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Changing display resolution renders system unusable

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    Changing display resolution renders system unusable

    Just installed Kubuntu 8.04 and opted to experiment with the System Settings > Monitor & Display feature. The dialog seemed quite nice. This included a bar with hatch marks for selecting different display resolutions. The bar seemed to contain those which apply to my display adapter but I cannot say that I made a precise inspection. It appeared as though the installer chose the maximum resolution of 1280x1024 so I opted for trying a lower resolution and moved selector to "1024x768". I opted for "1024x768" because I thought this to be a very common resolution that any system ought to be able to use with good results.

    However, applying the change produced very bad results. It seems to have changed the resolution to "640X480". I suppose this is the most basic value that one should find on any VGA capable adapter but that is not the really horrible part. At that resolution what was a dialog that displayed nicely no longer fit in the window that no longer fit on the screen (physical display). Furthermore, the selection bar is now limited to a lot fewer resolutions with the highest selectable value being "640x480".

    In summary, using the system settings feature I was only able to change the display to an unacceptably low resolution and ended up with no way to change back to any higher resolution.

    This experience does not bestow any confidence in the Kubuntu (or possibly KDE) system settings feature and begs the following questions -

    - Is there a way to change the display resolution that produces useful results?
    - Is there a way to recover from the unwanted results described above?
    - Is there any reason to expect better results from other features offered in the system settings feature?


    #2
    Re: Changing display resolution renders system unusable

    Open a console and type:
    Code:
    sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
    to reconfigure the xserver.
    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes

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      #3
      Re: Changing display resolution renders system unusable

      If what Snowhog suggested doesn't help, i had almost exactly the same problem. It was cured by installing (via Adept) the fglrx driver, and - as i've got an ancient ATI Radeon 9800Pro, i installed the ATI bits-and-pieces as well.

      It auto-selected the 1280x1024 resolution, without any prompting.

      YMMV, though.

      Edited to put the resolution right....

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        #4
        Re: Changing display resolution renders system unusable

        An alternative to
        sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
        Don't boot into your normal kernel - boot into recovery. With Hardy things changed. There is an option to "Try to recover Xserver. Try that.
        "A problem well stated is a problem half solved." --Charles F. Kettering
        "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."--Dr. Seuss

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          #5
          Re: Changing display resolution renders system unusable

          Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like the collective opinion is that work-a-rounds may be necessary. In that, the System Settings feature of KDE should be abandoned.

          I'm not sure exactly what model adapter I am using but it is ATI adapter that is NOT real current.

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