xfce: need More Screen Resolution choices std intel graphics

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Timmi

xfce: need More Screen Resolution choices std intel graphics

Post by Timmi »

Using XFCE 201104
Computer with Intel graphics card (on 2 PCs so far: IBM S51 and a eeepc 1000 with 945gm), with a 1680x1050 tv/monitor.

XFCE only gives me a very narrow choice of screen resolutions to choose from. Namely all with 4:3 aspect ratio and a maximum of 1024x768. Yet I have a 16:10 1680x1050 monitor plugged in!
* how can we get higher-resolution choices
* how can I get other aspect ratios, such as 16:9 or others (like my 16:10)
* and in my case something approaching 1680x1050 x60Hz (or close) which is the native resolution of the monitor that I use.
How can this be fixed?

========================================================================================================
EDIT:
Browse the intel website (or google it) for help on this, as they also support LINUX.

I found this on modifying an existing graphics driver (Windows XP, but they also support LINUX)
http://software.intel.com/en-us/article ... -graphics/

It seems that this is a common problem caused by the monitor not sending back the correct (or complete) EDID info to the graphics card when queried.

RESOLVED
========================================================================================================
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 4 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
exaeresis

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by exaeresis »

You may try by changing it manually

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sudo gedit ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml
Where it says:

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 <property name="Resolution" type="string" value="1024x768"/>
and

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<property name="RefreshRate" type="double" value="60.003840"/>
Change them according to what better suits to you. Clearly be sure your desktop can afford it.
Timmi

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by Timmi »

Thanks... and if I break something... like I can't see my screen... what do you suggest to get it back? Will I have to do a reinstall?

BTW, I just found in the menu, an item called "Settings Editor" which I hadn't noticed before. It lets you change those values.

OK here goes...
exaeresis

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by exaeresis »

It never happened to me, but this is how I would do it (just in case, but as I said I cannot grant anything)

First scenario:
Your monitor gets completely black. In this case your monitor probably could not afford such resolution, therefore the best thing to do is to set it back as it was. Your only tool will be the terminal. Keep this in mind.
So, if everything is black (or any other color, I think you get what I mean), press: <ctrl><alt><f2>.
At this moment something like a terminal should appear (if not, see scenario two.) and it will ask you for username and password. Once done, get back at the same file you modified, namely:

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sudo nano /home/[yourname]/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml


Few things to keep in mind:
  • As you probably noticed right know we have to use nano, we cannot use gedit. In case you never used it, see (**)
  • Keep also in mind that you will not be able to copy such command. So if you do not know how to reach it write it down somewhere, in a paper for instance.
  • notice that right now I wrote: /home/[yourname] instead of ~/. In this case it would not be necessary, but in the second scenario for sure. Because as you will see it is not always the same thing.
So, right now you have your the file opened with nano, simply modify the resolution (and eventually the refresh rate) , by moving around with arrows, the settings back as they were, in other words: 1024x768. Once changed, press <ctrl><x> in order to exit, it will ask if you want to save, so press y and press two times enter (one to send the "yes" and the other to confirm the name). When you saved the file run the command:

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sudo reboot
Right now, it is just a fact of prays.

Second scenario:
So the "a terminal should appear" brought you here. It means that no, there is not a terminal. In this case what I may suggest is to reboot your pc, once at Grub enter in Recovery mode. In this case it will ask you the root password, which I guess you know. Once there, type the same command:

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sudo nano /home/[yourname]/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml
If things are still the same, (it is quite a lot of time I do not visit recovery mode, so I may be wrong), in this case you will not be able to use ~/. You can, but it will not take you where we want. Things from now on are the same: edit the file with nano, save, reboot and pray.

(**) If you never used nano, before doing anything try creating some files, save them etc.
Unfortunately it is not just a fact of "monitor", it may be even the graphic card's driver or whatever.
This is probably what I would do, but as I said it never happened to me something like that, so I do not know what will happen and what will not. Simply be sure that your monitor can afford the resolution you want.

