How to set screen resolutions?

[volkerbradley]

Have a IBM T43p laptop with an ATI graphics card. I had a xserver problem and then had run dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg. However, after I did this, I could no longer adjust my screen resolution. The only option is 1600x1200.
I have tried running dkpg-reconfigure xserver-xorg and chosing the resolutions I desired but after I rebooted the only option was still 1600x1200. I tried editing the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to add the desired screen resolutions and to use the ATI driver. After I did this, I still could not choose the screen resolution in KMenu->System Settings->Monitor & Display. It said the module was not loaded.
How do configure X properly so that I can change my screen resolutions?

[dibl]

Re: How to set screen resolutions?

I tried editing the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to add the desired screen resolutions and to use the ATI driver. After I did this, I still could not choose the screen resolution in KMenu->System Settings->Monitor & Display. It said the module was not loaded.

I'm not an ATI user, so this is going to be pretty generic help.

1. If you can achieve what you want using the ATI driver and xorg.conf, then you're best advised to leave System Settings>Monitor & Display closed.

2. Probably in /etc/X11/xorg.conf is a line that indicates the 1600x1200 resolution that you now have. It should be possible to use the Kate editor (in Super User mode) to insert a 1280x1024 (if that's what you want) resolution in front of it, in the same format. For example, on the computer that I'm writing this from, the xorg.conf file contains a line:

  Option     "metamodes" "1600x1200 +0+0"

I'm pretty confident that if I inserted

"1280x1024 +0 +0"

in front (to the left) of that 1600x1200 term, I'd get a 1280x1024 screen at the next start of the X server.


Personally, I'd be tempted to use the Envy script installer to re-install the ATI driver, if I were in your situaton.

HTH.

[volkerbradley]

Re: How to set screen resolutions?

Awesome!!! Finally, the end to my problem.
Following your suggestion, I just reversed the screen resolution possibilities in the xorg.conf file from lowest to highest.
Now I can choose the screen resolution again.
Thank you very much.

I tried editing the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to add the desired screen resolutions and to use the ATI driver. After I did this, I still could not choose the screen resolution in KMenu->System Settings->Monitor & Display. It said the module was not loaded.

I'm not an ATI user, so this is going to be pretty generic help.

1. If you can achieve what you want using the ATI driver and xorg.conf, then you're best advised to leave System Settings>Monitor & Display closed.

2. Probably in /etc/X11/xorg.conf is a line that indicates the 1600x1200 resolution that you now have. It should be possible to use the Kate editor (in Super User mode) to insert a 1280x1024 (if that's what you want) resolution in front of it, in the same format. For example, on the computer that I'm writing this from, the xorg.conf file contains a line:

  Option     "metamodes" "1600x1200 +0+0"

I'm pretty confident that if I inserted

"1280x1024 +0 +0"

in front (to the left) of that 1600x1200 term, I'd get a 1280x1024 screen at the next start of the X server.


Personally, I'd be tempted to use the Envy script installer to re-install the ATI driver, if I were in your situaton.

HTH.