1200x800, Howto Configure

My laptop:
model: targa traveller 826T MT32
graphic card: mobile radeon x700
display: 1200x800

if you find boring what I write jump directly to "Well, now the solution"

I am a real Linux beginner, but I use all kind of pointers under VB, like to say I have some feeling for things...

Some facts:
- your graphic card supports many different monitors with also different display proportions, like 1600x1000 or 1600x1024: that makes possible plugging in an external monitor. Each kind of monitor supports many different resolutions, making possible a larger or smaller desktop view. This is possible by use of drivers provided by the product manufacturer and installed during system setup. Some software companies are interested in absence of such drivers for Linux, discouraging in this way the Linux use. In my case, the manufacturer Targa denies even to disclose the caracteristic of the display, making impossible writing third pard drivers. However, they always leave intentionally open some way for solving the problem.

- Linux is learning to exist and resist with no drivers, so we need to snap a resolution with the same proportions of our monitor, otherwise the desktop will be stretched or compressed: the fonts will look unsharp and the pictures deformed.

- In case of 1200x800 the configuration program Sax2 is not of help, at least because KDE, the desktop manager, looks at things from a different point of view: KDE jumps to the second value in the line beginning with "Modes" in /etc/X11/xorg.conf, : for example by writing
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
in the panel "configure desktop / display" you will find in the combo box only the following options
"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
and some smaller resolutions in addition.
What means Modes? Well, it means the possible resolutions for all your monitors and what you put in the line will be inspected and censured by two different dictators: X11/ATI in my case and KDE. Like all fascists they are not bad: the only problem is that they do belive to know better what you really need.

- Incredibly, Suse 9.3 finds by starting the right values, but they are later modified two times, possibly both times by KDE.

- At first glance the configuration file /etc/X11/xorg.conf can look quite differently by different users, but that is due to the many possible options. I made a lot of experiments getting also configuration files witch have different structures. Don't worry!

Well, now the solution.
Difficult to write but very easy to do: it takes just a few seconds and patience to read.

-- Assuming you are installing the OS, don't configure your desktop with Sax2 or configure it for 1024x768, just to get a better view because 800x600, the default, is quite horrible.
-- If you have a third part Linux driver like ATI or NVIDIA install it: you will find in this forum many perfect guides and it is very easy to do.

-- After a new start edit the configuration file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
The char "# " is used for commenting pourposes and such lines will not be executed.
- Make sure that all lines beginning with Modeline are commented out like this:
# Modeline
- find
Section "Screen"
- modify or write in if necessary following:
DefaultDepth 24
- find
Subsection "Display"
,it should be right there.
- modify or write in if necessary following:
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800" "1280x800" "800x600"
,or
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x800" "800x600"
, I use the first one, the one with the repetition, but it works also commenting the line out.
anyway, sure is sure.
- find
Section "Monitor"
- modify or write in if necessary following:
DisplaySize 330 208
, this is decisive! The measures are in millimeters and I got them just measuring the display with a meter, plus a small adjustment to get a perfect desktop. Use the own values, but possibly they are the same ones.
, following is not strictly necessary, but I got it installing Fedora 4. However, I prefere Suse.
HorizSync 30-82
VertRefresh 58-75
-- reboot
-- right click on the desktop and select in the context menu:
configure desktop / display
- make sure that 1200x800 is selected.

-- Well, that's all

-- Notes:
- You will need to adjust the fonts size and name by every desktop theme change. However the control center makes it very easy and fast to do.
- Some programs are hardcoded, like to say written assuming some fixed desktop resolution. For example, Freecell will show you quite long cards.
- Checking the precision of your resolution: look at the mouse pointer "wait", for example by starting Yast / Install or remove software. The clock should look like a perfect circle.

-- have fun

My laptop:
model: targa traveller 826T MT32
graphic card: mobile radeon x700
display: 1200x800

if you find boring what I write jump directly to "Well, now the solution"

I am a real Linux beginner, but I use all kind of pointers under VB, like to say I have some feeling for things...

