How to increase resolution

[claws]

I installed Debian sarge linux yesterday

The problem is that
1. the maximum resolution that it allows is 800 x 600 which is too ugly to look at and causing problems like windows not fitting to the screen etc..
How can i increase the resolution to 1024 x 768 (i am using this resolution in windows)

2. The windows drives are not auto mounted. (i mean " C drive" and " D drive"etc... )How to do that?????

[Zelmo]

1. Are you using KDE or Gnome? In either case, make sure your /etc/X11/XF86Config has "1024x768" as an option for you preferred color depth in the "Screen" section. Then the way to switch resolutions depends on what desktop environment or window manager you're using. Of course, if you just want to boot into 1024x768 and aren't worried about switching resolutions, put "1024x768" as the first option for your preferred color depth in the "Screen" section.

2. You can add lines to your fstab for those drives. The man pages for fstab and mount should be all the reference you need.

[dhughes]

I think this is a rite of passage for new users of Linux.

I like to use nano to edit , it's a text editor I never liked vi.

As root type: nano /etc/X11/XF86Config

more than likely it will be XF86Config-4 if it's Debian.

Edit that sucker and then CTRL+x to quit, it will prompt you if you want to save any changes and also if you want to retain or save the file with a new name. I just CTRL+x, y for yes and Enter to save the name as is.

For example this is mine, it may not be pretty, it may not be 100% kosher it's probably not even right but it gets the job done, change it to be according to your hardware not mine of course:

[I won't show all the stuff before you don't need to worry about]

  Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "NEC Multisync LCD 1850E"
        HorizSync       30-60
        VertRefresh     55-60
        Option          "DPMS"
EndSection  

 Section "Screen"
        Identifier      "Default Screen"
        Device          "VIA_3108"
        Monitor         "NEC Multisync LCD 1850E"
        DefaultDepth    24
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           1
                Modes           "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           4
                Modes           "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           8
                Modes           "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           15
                Modes           "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           16
                Modes           "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           24
                Modes           "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

[I won't show all the stuff after you don't need to worry about]

[bozla]

I have a similar problem. When I first installed debian, the only resolution I could get was 640x480 in 16 colours. Horrible. I don't know the chipset on my video card, since I don't have one (it's all built into the motherboard, even opening it up reveals nothing). I chose vga as my driver.

For one reason or another I reinstalled, but this time to try something new I chose the 'vesa' option, and paid more attention to what I was choosing. It didn't work so I edited the XF86Config-4 file to vga, and it now when it runs gnome it gives a rediculous unusable resolution (i.e. only one corner of the desktop). It should be running in 1024x768.

Any ideas?

[deanlinkous]

vesa should work!
Sounds like you should really find out what type of onboard video chip you have.

[bozla]

Yeah. I really have no idea though. Under windows it just ran under a generic driver. Its a slightly older PC, but there are no clues at all. All the chips are covered by heat sinks. I checked the manufacturers website but no luck.

When I chose vesa though, gdm refused to boot up. It told me to check the XF86config file.

[eraker]

the command 'lspci'
should give you more information on the chipset. It should tell you about your graphics and audio cards as well as ethernet, etc. You can then google for specific information on that chipset and problems people have had with it.

I had problems with debian and an intel i8xxx card before, and there's also a bugginess with a certain older ati onboard graphics card in a particular kernel version with the driver for that graphics card (but that last example probably doesn't apply here).

[bozla]

It says in the bios I have agp p2p? The only resolution I can choose in gdm is 320x240. But at least the colour depth works now.
I'll try the lspci next.

[bozla]

That worked a treat. I have Via technologies K7 series KM400 chipset. They have linux drivers too.
I've just edit the XFConfig file to via, and finally I've got 640x480, which is usable but not ideal.

Have a look:

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

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "IVM:2819"
HorizSync 50-60
VertRefresh 50-60
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Generic Video Card"
Monitor "IVM:2819"
DefaultDepth 8
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

[jonny_noog]

Hello everyone,

New user of Debian Sarge, just installed it, along with gnome, and using gdm.

I am having an issue where if I look at Applications > Desktop Preferences > Screen Resolution, it has 640x480 and 60hz listed only. I have quite a small screen on my Debian box but would like to try out running 800x600 as 640x480 is just too small for me.

I have had a look in my XF86Config-4 and it seems to have 800x600 listed in each of the entries, the relevant section looks like:

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Intel Corporation 82815 CGC [Chipset Graphics Controller]"
	Driver		"i810"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Generic Monitor"
	HorizSync	28-33
	VertRefresh	43-72
	Option		"DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Device		"Intel Corporation 82815 CGC [Chipset Graphics Controller]"
	Monitor		"Generic Monitor"
	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

Output of lspci:

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82815 815 Chipset Host Bridge and Memory Controller Hub (rev 02)
0000:00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corp. 82815 CGC [Chipset Graphics Controller] (rev 02)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BA ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801BA IDE U100 (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub #1) (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.4 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub #2) (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio (rev 02)
0000:02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM/CA/CAM Ethernet Controller (rev 01)

But still, there seems to be no option for me to choose 800x600... Could this mean that the screen or the onboard graphics can't display at 800x600? Can anyone help me to work out how I can change to 800x600?