screen resolution from LiveCD

Im fairly new to Linux. When I say that I mean Ive been following its development since the early 90s but never see it as a serious desktop solution until I recently started to play with Ubuntu 7.04. Gentoo has always seemed like a solid idea, but ive never seriously tried installing till now. So I downloaded the LiveCD for Gentoo 2007.

My setup is a Pentium 3 500mhz, 384mb ram, 6gb hard disk, Nvidia MX440 gfx and 2 network cards. Problem is i only have a spare 15" monitor which wont display resolutions over 800x600 however most modern linux distros default to 1024x768.

With Ubuntu, theres a command line option to set the resolution when you activate the kernal during the LiveCD installation, but i havent yet managed to find one for Gentoo.

Anyone got some advice for me?

Welcome to the forums! :)

Check the boot options available to you through the F-keys right before the CD begins to boot. I don't have a Gentoo CD, so I can't check them to tell you what they are for Gentoo.

I worked with Gentoo a long time ago and in that experience, it always asked me for my resolution before I booted up anything. Does it not do that for you as well? In the boot screen try to go to an options mode using an "F" key to change the resolution.

No, it doesnt ask you about resolution. I guess I could boot the LiveCD and disable the X loader so it drops to a command line, then define the Screen resolution before starting up X.

There is nothing specific in teh "F" key menus about resolution, but I know from experience that its a command line you enter when booting the kernal, tho I cant remember it for the life of me! Ill experiment a bit more, Thanks anyway

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Originally Posted by digideus

There is nothing specific in teh "F" key menus about resolution, but I know from experience that its a command line you enter when booting the kernal, tho I cant remember it for the life of me! Ill experiment a bit more, Thanks anyway

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Looks for vga, or refresh rate options, too.

Well, no luck there. Disabling the X loader drops to a command prompt but I cant work out how to set the resolution.

Does anyone know how for force it to change the resolution using the 2007 live CD?

AHA!!! Success!

I found this on another forum...

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sudo gtf <horiz> <vert> <refresh>', where if the resolution was 1280x1024 and the refresh rate was 80 Hz, then it would be 'sudo gtf 1280 1024 80'

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I started the gentoo liveCD off with the NOX setting specified, so that X would not load, then once that was done, I entered...

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sudo gtf 800 600 60

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and that did the trick and brought up X with a 60hz refresh rate, but only in 640x480. That will at least get me on the livecd so I can install it!