Video Card Resolution Problem

**astrophysicist** · 07-31-2005

Hello Linux Forum members. I am a new Linux user, just intsalled Debian. I have kernel 2.4.2 installed. My problem is:
1. CRUCIAL: I can not seem to find a way to get my screen resolution any better. I am stuck to 800x600. I have a I have a dell Inspiron 9100 laptop, similar to the XPS laptop. My main problem I am trying to fix is to get my screen resolution up higher. My video card is a ATI Mobility Radeon 7000, with 128MB of video memory. I did tune the
setting for screen resolution to 1280x1024 (this resolution works
perfect on Windows for me) but I get a maulfunction and the screen
splits into four. I believe I don't have a correct driver for my card,
however I can not find any driver for my card online.

My XFree86 is 4.3.0

I believe I may have an outdated Linux version. If so, could somone also let me know how to update my Linux and Xfree86. Thanks.

- Astrophysicist

**Gnux** · 07-31-2005

Hello
U must run

Code:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

choose the ati driver and the correct resolution (1024*768 I suppose) for ur screen

**bigtomrodney** · 07-31-2005

Isn't that a 1680x1050 or 1920x1200 monitor? If you like I will post up my xorg.conf for you to use. I have had to configure both resolutions many times, and it was always more effort with XFree86 but these wide aspect resolutions are supported natively in Xorg.

**astrophysicist** · 07-31-2005

Hey bigtom, yea could you send the file. My resolution is actually 1680x1050. You can email it to me at astrophysicist01@yahoo.com. Also how would I go about installing it. Thanks.

-astrophysicist.

**bigtomrodney** · 07-31-2005

Here are the modelines I used on my own machine, I hope you have some luck with them.

Code:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Generic"
    ModelName "Flat Panel 1920x1200"
    HorizSync 31.5-90
    VertRefresh 60
    
    # modeline generated by gtf&#40;1&#41; &#91;handled by XFdrake&#93;
    ModeLine "1680x1050_120"  313.20  1680 1816 2000 2320  1050 1051 1054 1125  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf&#40;1&#41; &#91;handled by XFdrake&#93;
    ModeLine "1680x1050_100"  256.20  1680 1808 1992 2304  1050 1051 1054 1112  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf&#40;1&#41; &#91;handled by XFdrake&#93;
    ModeLine "1680x1050_85"  214.51  1680 1800 1984 2288  1050 1051 1054 1103  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf&#40;1&#41; &#91;handled by XFdrake&#93;
    ModeLine "1680x1050_75"  188.07  1680 1800 1984 2288  1050 1051 1054 1096  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf&#40;1&#41; &#91;handled by XFdrake&#93;
    ModeLine "1680x1050_60"  147.14  1680 1784 1968 2256  1050 1051 1054 1087  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf&#40;1&#41; &#91;handled by XFdrake&#93;
    ModeLine "1680x1050_50"  120.21  1680 1776 1952 2224  1050 1051 1054 1081  -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

Just make a copy of /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 as a backup and then paste the above over your modelines in the 'live' version. Restart X and you should be okay if these modelines suit your monitor. Post back and let me know.

**astrophysicist** · 07-31-2005

I copied your code, made copy of the original config, then made a new page and copied the original config to it and overwrote the monitor section with your code. It won't allow me to save in the X11 folder. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the help bigtom.

- astrophysicist

**alain_** · 07-31-2005

are you root?
normal users are not allowed to edit anything outside ~/home/user

**bigtomrodney** · 07-31-2005

Were you able to make the copy in the /etc/X11 folder or did you make it in your home drive? I would say it's as mentioned above, you need to do this as root. Try this

Code:

sudo gedit /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

and make your modifications that way, or if you are in a text terminal try

Code:

sudo vim /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

**astrophysicist** · 07-31-2005

Hey Bigtom, I was in usr mode and got myself back into root. However I tried pasting the code in where I thought it was to go, but I had bad consequences and X windows was corrupt. I most likely placed it in the wrong place. HEre is the contents of the xF86Config-4 file

# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xfree86 package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xfree86
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following commands as root:
#
# cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.custom
# md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 >/var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum
# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "PS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic Video Card"
Driver "ati"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "SEC:5031"
HorizSync 30-65
VertRefresh 50-75
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Generic Video Card"
Monitor "SEC:5031"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "Generic Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Could you tell me where exactly the code goes. Thanks.

**borromini** · 07-31-2005

In the section 'screen'.

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