Linux Mint isn't working with my resolution

[zangent]

My computer is hooked up to a TV via HDMI, so I really need the resolution I always use for my text to be readable and not too large.
On my windows partition, I have it set up to run at 1600x900 and the screen works perfectly fine.
When I use Mint, I can't find the option. After some googling, I found a method that allows me to add a resolution, but when I added 1600x900, I get a black "No signal" screen on my TV.

Graphics card: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
Drivers: Intel

Any help would be appreciated, because this text looks really bad but I can't make it larger because I need the screenspace.

[cwsnyder]

What is the output of the xrandr -q command in a terminal? Mine looks line this:

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xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 1024, maximum 4096 x 4096
VGA-1 connected 1280x1024+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  
   1280x1024      59.9*

Specifically, look for the line which has <devicename> connected at the beginning of the line. This is the device which you will be using to set your new resolution. On mine, it is VGA-1, but it could be LVDS-1 or HDMI-1 or some other device name.

Once you have the device name, the proper terminal commands would be:

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cvt 1600 900
# 1600x900 59.95 Hz (CVT 1.44M9) hsync: 55.99 kHz; pclk: 118.25 MHz
Modeline "1600x900_60.00"  118.25  1600 1696 1856 2112  900 903 908 934 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --newmode 1600x900 118.25  1600 1696 1856 2112  900 903 908 934 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode <devicename> 1600x900
xrandr --output <devicename> --mode 1600x900

You should substitute your actual device name for <devicename> of course, but you may want to copy/paste the --newmode line to prevent typing errors. If you want to try another resolution supported by your video card, you can use the cvt command in a terminal to get the codes to be entered after the new mode name.

[zangent]

Code: Select all

zangent@linuxmintthingy ~ $ xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 720, maximum 32767 x 32767
VGA1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI1 connected 1280x720+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 16mm x 9mm
   1280x720       60.0*+
   1920x1080      60.0  
   1920x1080i     30.0  
   1024x768       60.0  
   1440x480i      30.0     30.0  
   800x600        60.3  
   720x480        59.9  
   640x480        60.0     60.0     59.9  
   1600x900       59.9  
DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
zangent@linuxmintthingy ~ $ ----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------: command not found
zangent@linuxmintthingy ~ $ cvt 1600 900
# 1600x900 59.95 Hz (CVT 1.44M9) hsync: 55.99 kHz; pclk: 118.25 MHz
Modeline "1600x900_60.00"  118.25  1600 1696 1856 2112  900 903 908 934 -hsync +vsync
zangent@linuxmintthingy ~ $ xrandr --newmode 1600x900 118.25  1600 1696 1856 2112  900 903 908 934 -hsync +vsync
zangent@linuxmintthingy ~ $ xrandr --addmode HDMI1 1600x900


I Don't do this line.  I do it from system settings.  If I use this, it doesn't reset to my previous resoultion once I blackscreen.
zangent@linuxmintthingy ~ $ xrandr --output <devicename> --mode 1600x900

I did all of the steps, but it didn't work.
I went and checked to be sure, and my Windows 8 IS running at 1600x900. For some reason, though, my linux just won't accept it.
Every time I try it, I get a dancing "No Signal" box on my TV.

[cwsnyder]

One last thought: Have you tried the 1600x900 @ 30Hz interlaced?

[oz42]

Similar problem here: installed Mint 15 and got only max. 1024x768 instead of native resolution 1280x1024.

[WharfRat]

The newmode above isn't quoted It should be
xrandr --newmode "1600x900 118.25" 1600 1696 1856 2112 900 903 908 934 -hsync +vsync

Then check it with xrandr, it will show at the end:

Code: Select all

bill@mint ~ $ xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00"  173.00  1920 2048 2248 2576  1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync
bill@mint ~ $ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1680 x 1050, maximum 8192 x 8192
VGA-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-0 connected 1680x1050+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 473mm x 296mm
   1680x1050      60.0*+
   1600x1200      60.0  
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0  
   1440x900       75.0     59.9  
   1152x864       75.0  
   1024x768       75.1     70.1     60.0  
   832x624        74.6  
   800x600        72.2     75.0     60.3     56.2  
   640x480        72.8     75.0     66.7     60.0  
   720x400        70.1  
  1920x1080_60.00 (0x348)  173.0MHz
        h: width  1920 start 2048 end 2248 total 2576 skew    0 clock   67.2KHz
        v: height 1080 start 1083 end 1088 total 1120           clock   60.0Hz
bill@mint ~ $ 

Good luck

[zangent]

In the line you gave, there's an argument missing and I don't know what it is supposed to be. Also, I can't get it working with cvt and xrandr and I don't know anything about how these commands actually work.

[Mark Phelps]

In the line you gave, there's an argument missing and I don't know what it is supposed to be.

The "hsync" and "vsync" have to be the actual horizontal and vertical sync frequencies, not words.

Look at the output of the xrandr command to see.

[zangent]

The "hsync" and "vsync" have to be the actual horizontal and vertical sync frequencies, not words.

Look at the output of the xrandr command to see.

EDIT: Not even sure what I'm supposed to see in xrandr's output.

Not really sure what you mean there...

All of the guides look like this:

If you want to add a mode with resolution 1024X768, you can enter the following command: (The output is shown following.)

$ cvt 1024 768

Sample output

# 1024×768 59.92 Hz (CVT 0.79M3) hsync: 47.82 kHz; pclk: 63.50 MHz
Modeline "1024x768_60.00″ 63.50 1024 1072 1176 1328 768 771 775 798 -hsync +vsync

Now you need to create a modeline

$ xrandr --newmode <Modeline>

copy the modeline of the previous output to the place mode line

$ xrandr --newmode "1024x768_60.00″ 63.50 1024 1072 1176 1328 768 771 775 798 -hsync +vsync

I don't know where I should put the hsync and vsync then.