Tom Misilo wrote: > Hi everybody, > > I am currently trying to figure out how to get my dell laptop to > use a resolution of 1024x768 when I am using it as a thin client. I > have the A32 bios installed on it. I think I need to have > 910resolution start every time this client starts but I am not sure > how I would go about adding this. > > Thanks in advance for any help, > > Tom
Yes I currently use one. Your bios sounds later than mine, I did update it initially to help with one of the display related problems. iirc the inspiron 1100 bios does not know the resolution of the screen - or something like that. When I reinstalled XP from the original Dell CD the exact same problem happened, and I had to scrabble round for a suitable xp driver - buried somewhere on the dell resource CD. I posted various places, including linux-dell-laptops on yahoogroups (september 2006) and I think ubuntu forums - neither appear via google :-( The details are copied to here (versions up to and including 7.04 are also same as this) : 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 [begin ubuntu 6.06 note] ===== hardware detail - 512 MB RAM, bios A32. The install of Ububtu 6.06 Desktop is ususlly done by first running the live CD then choosing the Install icon on the desktop. There was no problem booting or running the live CD, except that the display resolution remained fixed at a low value. (Similar problem when installing a new HD with Dell original OS CDs in fact, which needed special action to subsequently install video driver) After initial searches and trying many guessed Ubuntu boot options without success, I found the information necessary on the Ubuntu forums (note 1). After a file edit process, which was not difficult even for me as someone who has avoided use of command line, things did display correctly, and I am most grateful for the information referenced above. I am not new to linux but I still find I am unsure of many non gui actions, and other people even less confident than myself might find this summary useful. I was also happy to see that the immediate subsequent install from the edited running live cd ubuntu system was also correct in its screen display and needed no further editing of files. A Ubuntu forum posting on June 5th, 2006 by ssnitily included the following: =================== Default Installing on a Dell Inspiron 1100 It's well known that the installation resolution for this laptop is incorrect and is locked at 640x480. Since the default installer for 6.06 involves booting and running a GUI and these installation screens are much larger than this it's very difficult to install as you can't see what you are tabbing to and can't click on any buttons as they are well bellow the viewable area on the screen. =================== My Comment: as it happens, this described the problem I had. ==================== The response on June 6th, 2006 from durableapostle was on the button: ==================== Default Re: Installing on a Dell Inspiron 1100 I had the EXACT same problem. Here's what I did: 1) In a terminal window type: sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf 2) Change your data to what I have below (actually, add this info, <i>in addition to</i> what you already have): Section "Monitor" Identifier "Monitor0" VendorName "Monitor Vendor" ModelName "Dell 1024x768 Laptop Display Panel" HorizSync 31.5 - 48.5 VertRefresh 59.0 - 75.0 Option "dpms" EndSection and in Section Screen, change the monitor line to read Monitor "Monitor0" 3) Save, close gedit, and then restart the x drive (crtl, alt, backspace). It should work. 4) Now, this is the part where you'll need help elsewhere... After a hard restart, this will probably go back to the small screen. You'll need to configure things so that this loads earlier in the startup sequence. I had a friend help w/ this... sorry, I don't know how he did it. Ask around the forums. At least you'll be able to easily fix it every time until you can get help with the part I can't help you with. ======================= My comment: I had a little uncertainty about the above point 2) because I could see that some lines were obvious additions and one or two seemed to be replacements. I found that point 4) was not relevant to my need to run the live CD and then do an install to hard drive. ======================= With this hindsight I would now slightly re-word the posting from durableapostle to read as follows: 1) In a terminal window type: sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf 2) Change your data to what I have below Section "Monitor" Identifier "Monitor0" VendorName "Monitor Vendor" ModelName "Dell 1024x768 Laptop Display Panel" HorizSync 31.5 - 48.5 VertRefresh 59.0 - 75.0 Option "DPMS" EndSection and in Section "Screen", change the monitor line to read Monitor "Monitor0" 3) Save, close gedit, and then restart the X server (crtl, alt, backspace). It should work. 4)If you want to continue to install, double click the Install