Scrolling within Apps

[Slebby]

I recently purchased a Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu 8.04.1 installed and immediatley relaced it with Linux Mint 6, no problem there. However, while evaluating Linux replacements for Quicken, i.e. GnuCash, KMyMoney, I find I don't have the ability to scroll within the applications when they don't fit the screen (not even a scroll bar present) and cannot resize vertically to fit the screen as well. If I choose to maximize it get into a a mode where the window just toggles from top to bottom and makes another selection impossible. Am I missing something, BTW scrolling and resizing work just fine in Open Office apps.

[DagonSphere]

Slebby,

It's aggravating that some software cannot be easily viewed with smaller screen resolutions, ie, the window extending beyond the extents of the display. With the advent of smaller netbooks, this will probably become more of a problem, but I digress. . .

I couldn't get the possible solution I've outlined below to work properly (mainly because the graphics server, Xorg, has become increasingly independent of the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, and the default xorg.conf file has been radically thinned down, and I'm not an Xorg pro ) But this should point you in the right direction.

The solution lies in setting up your graphics display in such a way where the desktop is larger than what's visible. In other words, you'll have a desktop that is physically 800x600, but you'll only be viewing 800x400, for example. This would require you to 'push' up and down (by moving the mouse to the top or bottom of the screen, and continuing to move the mouse) and the visible portion of the desktop will scroll with the mouse.

Check out this link
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... al#p110608

Towards the bottom, there's a post by SebastienC on Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:01 pm, where he lists his /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. Here's the section of interest:

Make a backup of your xorg.conf file before modifying it!

Code: Select all

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Defaultdepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 1280 1024
Modes "1280x1024@60" "1280x960@60" "1024x768@60" "800x600@60" "800x600@56" "640x480@60"
EndSubSection
EndSection

The Virtual line describes the size of the complete desktop (that which cannot be fully viewed with your display) The Modes line describes the resolution capabilities of your display. Since this is a laptop/netbook, you'll probably only have one resolution listed.

After modifying the file, you'll need to save it, and restart the X server. Logging out, and logging back in should do the trick. If not, you can always try killing the X server by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Backspace. Be warned, that Ctrl-Alt-Backspace will kill your desktop immediately (no chance to save anything), restart GDM, and hopefully bring you back to the login prompt (provided there's no major errors in xorg.conf)

Again, make a backup of your xorg.conf file before modifying it!

I tried the above on a fresh install of Mint 5 in a virtual machine and I didn't have any luck, by adding the following code in the proper section of xorg.conf

Code: Select all

Defaultdepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 1280 1800
Modes "1280x1024@60"
EndSubSection

Perhaps on a "real" install it may work. I wouldn't follow my post verbatim, though. Use it as a guide for searching on this topic. Hopefully, someone has done this and posted exactly how to do it.

Once configured, this can be annoying. But I think this will be the only solution to programs that "hard wire" screen layouts.

Best of luck!
-- DS