Hi, I installed Mdk 9.2 RC1 on Inspiron4100 with ATI Radeon Mobility Card. Looks pretty cool except that there is no way I can change screen resolution either using MCC or XFDrake. It lets me do whatever I wanna do, It shows the change I made but the screen is still left with the same resolution (very high) I can barely see the fonts.
Never had any problem on the same laptop with previous version of Mandrake.
Any word of advice?
thanx
dar

edit /etc/X11/XF86Config by hand (either using vi, emacs, or gedit, or some other ascii text editor). Just by quickly reading through the file you should be able to see where the resolution gets set... look for the string 'DefaultDepth'.

hope that helps,
jpbarto

Hi!

Have exactly the same problem on my Dell i82k. As a total newbie to Linux it sounds a bit scary to edit directly to code the way jpbarto kindly suggests. No one else with a more "windows-friendly" idea?

Miko

As scary as it sounds Miko, eventually you're going to have to bite the bullet and plunge into the config files and mess with them. I got really nervous about it the first time I messed with Lilo.conf (ahhh... messing with the first thing the computer sees on the hard drive!) but found out that it was pretty straight forward. My suggestion is that you figure out what you need to do before you open it up, tred carefully, and back everything up. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, use a non-gui text editor like vi. (yes, I get old school while doing these things) The reason is that sometimes you can accidentally insert invisible characters into the file that will screw it up and are difficult to hunt down. What being invisible and all.

The power and stability of linux comes at a cost. That cost being that sometimes you have to no what you're doing to get stuff done. It still isn't as user friendly as windows, but it's a lot more adminstrator friendly.

And don't worry, everyone on this board either has gone through the learning curve that you're going through, or is there next to you. Sometimes both.

Hi, that is my XF86Config-4 what should I change here?
Looks like screen is set to 800x600 but I am not a pro. Any clue how to get it going. The resolution is still very high
thanx
dar
# File generated by XFdrake.

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the XF86Config man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
# By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
# the X server to render fonts.
FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
#DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
#DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse doesn't work
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx" # 3D layer
Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "Keyboard"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "en_US"
Option "XkbOptions" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/usbmouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "monitor1"
VendorName "Dell"
ModelName "Dell 1600x1200 Laptop Display Panel"
HorizSync 31.5-90.0
VertRefresh 59.0-85.0

# Sony Vaio C1(X,XS,VE,VN)?
# 1024x480 @ 85.6 Hz, 48 kHz hsync
ModeLine "1024x480" 65.00 1024 1032 1176 1344 480 488 494 563 -hsync -vsync

# TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
# 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 50.00 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630

# 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 63.07 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
VendorName "ATI"
BoardName "ATI Radeon"
Driver "radeon"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "device1"
Monitor "monitor1"
DefaultColorDepth 16

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
Screen "screen1"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
EndSection

If all you're having is a problem seeing the fonts, why not just increase the default font size?

try making

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection

look like

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "800x600"
EndSubsection

(or you could try 'Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600"' ... this way X will try all three resolutions from left-to-right order until one works)

hope that helps,
and don't be scared of messing with config files, just make sure to make backups in case you break anything.

hope that helps,
jpbarto

Hi, it didn't work. It was reverted back to the previous one. I am going to try RC2. But in case if you can figure it out this is part of my XFree86.log. Especially interesting is "ddc", "CloneDisplay", "modeline" part. Is it telling you anything? Thank you for your help. Learning is fascinating.

(==) RADEON(0): RGB weight 565
(II) RADEON(0): Using 6 bits per RGB (8 bit DAC)
(II) Loading sub module "int10"
(II) LoadModule: "int10"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/linux/libint10.a
(II) Module int10: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
compiled for 4.3.0, module version = 1.0.0
ABI class: XFree86 Video Driver, version 0.6
(II) RADEON(0): initializing int10
(II) RADEON(0): Primary V_BIOS segment is: 0xc000
(--) RADEON(0): Chipset: "ATI Radeon Mobility M6 LY (AGP)" (ChipID = 0x4c59)
(--) RADEON(0): Linear framebuffer at 0xe0000000
(--) RADEON(0): MMIO registers at 0xfcff0000
(--) RADEON(0): VideoRAM: 16384 kByte (64-bit DDR SDRAM)
(II) RADEON(0): CloneDisplay option not set -- defaulting to auto-detect
(II) RADEON(0): Primary Display == Type 2
(II) RADEON(0): Panel ID string: DE 1400X1050
(II) RADEON(0): Panel Size from BIOS: 1400x1050
(II) RADEON(0): BIOS provided dividers will be used.(II) Loading sub module "ddc"
(II) LoadModule: "ddc"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libddc.a
(II) Module ddc: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
compiled for 4.3.0, module version = 1.0.0
ABI class: XFree86 Video Driver, version 0.6
(II) Loading sub module "i2c"
(II) LoadModule: "i2c"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libi2c.a
(II) Module i2c: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
compiled for 4.3.0, module version = 1.2.0
ABI class: XFree86 Video Driver, version 0.6
(II) RADEON(0): I2C bus "DDC" initialized.
(II) RADEON(0): PLL parameters: rf=2700 rd=60 min=12000 max=35000; xclk=16600
(==) RADEON(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
(II) RADEON(0): Validating modes on Primary head (DDCType: 2) ---------
(II) RADEON(0): I2C device "DDC:ddc2" registered at address 0xA0.
(II) RADEON(0): I2C device "DDC:ddc2" removed.
(II) RADEON(0): I2C device "DDC:ddc2" registered at address 0xA0.
(II) RADEON(0): I2C device "DDC:ddc2" removed.
(II) RADEON(0): I2C device "DDC:ddc2" registered at address 0xA0.
(II) RADEON(0): I2C device "DDC:ddc2" removed.
(II) RADEON(0): Total number of valid DDC mode(s) found: 0
(II) RADEON(0): No valid mode specified, force to native mdoe
(II) RADEON(0): Total number of valid FP mode(s) found: 1
(--) RADEON(0): Virtual size is 1400x1050 (pitch 1408)
(**) RADEON(0): *Mode "1400x1050": 108.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), 58.4 kHz, 53.5 Hz
(II) RADEON(0): Modeline "1400x1050" 108.00 1400 1560 1672 1848 1050 1050 1053 1092
(==) RADEON(0): DPI set to (75, 75)
(II) Loading sub module "fb"
(II) LoadModule: "fb"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libfb.a

