Arch Linux Screen Resolution

[oosterhouse]

How do you change the resolution in Arch Linux in either IceWM or KDE? I looked all over but couldn't find anything. Any help would be appreciated.

(Yes, I got Arch installed...after 2 days of reading and trying different things. Great learning experience.)

[oz]

Congrats on your Arch setup, Brian. If you'll stick with it a while, you'll love it. Pacman is totally awesome.

I don't use KDE, but if I remember correctly, there is a graphical tool somewhere in the KDE Control Center to change screen resolution. Now, I don't use IceWM, either, so I usually setup/change the screen res through the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

Have you run xorgconfig as root? If not, try that.

You'll need to know the proper settings for your monitor, graphics card, keyboard, and mouse. A script will run allowing you to enter the settings and the default res of your choice.

HTH...

[oz]

Here's the wiki page for doing it:

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/...configure_xorg

Let us know if you should have any questions about it.

[bryansmith]

Firstly, excellent choice on distro! Hooray, another Archer! lol

Okay, in the link that ozar provided, definetly try the hwd method. I did that and only had to change the horiz. and vert. refresh rates in my xorg.conf. It got everything else perfectly.

Just remember, after editing xorg.conf.hwd, save it as xorg.conf and not xorg.conf.hwd .

If xorg is configured properly, in KDE go to Control Center > Peripherals > Display.

Bryan

[oz]

Not sure on this, but I'm thinking the hwd thingy might not be needed any longer as hwdetect seems to have taken over that responsibility. Someone even mentioned that udev is now beginning to take over the job of hwdetect, too. I've never installed hwd and have no problems with xorg.

[bryansmith]

I only use hwd to setup my xorg.conf. I find it much quicker and it seems to work well for me. It's nice for someone new to Arch.

Bryan

[oz]

The only drawback I know of in using hwd is that there is a conflict between it, hotplug, and udev for some upgraders, but I don't think everyone is experiencing that issue.

[oosterhouse]

Thanks Trusted Penguins , that helped alot. I was just using xorgconfig and manually entering everything, which made my resolution either huge or very tiny.

[bryansmith]

I haven't had that drawback yet here and don't hope I ever do .

oosterhouse: what kinds of resolutions are you getting? How are you attempting to change your resolution? Is your desired resolution uncommented in the monitor section of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf?

[oosterhouse]

I haven't had that drawback yet here and don't hope I ever do .

oosterhouse: what kinds of resolutions are you getting? How are you attempting to change your resolution? Is your desired resolution uncommented in the monitor section of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf?

I was setting up arch with the xorgconfig command, so I was kind of guessing on my monitor configuration (it's old, I don't have the manual), so I was first getting a HUGE screen for both kde and icewm then a tiny screen. Now with hwd, it was much easier, and I have a very good resolution now.