What happened to this install?

[g0lrk]

I installed Mint 5 on a friends computer round at my house using his computer and my spare 17'' CRT monitor. I set it all up for him to dual boot with Winxp as he wanted and then got it ready to take next door but one to him.
I had it in 1024 x 768 and left it like that, not thinking, I have a problem with my sight but his sight his even worse!
Anyway next day we get it round there and all seems ok until he tries to alters screen resolution to 640 x 480 on his 19'' CRT monitor. Basically the screen is there but it is as if is a monster big screen and you are trying to move around it, but you can only get what is on the screen!
I have probably confused the hell out of you all by now.
What I mean is the screen is way too small to show the desktop, and you cannot move around the desktop to bring the rest of it in - comprende?
Next question you are going to say is what make is the monitor? I do not know and cannot see the writing on the back it is too damn small to read.
Is there any command that will tell us anything about the monitor?
Or is there any way of checking what make it may be?
In Windows it doesn't tell you either so that's no good.
Anyway I hope some one can offer some advice on this, failing that I shall have to wait until my son is across here and let him look for him and report back then.
Cheers.
Kevin.

[67GTA]

Open a terminal and run

Code: Select all

xrandr

This will try to read the monitor settings (current, minimum, and maximum). You can also try running

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sudo displayconfig-gtk

in a terminal to set the desired resolution. Just don't set it below or above the output that xrandr gives you.

[g0lrk]

67GTA Neighbour is out at the moment but after he is back & has had his evening meal I will go around there and try these - many thanks.
Kevin.

[g0lrk]

67GTA Sorry it took so long to report back on this one!
Right I tried xrandr and it came back with a load of possible screen resolutions for the monitor, [which by the way the only markings on it are OMNNI and no model number?], so then tried the other command sudo displayconfig-gtk which gave me the possibility of changing the screen res and freq of it.
I tried to put it down to 800 x 600, remember this guy is registered blind.
And all of them were no-go!
All of them after trying test put the box to confirm almost off the screen at the top left corner.
I think the problem MUST lie with the choice of monitor & video card, as at the moment the monitor is generic plug & play, & video card is some ATI card, sorry forgot to write it down, my eyesight is bad also - we are a right pair together honestly!
Anyone got anymore ideas please, polite ones!
Next time he turns the 'pewter on and goes in to Windows I will get him to try and report to me what it says his monitor and video card are in there.
Thanks a lot.
EDIT:- Video card is a Sapphire Radeon 9250 unable to get any info re. monitor it reports it also as Plug & Play!
Kevin.

[67GTA]

Silly question, but is the driver for the ATI card installed? That will have some effect on the screen res.

[g0lrk]

No just been around there the driver is not installed.
Another problem is he is on wireless internet and we cannot set that up until we have the screen correct - we cannot have the screen correct until we have the internet to download the files needed I imagine?
There is no way at all to connect a wired connection, so unless you can tell me how I can download the correct files needed and transfer them all that way, 2 doors away we are at a loss at the moment.
Sorry to keep bugging everyone with this.
Thanks a lot.
Kevin.

[67GTA]

If your just having trouble getting to a certain part of the screen because of the res size, then you can hold down the alt button and grab the screen with the mouse and move it around.