Some facts:
- your graphic card supports many different monitors with also different display proportions, like 1600x1000 or 1600x1024: that makes possible plugging in an external monitor. Each kind of monitor supports many different resolutions, making possible a larger or smaller desktop view. This is possible by use of drivers provided by the product manufacturer and installed during system setup. Some software companies are interested in absence of such drivers for Linux, discouraging in this way the Linux use. In my case, the manufacturer Targa denies even to disclose the caracteristic of the display, making impossible writing third pard drivers. However, they always leave intentionally open some way for solving the problem.

- Linux is learning to exist and resist with no drivers, so we need to snap a resolution with the same proportions of our monitor, otherwise the desktop will be stretched or compressed: the fonts will look unsharp and the pictures deformed.

- In case of 1200x800 the configuration program Sax2 is not of help, at least because KDE, the desktop manager, looks at things from a different point of view: KDE jumps to the second value in the line beginning with "Modes" in /etc/X11/xorg.conf, : for example by writing
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
in the panel "configure desktop / display" you will find in the combo box only the following options
"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
and some smaller resolutions in addition.
What means Modes? Well, it means the possible resolutions for all your monitors and what you put in the line will be inspected and censured by two different dictators: X11/ATI in my case and KDE. Like all fascists they are not bad: the only problem is that they do belive to know better what you really need.

- Incredibly, Suse 9.3 finds by starting the right values, but they are later modified two times, possibly both times by KDE.

- At first glance the configuration file /etc/X11/xorg.conf can look quite differently by different users, but that is due to the many possible options. I made a lot of experiments getting also configuration files witch have different structures. Don't worry!

Well, now the solution.
Difficult to write but very easy to do: it takes just a few seconds and patience to read.

-- Assuming you are installing the OS, don't configure your desktop with Sax2 or configure it for 1024x768, just to get a better view because 800x600, the default, is quite horrible.
-- If you have a third part Linux driver like ATI or NVIDIA install it: you will find in this forum many perfect guides and it is very easy to do.

-- After a new start edit the configuration file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
The char "# " is used for commenting pourposes and such lines will not be executed.
- Make sure that all lines beginning with Modeline are commented out like this:
# Modeline
- find
Section "Screen"
- modify or write in if necessary following:
DefaultDepth 24
- find
Subsection "Display"
,it should be right there.
- modify or write in if necessary following:
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800" "1280x800" "800x600"
,or
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x800" "800x600"
, I use the first one, the one with the repetition, but it works also commenting the line out.
anyway, sure is sure.
- find
Section "Monitor"
- modify or write in if necessary following:
DisplaySize 330 208
, this is decisive! The measures are in millimeters and I got them just measuring the display with a meter, plus a small adjustment to get a perfect desktop. Use the own values, but possibly they are the same ones.
, following is not strictly necessary, but I got it installing Fedora 4. However, I prefere Suse.
HorizSync 30-82
VertRefresh 58-75
-- reboot
-- right click on the desktop and select in the context menu:
configure desktop / display
- make sure that 1200x800 is selected.

-- Well, that's all

-- Notes:
- You will need to adjust the fonts size and name by every desktop theme change. However the control center makes it very easy and fast to do.
- Some programs are hardcoded, like to say written assuming some fixed desktop resolution. For example, Freecell will show you quite long cards.
- Checking the precision of your resolution: look at the mouse pointer "wait", for example by starting Yast / Install or remove software. The clock should look like a perfect circle.

-- have fun
[/b]

Hello, I...have the same problem: Targa Traveller (Lidl Notebock 10/2005).
Thank you for all advise, but it doesn't work. I modified the etc/X11/xorg.conf like above.
Even the starting-screen display's wrong color's. Could anybody host a complete xorg.conf -
why does is not work? The maximal display resolution is 800x600 - the modifications above takes no efect.
Thanks!

