graphics driver resolution issue

[NoOp]

NoOp wrote:
> Eberhard Roloff wrote:
> 
>>>
>>> when i run ubuntu,my res is stuck in 640x400 and will not
>>> change,but on WinXP i can change my res from 640x400x16 up to
>>> 1024x768x32 at 75 Hz,ive tried downloading the driver from my
>>> manufacturuer site(i have an ATI Radeon Xpress 200 Series
>>> chip),but gedit cannot open the archive and stuffit(run
>>> as .exe through wine)cannot open it either,and the
>>> windows .exe installer doesnt really help because wine either
>>> cant or wont open the graphics display panel.Any ideas how i
>>> can fix this or where i might find an answer if no one knows?
>> 
>> Hi Mike, I am slighly confused.
>> 
>> As I understand you want to have the screen resolution that
>> windows provides on your Ubuntu. So how do you think a
>> Windows working "something.exe"-install will work for Ubuntu?
>> 
>> You could install the ATI Drivers FOR LINUX.
>> But on a sidenote, my experience is that they help with 3D
>> acceleration, but not with resolution. 
>> 
>> AFAIK, your resolution is
>> very basically set in X (and then written to /etc/X11/xorg.conf,)
>> by specifying your monitors capabilities and your desired
>> resolution/colours combination.
>> 
>> A simple 
>> sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
>> 
>> should do it for you. Follow the prompts and accept anything
>> until it comes to your screen resolution/colours and to your
>> type of monitor.
>> 
>> good luck
>> Eberhard
>> 
> 
> I had a similar problem following the xserver-xorg screw-up. After I 
> "updated" to 10.4 I found that my monitor setting was also stuck at 
> 640x400. Tried the sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg tact multiple 
> times & to make a long story short, screwed up my session startup (would 
> only bring up the proper session using Ubuntu Failsafe or some such), 
> and never did get the proper settings back. reconfigure xserver-xorg 
> detected my proper video card, monitor, keyboard, etc., and the file 
> actually listed all of the proper settings. However, for some reason I 
> could never get it out of the 640x400 setting.
> 
> In the end I finally ended up just reinstalling Ubuntu -- something I've 
> not ever done in the past. Resolution choices are now back to normal, 
> and all seems to be working again. Luckily this is a test/learning 
> machine so nothing important was lost... except of course the time 
> setting everything back up. I've now learned to keep a copy of my Xll 
> directory (amongst others) on backup...
> 


Follow-up: I've found that if I reboot or restart _without_ the monitor
turned on X doesn't detect the monitor and defaults to 640x400 60hz. If
I reboot or restart _with_ the monitor turned on all proper resolutions
are available.

So, my question is: what do I edit in the xorg.conf in order to change
the default 640x400 setting? For instance, in my case I'd like to set
the default for a small NEC MultiSync 50 at:

(**) TRIDENT(0): *Default mode "832x624": 57.3 MHz, 49.7 kHz, 74.6 Hz
(II) TRIDENT(0): Modeline "832x624"   57.28  832 864 928 1152  624 625
628 667 -hsync -vsync
[from etc/var/log/Xorg.0.log]

vs

(--) TRIDENT(0): Virtual size is 640x480 (pitch 640)
(**) TRIDENT(0): *Default mode "640x480": 25.2 MHz, 31.5 kHz, 60.0 Hz
(II) TRIDENT(0): Modeline "640x480"   25.20  640 656 752 800  480 490
492 525 -hsync -vsync
[from etc/var/log/Xorg.0.log.old - the log when I booted without the
monitor turned on]

_if_ the monitor is not detected at startup.

xorg.conf file shows:

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"MultiSync 50"
	Option		"DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Device		"Trident Microsystems 3DImage 9850"
	Monitor		"MultiSync 50"
	DefaultDepth	24
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		1
		Modes		"1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400"
"640x480"
	EndSubSection

[snip modes 4,8,15,16]

	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		24
		Modes		"1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400"
"640x480"
	EndSubSection
EndSection