If anybody else has a better idea, which probably exists, I would be glad to listen to it too.
Timmi

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by Timmi »

With "Root Terminal", it fails to find it.
So I used "Terminal Emulator" menu item instead.
It finds it, but gives the following error message when I am finished and want to Quit and Save:

sudo gedit ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml[sudo] password for mycomputer:

(then I made the changes in the editor, selected Quit, Save, Yes)

(gedit:2266): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to store changes into `/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but failed: Failed to create file '/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel.FST6WV': No such file or directory

(gedit:2266): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to set the permissions of `/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but failed: No such file or directory

(gedit:2266): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to store changes into `/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but failed: Failed to create file '/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel.RZ1ZWV': No such file or directory

(gedit:2266): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to set the permissions of `/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but failed: No such file or directory

(gedit:2266): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to store changes into `/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but failed: Failed to create file '/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel.EHOXWV': No such file or directory

(gedit:2266): Gtk-WARNING **: Attempting to set the permissions of `/root/.local/share/recently-used.xbel', but failed: No such file or directory


I have no idea what to do with this.

The one I tried first, the menu item (Settings, "Settings Manager") that gives you a pretty user interface for making these changes without going through terminal, doesn't retain the changes either.

Is something wrong with the settings in XFCE 201104 that might need to be fixed, for this to be happening?
Last edited by Timmi on Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
exaeresis

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by exaeresis »

It is probably a GTK problem or a gedit one. I do not know, actually, you probably can ignore it at the moment. Simply make the change and click the "floppy disk" in order to save the file, then close it and restart. Uhm
here I made the changes in gedit, then Quit, Save, Yes
I probably understood wrong, but are you doing things correctly? Said like that it seems you are using nano commands to save a file while editing it by using gedit. I ask in order to be sure.
By the way, when you changed the settings by using the settings manager did you restart the computer? Because if you simply change it, you will not see the effect.
Timmi

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by Timmi »

It doesn't save the changes.

After rebooting, it has reset it's choices to 1027x768, 800x600, 640x480 just as before.

I tried both using the "terminal" (in menu), and the "root terminal" (applications menu, accessories, (root terminal or terminal emulator)). The root terminal wouldn't even open or find the file, so I used terminal emulator to launch gedit.

CAN ANYONE ELSE WEIGH IN ON THIS? SEEMS WE ARE AT A DEAD END HERE.
Timmi

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by Timmi »

Maybe I need to add a new type of monitor to the hardware profiles... maybe after that it will give me more choices.
Can that be done in Linux Mint? a
exaeresis

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by exaeresis »

Ok, let's try a different way. What does the command

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xrandr
outputs?
It should output a list of available resolutions (and other infos). If it actually outputs something bigger than 1024*768 we would probably fix it. So, what it says?
Timmi

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by Timmi »

exaeresis wrote:Ok, let's try a different way. What does the command

Code: Select all

xrandr
outputs?
It should output a list of available resolutions (and other infos). If it actually outputs something bigger than 1024*768 we would probably fix it. So, what it says?
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 4096 x 4096
VGA1 connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
1024x768 60.0*
800x600 60.3 56.2
848x480 60.0
640x480 59.9
Timmi

Re: How to get more choices for SCREEN RESOLUTIONS settings

Post by Timmi »

lspci reports a
Intel Corporation 82915G/GV/910GL
graphics card.

Can anyone tell me how to upgrade the video driver in Mint XFCE for that pelase?
Timmi

Re: xfce: need More Screen Resolution choices std intel grap

Post by Timmi »

INTEL's website gives some VERY USEFUL INFORMATION, on customizing your graphicws driver for monitors that do not send the correct EDID to the graphics card.

See here:
http://software.intel.com/en-us/article ... -graphics/

They also talk about Linux. I'll update the first post so people can see this also.

As for me, I jsut went out and bought a 26" 1920x1080 standard 16:9 TV-monitor and no longer need help on this.
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