Hello, I...have the same problem: Targa Traveller (Lidl Notebock 10/2005).
Thank you for all advise, but it doesn't work. I modified the etc/X11/xorg.conf like above.
Even the starting-screen display's wrong color's. Could anybody host a complete xorg.conf -
why does is not work? The maximal display resolution is 800x600 - the modifications above takes no efect.
Thanks!
[/b]

Hi baby tux, sorry for the delay!
- I use Suse only as root, but I made a partition backup.
- if you didn't it already, first install fglrx64_6_8_0-8.16.20-1.x86_64.rpm
available by ATI. Just put it in an empty folder, select the folder in your terminal and give the command rpm -Uvh *.rpm
- rename your xorg.conf to xorg.conf.babytux and put in my own with no changes.
- reboot and go back to root.
Now it should work, but make sure that under "configure desktop/display" 1280x800 is selected.
- I assume you use a German keyboard, so, edit xorg.conf and change
Option "XkbLayout" "us" to Option "XkbLayout" "de"
- Let me know how it works, today, I will be gone between 16.00 and 18.00.
I can also tell you how to install the wireless card and multimedia.
However, I am seriously still on trouble with the clock
Viel Glueck.

# ************************************************** ********************
# File: /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# for Targa Traveller 826T MT32
# ************************************************** ********************
# DRI Section
# ************************************************** ********************
Section "dri"
# Access to OpenGL ICD is allowed for all users:
Mode 0666
EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Module section -- this section is used to specify
# which dynamically loadable modules to load.
# ************************************************** ********************
#
Section "Module"
# This loads the DBE extension module.
Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension

# This loads the miscellaneous extensions module, and disables
# initialisation of the XFree86-DGA extension within that module.
SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection

# This loads the Type1 and FreeType font modules
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"

# This loads the GLX module
Load "glx" # libglx.a
Load "dri" # libdri.a

EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Files section. This allows default font and rgb paths to be set
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "Files"

# The location of the RGB database. Note, this is the name of the
# file minus the extension (like ".txt" or ".db"). There is normally
# no need to change the default.
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"

# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (which are concatenated together),
# as well as specifying multiple comma-separated entries in one FontPath
# command (or a combination of both methods)
#
# If you don't have a floating point coprocessor and emacs, Mosaic or other
# programs take long to start up, try moving the Type1 and Speedo directory
# to the end of this list (or comment them out).
#

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"

# The module search path. The default path is shown here.
# ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"

EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Server flags section.
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "ServerFlags"
# Uncomment this to cause a core dump at the spot where a signal is
# received. This may leave the console in an unusable state, but may
# provide a better stack trace in the core dump to aid in debugging
# Option "NoTrapSignals"

# Uncomment this to disable the <Crtl><Alt><BS> server abort sequence
# This allows clients to receive this key event.
# Option "DontZap"

# Uncomment this to disable the <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> mode switching
# sequences. This allows clients to receive these key events.
# Option "Dont Zoom"

# Uncomment this to disable tuning with the xvidtune client. With
# it the client can still run and fetch card and monitor attributes,
# but it will not be allowed to change them. If it tries it will
# receive a protocol error.
# Option "DisableVidModeExtension"

# Uncomment this to enable the use of a non-local xvidtune client.
# Option "AllowNonLocalXvidtune"

# Uncomment this to disable dynamically modifying the input device
# (mouse and keyboard) settings.
# Option "DisableModInDev"

# Uncomment this to enable the use of a non-local client to
# change the keyboard or mouse settings (currently only xset).
# Option "AllowNonLocalModInDev"

EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Input devices
# ************************************************** ********************

# ************************************************** ********************
# Core keyboard's InputDevice section
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Core Pointer's InputDevice section
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "InputDevice"

# Identifier and driver
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Monitor section
# ************************************************** ********************

# Any number of monitor sections may be present

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
DisplaySize 330 208
HorizSync 30-82
VertRefresh 58-75
EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Graphics device section
# ************************************************** ********************

# Any number of graphics device sections may be present

# Standard VGA Device:

Section "Device"
Identifier "Standard VGA"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"

# The chipset line is optional in most cases. It can be used to override
# the driver's chipset detection, and should not normally be specified.

