display resolution under Debian
I'm new to Linux, so please bear with me. I have a new install of Debian, latest stable release, on an old ALR server running quad 200 MHz Pentium Pros. I only get two choices for screen resolution: 800 X 600 or 640 X 480. How can I get a higher resolution? I may be mistaken, but I think the video card should be capable of higher resolution. Is there a program in Debian comparable to the "Device Manager" in Windows? If so, how do I access it to get the details of my video card?
KF4SQB
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Most likely Debian is using a default generic driver, one that only supports 'safe' resolutions like the ones you mentioned above. So, find the manufacturer of your video card, and use Google to find the appropriate drivers to install.
John A
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OK, how about the "Device Manager"? Is there something comparable in Linux, or will I have to shut down and pull the card to find the manufacturer and model?
KF4SQB
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Sorry. Open a terminal window and type
lspci
and then hit return. You should get a listing of all your computer's PCI-related hardware.
John A
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Thanks, Joe, thats what I was looking for. If only Windows had such a feature. No, wait, thats why I want to leave Microshaft and switch to Linux!
KF4SQB
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The max resolution probably wont be much higher anyway.
I have a compaq proliant (dual p2) and it does 1024x768 at the limited number of colours and 800x600 at the better colour, why is this?
jbennet
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Well, I found out that my video card is an STB Systems, with a Cirrus chipset, but I can't find any Linux drivers for it. So I dug up an old ATI card I had laying around with a Rage 128 Pro chipset. I can find drivers for it, but now I have to figure out how to change everything over from the STB card to the ATI. As I said earlier, I am new to Linux, so I'll probably ask a lot of really stupid questions for a while yet. Thanks for all the help so far!
KF4SQB
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login as root
dpkg --reconfigure xserver-xorg
This will run the graphics card configuration tool.
if the graphics dont work do alt+f2 to get a command line
jbennet
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I had a similiar problem when I was using debian awhile back. As Jbennet suggested, do dpkg --reconfigure xserver-org and ONLY select the res of our monitor when configuring.
Sturm
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I had a similiar problem when I was using debian awhile back. As Jbennet suggested, do dpkg --reconfigure xserver-org and ONLY select the res of our monitor when configuring.
hes putting in a different card now, but it should select the options for that automatically right?
jbennet
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Ah I don't know I haven't used debian in a while, things might of changed... Regardless you could just edit your xorg.conf manually.
Sturm
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OK, now how do I use dpkg? When I said I'm new to Linux, I meant I'm new to Linux! I haven't yet figured out how to do anything more than the most basic commands from a command line in Linux. I think I did manage to get the drivers from the old video card removed using aptitude, which says that the drivers are already installed for the new card. How do I now tell it that the hardware has been changed? Its still trying to load the old card.
KF4SQB
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just type this at a console (command prompt)
dpkg --reconfigure xserver-xorg
(a command prompt is available by holding down control + alt and hitting F2)
You will then be led through a series of menus where you can choose your resolution, driver etc. It should choose appropriate values automatically
jbennet
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When I try that with a space between "dpkg" and "--", I get the error message:
"dpgk: unknown option --reconfigure"
If I try it without the space, I get:
"-bash: dpkg--reconfigure: command not found"
What am I doing wrong? I have typed it in, exactly, as "dpkg --reconfigure xserver-xorg", both with and without a space between "dpkg" and "--".
KF4SQB
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try dpkg --configure xserver-xorg
Sturm
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jbennet
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Sturm
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no mine, i posted the same thing but yours came out above it
jbennet
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"dpkg: error processing xserver-xorg (--configure):package xserver-xorg is already installed and configured
Errors were encountered while processing: xserver-xorg"
Do I have an odd-ball install, or what?
KF4SQB
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>Do I have an odd-ball install, or what?
Probably not, I just haven't used Debian in awhile.
Could you just post your xorg.conf file? (/etc/X11/)
Sturm
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