Screen looks weird

Have you tried 1024+768 or any others? If not try a few more till you find the right one, i havent heard of a situation where a suitable resolution wasnt found.

jim

Do a check. Boot the live CD again, and right-click in an empty screen area. Choose Configure Display from the pop-up menu. Select Display in the lower left of the window that opens. Now look on the right of that window for the screen resolution. I hope it is 1280x800 as it is for me. There is a drop-down menu. Try changing it to 1280x800.

MEPIS 6.0 sets my screen resolution correctly, but earlier releases did not.

Thanks very much for the fast responses. I am using version 6 which I just downloaded a few hours ago. I did boot the Live CD again, setting the resolution at 1280x800. When I checked the Display icon in Configure Display the resolution was 1024x 768. I tried the drop down menu and there were only 3 available resolutions, none of which were 1280x800. The other two options were lower than 1024x768. Looks like my machine may not be compatible with Mepis 6.

Adding xdrvr=i810 to the boot options line at the bottom of the grub menu(where you choose between XP and Mepis) might make things look better.
As far as the resolution goes that is usually fixed by editing the xorg.conf file after the install.

.

Two more options are
1) enter xres=1280x800 in the boot line of the grub menu or
2) modify the xorg.conf file in /etc/X11 as root.

Option number (1) is best done as the MEPIS live-CD is booting. Then check the screen resolution. Then if the resolution is correct, you will have to dig out the MEPIS utility app from the live-CD menu System Configurations (Settings) and re-install X-Config. The re-install is just a button push. Be sure to choose the correct partition.

Option number (2) will require that you log into the installed MEPIS and post back the results of this command run in a konsole window. Case is important.

cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Good luck

OK. As I read these suggestions I am having 2 reactions. On the one hand this is a wonderful community and I am very grateful for the help. On the other hand I am embarrassed to admit that, beyond the first 2 suggestions, I don't have a clue what anyone is talking about and don't have the slightest idea what to click or where to go to even attempt those suggested fixes. Although I began using Microsoft OS's in 1982 I have grown increasing disenchanted with their software and their business practices. I believe in and use open source software (Open Office, Firefox, Thunderbird, etc.) and use nothing Microsoft on my Windows computer other than Windows itself, Windows Update, and Media Player when I have to. Linux is the logical next step. However, despite my grandiose fantasies, and despite the remarkable improvements in usability for the average person, it is clear that I can't even do something so basic as getting Mepis to display in the proper resolution without a better working knowledge of Linux. I should have some time this fall to take a basic Linux course and hope to return then as a real member of this community. Thank you again for your attempts to help. I hope to see you soon.

I was in your position once. Also, I am having a Linux/Mepis promblem on my laptop now that I have no hope of solving by myself. I have two workstation PCs that work fine with Mepis, but if I had started using Linux with my laptop first, I might have given up.

The Mepis community has worked hard to create and support a great product for everyone. The downside is that small differences in hardware can still cause big problems for Linux users. Hardware manufacturers make every effort to tweak their products to work well with windows and usually ignore Linux.

Linux has taken great strides to "just work" for everyone, and Mepis is a leader in that effort. Most users can just install SimplyMEPIS and go. Perhaps when you are ready to try Linux again, these problem will have been solved.

Have you posted this problem anywhere on the MEPIS site? I've had my share of troubles getting things to work on laptops and have gotten 90% of them fixed. So what trouble are you having?

Michael
=====================================================
"Let's face it: Windows just plain sucks."

Yes, I posted my Mepis laptop problem here:

http://www.mepis.org/node/10657

I have also written email to describing the problem and my hardware.

Mepis just doesn't seem to support widescreen monitors driven by some of these older Intel graphics chips, like the 845/855 and 915 families. There is a utility called 915resolution that sometimes can makes things work, but if you are new to linux it may be more than you want to get into. I know that 915resolution did not help with an older Dell 4500S that I have. I think you may be out of luck, and you may have to get used to stretched 1024x768. I have not tried other distros to see if it is a Mepis specific thing. You might try installing 915resolution with Synaptic to see if it works for you.

Richard