Re: [gentoo-user] Non Standard X Resolution

[Walter Dnes]

On Thu, May 04, 2006 at 03:46:30PM +1200, Jamie wrote

> In the next few days I will be getting my brand new Dell 2007WFP
> LCD delivered and obviously I want to use it on my Gentoo box.
> This screen uses a non-standard resolution of 1680x1050@60Hz and I
> have no idea how to get this setting in my XOrg setup. Can anyone
> point me in the right direction?

  I've only done this with CRTs, but it should also work with CRTs.  You
need to know the max and min frequencies (both horizontal and vertical)
for your display.  Knowing the card's max bandwidth helps, but isn't
as critical.  Since you're getting a new machine, you should have the
manuals for the display and the card.  Find those numbers and go to
http://koala.ilog.fr/cgi-bin/nph-colas-modelines and fill in the
numbers and it'll generate a whole slew of modelines for you.  In your
case the "enter the desired screen ratio here:" entry should be...

8/5

That's because 1680/1050 = 8/5

  LCDs are lousy at interpolating resolution.  They give optimal display
when at their native resolution or a whole-number divisor thereof.  E.g.
840x525 and 560x350 and 336x210 should be OK.  You'd use them if you're
watching streaming video.  Cutting down to 560x350 and watching
streaming video doesn't require the extra CPU power that software
resizing requires for mplayer or xine.

  To get to the lower resolutions may require "doublescan", which the
above site doesn't do.  A site for modelines with doublescan or
interlace is...
http://xtiming.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/xtiming.pl but it'll only do one
modeline at a time.

Note 1) On an LCD, you can get away with refresh rates as low as 30 hz,
and still be comfortable.  On a CRT, 30 hz is murder on the eyes.

Note 2) In an xterm, run the command "xrandr -q" for a list of available
resolutions.  "man xrandr" for details on how to change screen
resolution on-the-fly.  It does have a flaw in that programs don't
recognize the changed resolution.  I start up another xterm, resize it
to 20 columns x 5 rows, and park it in the upper left corner.  The
"panic button" command to return to normal is "xrandr -s 0".

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@××××××××.org> In linux /sbin/init is Job #1
My musings on technology and security at http://tech_sec.blog.ca
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