problem since KDE 4 was introduced. There have been many posts about it but so far no definitive answers. Tried playing with xorg.conf but cannot make changes permanent.

I don't worry about it anymore, just accept that the screen resolution has to be reset on startup, it only takes a few seconds.

It would be nice to find an answer but worse things happen at sea.

[DuncanMahogany]

Re: How to make screen resolution changes permanent?

This is an aggravating problem, and for the life of me I cannot understand why they haven't fixed it. It seems to me that they could incorporate this into the system settings. In any case, heres what I do on my installations.

Open a command prompt and type the command: xrandr -q


Have a look at the supported resolutions for your output device, which in your case might be either VGA-0 or DVI-0

Now try the command: xrandr --output VGA-0 --mode 1024x768 (if your output device is DVI-0 use that instead)

Your resolution should change to your selection. If all has gone well you can now use this command in one of the startup scripts so that it is run on every startup. I highly recommend placing this command in the /etc/kde4/kdm/Xsetup file; it gets run at the same time that KDE starts up and will have root privileges.

Good luck!

[phil1349]

Re: How to make screen resolution changes permanent?

I tried xrandr as recommended by Duncan Mahogany and it returned as expected the current resolution & all resolutions supported.

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 240, current 1024 x 768, maximum 1280 x 1024
default connected 1024x768+0+0 0mm x 0mm
I Won't bore you with a full list of supported resolutions.

Note that the output quotes Screen 0 as the output device, putting this into the xrandr --output Screen-0 --mode 1024x768 command line produces the message: warning: output Screen-0 not found; ignoring. Substituting VGA-0 or DVI-0 produces the same result.

What is occuring here ?

[DuncanMahogany]

Re: How to make screen resolution changes permanent?

You should get a readout similar to mine when you run the xrandr command:

blahblah@kubuntu-laptop:~$ xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1440 x 900, maximum 8192 x 8192
VGA-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
LVDS connected 1440x900+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
  1680x1050   60.0 +  60.0 
  1600x1024   60.2 
  1400x1050   60.0   60.0 
  1280x1024   59.9   60.0 
  1440x900    59.9*  59.9 
  1280x960    60.0   59.9 
  1280x854    59.9 
  1360x768    59.8 
  1280x800    59.8 
  1152x864    60.0 
  1280x720    59.9 
  1152x768    59.8 
  1024x768    60.0   59.9 
  800x600    60.3   59.9 
  848x480    59.7 
  720x480    59.7 
  640x480    59.9   59.4 
DVI-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Notice on the third line down it indicates that LVDS (the name of the output device on my laptop) is the one that is connected; the others are not. Take note of the name on your output when you run the xrandr -q command; that is the one you must use for the command to change the resolution. In your case it looks like you might use default as the output device.

Hope this helps.

[phil1349]

Re: How to make screen resolution changes permanent?

Nice One DuncanMahogany !! Using "default" as the output worked exactly as predicted. I added the appropriate command to /etc/kde4/kdm/Xsetup and there is much additional flashing and flickering on startup and the login window is at the bottom right corner of the screen but no matter, when the desktop appears it is at the desired 1024x768 not 1280x1024 and everything is in the right place.

Job done, thanks for your advice.

[DuncanMahogany]

Re: How to make screen resolution changes permanent?

Yes I get the odd visual effects too sometimes, but its harmless otherwise. The command can also be placed in xorg.conf, but I avoided that since Kubuntu seems to be migrating away from using that file.

Glad this worked for you, Cheers