Linux Mint Forums

I guess this is not hardware nor desktop / window manager related. Mainly because I want to adjust screen res during startup.

LMDE 11 ... LXDE or XFCE? I think it's the former.

My laptop is normally connected to a monitor by it's VGA output. Mint was either installed with an older monitor attached, or just using the LVDS output to the LT monitor. I switched monitors. It's not starting in the right mode when I login to a desktop session. I can issue
and it will go to the maximum spec'd resolution for that monitor. But the task bar is offset up and to the right of bottom. Changing to desktop 2 and back with the pager/switcher hot keys fixes the menu position. The LT's monitor... I can't get the task bar at all. I could run both in doze (gag) and they'd look ok, IIRC. Unless I put icons to the far right of the larger screen and switch to LT screen. And yup... now on the LT, there is a big margin (like on the big monitor - where the low res wallpaper begins) to the left and the desktop's right edge is way off the screen.

Best setting I can get for the LT IIRC, when disco'd or not, is
Dell Inspiron 600m ; ATI Radeon Mobility 9000, BTW. ATI Catalyst apps from synaptic package mgr, won't run, either.
That returns And it won't pan when the mouse moves off the LT screen - that'd be ok as much as I dislike panning. Don't really need both screens at once, but it would be nice.

I messed with an xorg.conf file to achieve resolution and virtual display to no avail. Guess I'll post that below. I tried putting the above xandr cmd in a startup script in init.d so it would be the last to load.
I know the script executes (I also touch a file in the script), but the xrandr cmd does nothing. Maybe it's executing before the blasted gdm is done starting thanks to the wonderful, dynamic, non-blocking bleedin' bloody Upstart thingy.

I hope that's enough info.

IIRC, I can disco the external monitor and achieve some kind of normal. I noticed that even when it's powered off, xrandr will report that it's connected. I wish it would detect if it's in use. Seems that upstart and xrandr should have a way to detect the power state and set up the monitors the right way.

1. How / where can I start a script to run the xrandr command? I don't want to put it in an autostart folder, I don't like GUI tools. When I use a GUI tool, I like to know what files it mods and how.

2. Is there another way?

3. Is there a kerrnel param I can pass so that KMS can deal with it? This page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/KernelModeSetting only tells how to enable and disable outs.

4. I doubt the "kernel upgrade the painless way" posted in this forum won't help since a preexisting image won't know what to do, having never met this old LT. So would a total LMDE reinstall from live CD fix this? Build my own kernel from source?

5. What is the best way to install LMDE to a LT, with or without the external monitor connected?

Please keep in mind my main objective is to be able to be mobile or at home/work with this -> LT = no headaches (i.e. having to run commands manually at startup)

TIA for helping me out - I promise I won't sing

Mike