the problem is that your resolution is too high correct? with X up and loaded what does (from an xterm) xdpyinfo output?

Hi, I was away for a while now back to the same problem.
Yes the resolution is too high. Below there is my xdpyinfo. But do you know how to find install.log on Mandrake? In RH it is usuallly in root directory can not find it on mandrake.
thanx

[darek@localhost darek]$ xdpyinfo
name of display: :0.0
version number: 11.0
vendor string: Mandrake Linux (XFree86 4.3, patch level 22mdk)
vendor release number: 40300000
XFree86 version: 4.3.0
maximum request size: 4194300 bytes
motion buffer size: 256
bitmap unit, bit order, padding: 32, LSBFirst, 32
image byte order: LSBFirst
number of supported pixmap formats: 7
supported pixmap formats:
depth 1, bits_per_pixel 1, scanline_pad 32
depth 4, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 8, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 15, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 16, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 24, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
depth 32, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
keycode range: minimum 8, maximum 255
focus: window 0x1e0003f, revert to PointerRoot
number of extensions: 28
BIG-REQUESTS
DOUBLE-BUFFER
DPMS
Extended-Visual-Information
FontCache
GLX
LBX
MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
MIT-SHM
MIT-SUNDRY-NONSTANDARD
RANDR
RENDER
SECURITY
SGI-GLX
SHAPE
SYNC
TOG-CUP
X-Resource
XC-APPGROUP
XC-MISC
XFree86-Bigfont
XFree86-DGA
XFree86-Misc
XFree86-VidModeExtension
XInputExtension
XKEYBOARD
XTEST
XVideo
default screen number: 0
number of screens: 1

screen #0:
dimensions: 1400x1050 pixels (474x356 millimeters)
resolution: 75x75 dots per inch
depths (7): 24, 1, 4, 8, 15, 16, 32
root window id: 0x40
depth of root window: 24 planes
number of colormaps: minimum 1, maximum 1
default colormap: 0x20
default number of colormap cells: 256
preallocated pixels: black 0, white 16777215
options: backing-store NO, save-unders NO
largest cursor: 64x64
current input event mask: 0xd84031
KeyPressMask EnterWindowMask LeaveWindowMask
KeymapStateMask SubstructureNotifyMask SubstructureRedirectMask
PropertyChangeMask ColormapChangeMask
number of visuals: 8
default visual id: 0x23
visual:
visual id: 0x23
class: TrueColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
visual:
visual id: 0x24
class: TrueColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
visual:
visual id: 0x25
class: TrueColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
visual:
visual id: 0x26
class: TrueColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
visual:
visual id: 0x27
class: DirectColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
visual:
visual id: 0x28
class: DirectColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
visual:
visual id: 0x29
class: DirectColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
visual:
visual id: 0x2a
class: DirectColor
depth: 24 planes
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
red, green, blue masks: 0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
[darek@localhost

ok ... well let me first say that my first experience with Redhat (9.1) in about the last three years has been with mixed results. First one box would lock up after running a GL xscreensaver for more than an hour ... the second would (need some imagination for this one) output the X screen about 6 inches to the left of the actual monitor. So I'm not happy with Redhat (or Redhat based [mandrake] distros).

So I will say this, your X server is defaulting / using a 'DefaultDepth 24'. So if after seting the 'Modes' line in the 'Depth 24' section of your Screens of XF86Config to "1024x768" etc then I would next take a look at the monitor section or extension section of your X server config. If you would like I could post a copy of the XF86Config (from slackware) that took care of my 6-inches-to-the-left-of-the-monitor problem.

jpbarto