Can't increase resolution above 800x600 in 9.04

[ianmck]

Hi

I have just upgraded to 9.04 and am a real newbie to Linux and Ubuntu. I have delved around looking for a solution (editing xorg etc) have tried a few (not followed a lot more) but no luck. I hope someone here can help.

I have a desktop machine with 4GB RAM; nVidia Geforce 8600GT and two monitors: a 22" Chimei (1680x1050) and a 19" Samsung (1280x1024) both at 60Hz. My computer dual boots XP and Ubuntu. Ubuntu is installed on its own logical drive.

When I start 9.04 the screen resolution looks fine (the initial Ubuntu logo and progress bar) but from the login screen onwards it is stuck at 800x600 on my primary 22" display, my second display is a black screen. Ideally I would like both monitors to work as one (as they do on my XP set up). I am using the nVidia driver v180 that was recommended by ubuntu itself in the install. I suspect that I will have to change the xorg.conf file but have no knowledge how to go about this. The only change I tried was to change the MODES to "1680x1050" from the "nVidia-Auto-select" setting - which didn't work.

I reproduce below a copy of my xorg.conf file.

Thanks in advance for any help.

---------------------------------------
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder63) Mon Mar 23 15:33:27 PST 2009

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#<snip>
# removed comments here
#</snip>
#Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
# Driver "kbd"
# Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
# Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
# Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
#EndSection
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier "Configured Mouse"
# Driver "mouse"
# Option "CorePointer"
#EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "keyboard"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Driver "nvidia"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "NoLogo" "True"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "nvidia-auto-select"
EndSubSection
EndSection

----------------------------------------------------------

[Christian Elbek]

Hi,
I had a similar - maybe the same - problem on my Asus eee pc 901 just after installing ubuntu 9.04 (the UNR version). I succeded in repairing the display settings by doing the following:

press esc during the boot process. Then start ubuntu in fail safe mode. I recall, that just after this, there is a new menu, where you can select "repair display settings" or sth like that.

I selected this, and as far I could see, the machine fired a command on the console which restored or repaired the xorg.conf file, and then continued the startup. After logging in I went to the preferences -> display dialogue, and now I could select the resolution supported by the built in screen on the eee pc, which was 1024x600. Voila, the display was repaired.

Let me say, I am a noob to ubuntu and running linux on a pc in general,

I hope, you will solve your problem :D

[ianmck]

Thanks for the tip Christian.

I now have a usable 9.04 however the default screen has now switched to my smaller, second screen with a resolution of 1280x1024 @ 60 hz and my larger screen in now black.

Since I have my large screen on the left with the small screen on the right what I need to know now is how to get both screens working as one desktop.

For information I reproduce below the new xorg.conf file (which is a lot shorter than before)

Regards

________________________________________

# xorg.conf (X.Org 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 xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

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