Resolution Issues Kubuntu Gutsy 32 bit Thinkpad T61P

[Jonas Norlander]

2008/3/27, Doug Stryjew <rrdokdoom at gmail.com>:
> Usually when you hear of resolution issues/problems you might think of
> typical problems. (ex.. I just installed and my pc/laptop won't use the
> proper resolution.) This is not the case here. First let me tell everyone my
> specs.
>
> Video Card: nVidia Corporation Quadro FX 570M
>
> Driver: nvidia driver, downloaded from restricted driver manager
>
> Machine: Thinkpad T61p
>
> Laptop Screen: 15.4" Wide Screen WUXGA (1920x1200)
>
>  Secondary Monitor: SCEPTRE WX24 (1920x1200)
>
> OS: 32 bit Gutsy Kubuntu
>
> All of my repositories are updated.
>
> I'll keep this part simple as it doesn't play a huge role in this problem.
>
> It is well documented that the T61P will not boot right off the start to a
> working X.
>
> Before you log in you have to go into recovery mode and change the
> xorg.conf. By default it gives you the "nv" driver which simply will not
> work with this particular video card. According to many guides, including
> thinkwiki's you have to change the driver to "vesa" in order to get X to
> start. I log in and everything is very tiny just like I wanted (And expected
> using such a high resolution) Once I do that I update my repositories and
> once that is complete I install the restricted "nvidia" driver. I check my
> xorg.conf to verify the driver my card is using is "nvidia".
>
> I run glxinfo |grep ren
>
> And I have rendering.
>
> Here is my problem. When I power on I am prompted with a login screen like
> usual. The second I enter my user credentials it's like everything just gets
> a little bit bigger. A big notification is my mouse icon, it will be very
> tiny but when I login the mouse gets a little bit bigger. When I open up a
> terminal I do not expect it to take up over 1/4 of the screen. I know I can
> change the font size of konsole as well as the whole scale of the window.
> But it should not be this big. It should be very small. The monitor I have
> plugged into the Thinkpad makes the applications look even bigger. The weird
> part is both of these screens are displaying the proper resolution. I have
> worked with xorg.conf resolution problems a lot. I know when the screen
> isn't displaying the right resolution. But even though the resolution is set
> correctly, everything appears to be big. Not streched out, using the wrong
> resolution big, but wow these windows very large. I have searched my butt
> off trying to find an answer and asked everyone I know who uses kubuntu with
> the nvidia driver (Which is a lot) and nobody seems to be able to offer any
> help. I realize the problem and the description doesn't make much sense and
> that is why it's hard to answer something you don't understand. But if I had
> to boil it down to a very short description I would say this.
>
> While my resolution is correct, everything seems to be rather large. At the
> login screen everything looks very nice and small. But the second I enter my
> password and login it's like the screen magnifies. I haven't found any
> options in my nvidia-settings or kde window settings that described the
> option I want to change. Which is to make everything not so big.
>
> So yes, this sounds very strange and most people I talk to would put money
> the resolution is not setup correctly or something is just wrong with my
> xorg.conf. It however is not. I know what a monitor running the wrong
> resolution looks like and I am very familiar with this. There just doesn't
> seem to be any documentation on my problem. I was told to subscribe to a
> mailing list and ask all of you.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> dok
>

With the nvidia driver you can disable automatic settings of dpi and
set dpi manually.
Look into this options:
Option   "UseEdidDpi" "false"
Option   "DPI" "96 x 96"

Have you checked your xorg log file? If you post it we can have a look.

/ Jonas