# Chipset "generic"

# The Driver line must be present. When using run-time loadable driver
# modules, this line instructs the server to load the specified driver
# module. Even when not using loadable driver modules, this line
# indicates which driver should interpret the information in this section.

Driver "vga"
# The BusID line is used to specify which of possibly multiple devices
# this section is intended for. When this line isn't present, a device
# section can only match up with the primary video device. For PCI
# devices a line like the following could be used. This line should not
# normally be included unless there is more than one video device
# installed.

# BusID "PCI:0:10:0"

# VideoRam 256

# Clocks 25.2 28.3

EndSection

# === ATI device section ===

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Graphics Adapter"
Driver "fglrx"
# ### generic DRI settings ###
# === disable PnP Monitor ===
#Option "NoDDC"
# === disable/enable XAA/DRI ===
Option "no_accel" "no"
Option "no_dri" "no"
# === misc DRI settings ===
Option "mtrr" "off" # disable DRI mtrr mapper, driver has its own code for mtrr
# ### FireGL DDX driver module specific settings ###
# === Screen Management ===
Option "DesktopSetup" "(null)"
Option "ScreenOverlap" "0"
Option "GammaCorrectionI" "0x00000000"
Option "GammaCorrectionII" "0x00000000"
# === OpenGL specific profiles/settings ===
Option "Capabilities" "0x00000000"
Option "CapabilitiesEx" "0x00000000"
# === Video Overlay for the Xv extension ===
Option "VideoOverlay" "on"
# === OpenGL Overlay ===
# Note: When OpenGL Overlay is enabled, Video Overlay
# will be disabled automatically
Option "OpenGLOverlay" "off"
# === Center Mode (Laptops only) ===
Option "CenterMode" "off"
# === Pseudo Color Visuals (8-bit visuals) ===
Option "PseudoColorVisuals" "off"
# === QBS Management ===
Option "Stereo" "off"
Option "StereoSyncEnable" "1"
# === FSAA Management ===
Option "FSAAEnable" "no"
Option "FSAAScale" "1"
Option "FSAADisableGamma" "no"
Option "FSAACustomizeMSPos" "no"
Option "FSAAMSPosX0" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosY0" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosX1" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosY1" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosX2" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosY2" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosX3" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosY3" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosX4" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosY4" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosX5" "0.000000"
Option "FSAAMSPosY5" "0.000000"
# === Misc Options ===
Option "UseFastTLS" "0"
Option "BlockSignalsOnLock" "on"
Option "UseInternalAGPGART" "yes"
Option "ForceGenericCPU" "no"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0" # vendor=1002, device=5653
Screen 0
EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# Screen sections
# ************************************************** ********************

# Any number of screen sections may be present. Each describes
# the configuration of a single screen. A single specific screen section
# may be specified from the X server command line with the "-screen"
# option.
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "ATI Graphics Adapter"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
#Option "backingstore"

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
# Not strictly necessary, but it can help. The first entry is repeted intentionally.
Modes "1280x800" "1280x800" "800x600"
# ViewPort 0 0 # initial origin if mode is smaller than desktop
# Virtual 1280 1024
EndSubsection
EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# ServerLayout sections.
# ************************************************** ********************

# Any number of ServerLayout sections may be present. Each describes
# the way multiple screens are organised. A specific ServerLayout
# section may be specified from the X server command line with the
# "-layout" option. In the absence of this, the first section is used.
# When now ServerLayout section is present, the first Screen section
# is used alone.

Section "ServerLayout"

# The Identifier line must be present
Identifier "Server Layout"

# Each Screen line specifies a Screen section name, and optionally
# the relative position of other screens. The four names after
# primary screen name are the screens to the top, bottom, left and right
# of the primary screen.

Screen "Screen0"

# Each InputDevice line specifies an InputDevice section name and
# optionally some options to specify the way the device is to be
# used. Those options include "CorePointer", "CoreKeyboard" and
# "SendCoreEvents".

InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection

### EOF ###

Thank You for Your fast response...
After reinstalling my SuSE 9.2 in 64-Bit-Mode I tryed to execute the fglrx64_&_8_0---.64.rpm
(I have to mention, that I get this rpm from a Mirror-Site, not from the offical ATI-Side - http://www.ati.com/online/403/leech.asp shows ' Unauthorized download"! )
(of course my procedure: login as root, init 3...)

Then i tryed sax2 with the recommendet parameters (with the sax2-profile fglrx).
The occuring error is "the card was not detected correctly"..
The resulting SAX-Logfile ends with "Fatal server error: no screens found".

Unfortunately, I don't know, why the driver does not work.
My "new Targa Traveller" has a Linux-based Multimedia-Center. "Cyberlink PowerCinema" - I really
want to know - witch kind of driver THEY use - is works perfectly (Of course actually not, because I
reconfigured the Partitions - made Windows smaller in order to get space for Linux).

What is going wrong? From this day, I am even familar with the VI-Editor in order to modify
the xorg.conf in a earlyer Installation. Mybe I need more experience in configuration Linux-Components.

The second executaion from SAX2 shows a beautyful purple Screen with a small white line on the bottom.

Do You have an Idea?
Many Thanks

Grafic: ATI Mobility Radeon x700 - 128 MB DDR-Memory, Display: 14,5" WXGA TFT, 1280x800 Pixel

Unbelieveble - THANK YOU!!! IT WORK'S FINALY.
I uses now your xorg.conf and it works! A good Birthday-present for me

Greetings - Urmel

Hallo Urmel,
still HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!
concerning Power Cinema: they use as resolution 800x600. I think it will be easy to copy the program into the Suse partition, I have already a general idea about the necessary operations. However, I want first an exactly configurated Suse. I had a lot of troubles by setting up the wireless card, the next Suse wonder is the clock, possibly responsable for some multimedia programs which run too fast. What Suse programmers made with the clock looks quite absurd. I am a well respected Windows API programmer with no idea about Linux, but I can already tell you that very often Linux programs are not professionally written. In the Media Player the ratio screen width / screen height is badly hardcoded: it means that instead retriving the proper values in some kde configuration file, the programmer used a constant, 1024/768. That makes the program unconfortable for us. Why hi did it? Just to save 5-10 minutes of work and a few lines of code. Perhaps hi was in love...
By the way, you can download by Targa a nice Power Cinema update.
I didn't understand if you finally got the file by ATI. If not, send me an email at ben@inode.at and I will send you the file in question, including the material for wireless.
Despite everything, I like Suse very much: better graphic and better sound as in Windows. Don't forget also downloading the new sound driver for our laptop:
realtek-linux-audiopack-3.3-2.tar.bz2
available by Realtek.
Have fun,
Ben

I didn't understand if you finally got the file by ATI. If not, send me an email at ben@inode.at and I will send you the file in question, including the material for wireless.
[/b]

Would you send me the file en the material for wireless to.
I have at my work a laptop (fujitsu amilo L-1310G W-lan en a radeon xpress 200m) i've tried to install Mandriva 2005LE but that didn't work.
So i'm now intsalling SUSE 9.1 pro as i'm typing this, you're information came just intime. B)

e-mail at work w.theunissen@las-pers.nl

Thanks

Would you send me the file en the material for wireless to.
I have at my work a laptop (fujitsu amilo L-1310G W-lan en a radeon xpress 200m) i've tried to install Mandriva 2005LE but that didn't work.
So i'm now intsalling SUSE 9.1 pro as i'm typing this, you're information came just intime. B)

e-mail at work w.theunissen@las-pers.nl

Thanks
[/b]

HaLLO wILLY,
I can't help you very much: each wireless card model needs different drivers, so, we will need to find specific and working drivers for your card. I advice you should rather install suse 9.3. If I find a bittorrent link I will send you it by email. The important question is if you are installing the 32 or 64 bit version. Let me know, please.