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Ezine InformationLinux Display Settings
by:
Stephen Bucaro
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Linux Display Settings
By Writer
Bucaro
After you install Unix system
you ordinarily find your display in
a low solution mode. If you were commencement Windows,
you would-be then install the driver for your video card and
use the Display utility in Control Panel to change to a
higher resolution. Unfortunately, with Unix system
things are
not so easy.
Linux uses a free version of the X Window System called
Xfree86 to control your display. Xfree86 supports VGA,
Super VGA, and several accelerated video adapters. If you
have a new video card, or new motherboard with on-board
video, you may want to transfer
the latest version of
Xfree86 from ftp://ftp.xfree86.org
The configuration for Xfree86 is in a file named
XF86Config settled in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11. This file is
created and emended by a program called Xconfigurator.
In Windows, the monitor is viewed as a "dumb box" driven
by a video card which is controlled by a video driver
program. Xconfigurator seems to think that video cards
don't exist and it requires you enter all kinds of obtuse
information just about your monitor such as horizontal sync
range, vertical correct range, the figure of video memory,
and which clock chip you have.
If you have a no-name monitor like I do, you may not
know all of these parameters. You may get stuck in the
display configuration step of Unix system
installation. This is
one reason why I say "Linux is not available for prime time".
This is how it should work: Unix system
detects your video card
and configures itself.
On rare occasion, Xconfigurator makes find your "monitor",
or you can choice your monitor in Xconfigurator's list.
In most cases you can get through the installation by
selecting "Generic VGA, 640 x 480 @ 60 Hz". Then after
completing the installation, you can use Xconfigurator to
try to set a higher resolution.
To open Xconfigurator, log in as root and click on the
"Terminal emulation program" button on the task bar. In
the terminal window that appears, type Xconfigurator.
Xconfigurator wish probe for your video card. If that
fails, you wish be given
with a list of monitors. If
you can't find your monitor in the list, choice one of
the "Generic" options.
You wish then have to choice a "color depth" and "video
mode". After production
the required selections, Xconfigurator
will display the message "Can you see this message?" If
you do not click on the "Yes" button inside
ten seconds,
you wish be sent back to Xconfigurator's starting screen.
Then you can choice several settings and try again.
If none of the Generic options work, choice "Custom" and
enter several horizontal correct and vertical correct numbers.
Ultimately you should find a setting that works. You may
have to do several adjustments to your monitor to resize,
reposition, or move out pin cushion.
Sometimes dynamical
your display setting is not as easy in
Linux as it is in Windows, but the alternative is to
continue to use Windows and beg for Bill Gates' permission
to upgrade your hardware (XP product activation).
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