Newbie video problems

[andy baxter]

Hal Davis wrote:
> Got the graphical mode up and running in low-res, and nothing I change 
> in the video settings "sticks". I pick something, test it, select it, 
> and then go back into the settings and it's back on generic.
>
> And while I can load Firefox, it doesn't see the internet anymore, so 
> I don't see how I can execute the command you gave me, especially 
> since I haven't a clue how to do internet access from a command line.
>
> I guess I need to find a local geek squad equivalent who is versed in 
> Ubuntu, and pay him/her to fix my system while I watch and learn. I'm 
> in Plano, Texas. Anybody have thoughts?
>
> Hal Davis
>
How are you changing the video settings? Using dpkg-reconfigure or using 
a graphical tool from the desktop?

Have you tried choosing 'nv' as your graphics driver yet (in 
dpkg-reconfigure) instead of vesa? Vesa is a special mode which all 
graphics cards support to allow cross-compatibility, but doesn't support 
higher resolutions than 800x600 I think. So to get the best from your 
laptop you're going to have to try to find the right driver. You can get 
the monitor settings set right (on my laptop at least) by telling 
dpkg-reconfigure to autodetect the monitor, and then keeping the options 
following that the same.


andy.