icon on the desktop, and proceed. My experience was that the installation adopted the current xorg.conf values. ==================== Note 1: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=190022&highlight=inspiron+1100 HTH alan c ===== [end ubuntu 6.06 note] 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 [begin Kubuntu note] +++ Re: Dell Inspiron 1100 - Installation Ubuntu (Kubuntu) 6.06 Desktop --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "candtalan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > hardware detail - 512 MB RAM, bios A32. > > The install of Ububtu 6.06 Desktop is ususlly done by first running > the live CD then choosing the Install icon on the desktop. There was > no problem booting or running the live CD, except that the display > resolution remained fixed at a low value. (Similar problem when > installing a new HD with Dell original OS CDs in fact, which needed > special action to subsequently install video driver) [snip] The main details are included in the messages here under the subject of Dell Inspiron 1100 - Installation Ubuntu 6.06 Desktop dated Sep 17, 2006 However, I also use Kubuntu and there are slight differences in what is needed there, for example a diferent editor is available, and file permissions are handled slightly differently. For Kubuntu 6.06 Desktop: using a terminal window sudo chmod 777 /etc/X11/xorg.conf (note the upper case X) this removes restrictions protecting the file xorg.conf and allows it to be edited. I then edited the file (using kate) as detailed earlier in this thread and restarted the xserver display with control-alt-backspace. As it happens, I wanted something to help with doing this procedure at any time I used the Kubuntu 6.06 desktop (live) cd in this machine - say, for demonstrations. So after editing the xorg.conf file I copied it to a usb stick as xorg.conf The edited copy of xorg.conf file resided in the usb stick and could be seen as /media/sda1/xorg.conf because the usb stick was automounted as sda1 onto directory /media I then used kate editor to create a new file containing the two lines sudo chmod 777 /etc/X11/xorg.conf cp /media/sda1/xorg.conf /etc/X11 and for convenience I saved this also onto the usbstick, say, as inspiron1100-fix-kubuntu Now, after booting with the live cd I can insert the usb stick, and copy the two lines of text into a terminal, and press return. Then restart the xserver. More convenient than editing the file again etc. +++ [end Kubuntu note] 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 [begin knoppix note] ============ This problem troubled me, and I post here hoping the information will be useful to other Dell Inspiron 1100 users. With knoppix 5.0.1 the display is not full size. However with knoppix 4.0.2 it fills the screen ok. I believe the Inspiron has something unusual with the way its video ram gets reported to the bios or something, but it is (was) a major product line. I am not sure it is entirely sorted out by the bios going up to A92. Solution for knoppix 5.0.1: I used this boot entry: boot: knoppix xmodule=i810 and it WORKS! :-) Details: ================================================== Dell Inspiron 1100 (Bios revision A92) Knoppix 5.0.1 (Note this procedure was not needed for knoppix 4.0.2, which used xfree86 not xorg) (Knoppix forum) original posting: Thu Jul 06, 2006 3:58 pm Dell Inspiron 1100 - 5.0.1 - display size http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24847 and a reply from penguine5 Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:03 am with the same problem, followed by a reply from Harry Kuhman (moderator) mentioning the wiki The knoppix wiki: http://www.cwelug.org/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi?HomePage and for this problem, specifically the section: Knoppix/BootProcess http://www.cwelug.org/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi?Knoppix/BootProcess#tip4http://www.cwelug\ .org/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi?Knoppix/BootProcess#tip4 [Testing various xmodule= cheatcodes quickly] Particular useful extract: When Knoppix finish booting, change to VC 1 with Ctrl-Alt-F1 and enter runlevel 3 with 'init 3'. To see what driver Knoppix used, type: grep -i driver /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 When I gave this a try, the response I saw with my Dell Inspiron 1100 (bios revision A29) was: i810 (which seems to be the driver I needed knoppix to run). So I took the hint from a wiki entry: 'Once you find one that works better than what Knoppix guessed, you can use it at the boot prompt like so: boot: knoppix xmodule=fbdev' In my case the driver was i810, not fbdev ================================================== ============ [end knoppix note] 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 hth -- alan cocks Kubuntu user#10391 -- edubuntu-users mailing list [email protected] Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/edubuntu-users
