Notebook screen size
Posts: 234
Hello
I am a newbie to Mepis & linux for that matter and have just installed Mepis (from the point & click book) on to a HP notebook. All seems okay, it's sharing the space with win xp. I have searched the forum but am still stuck on the screen size. I have a 2 inch black strip around Mepis and have tried altering the settings via control centre, peripherals, display but the max is 1024 x 768.
From what I can gather it can be done via the xconfig file but I cannot find it. Hope someone can assist before I get onto isp connections & from I can gather I will probably need to purchase a seperate modem.
Thanks very much & sorry to be long winded
Smokeyone
Wrong Release
Posts: 5513
Smokeyone, the 3.3.2 release is still in testing. The "stable" release is either 3.3.1 or 3.3.1-1. So if possible, see if you can download and install that one.
As to the black band issue, there was a fellow who had a similar problem. The problem description and solution (for him) is here:
http://www.mepis.org/node/7653
Let me know if it applies to your situation 
Jon
Thank you both for your
Posts: 234
Thank you both for your advice but I need this explaining please in really simple terms otherwise I am sure to make a goofy. My notebook is a HP zd7000 wide screen and if I can get mepis to run fine then I'll use mepis on my office pc and say goodbye to windows. Windows xp gives me as much trouble as win98.
Do I log in as root via the on screen mepis system centre - if so I tried that already and went to mouse & display, monitor - and it said unknown. Clicked HP but my model is not listed. If it assists on start up through the boot sequence I do have full screen but when mepis has finished then the screen reverts back to small size.
Thanks again
Smokeyone
screen size update
Posts: 234
I found on the web one possible answer to the screen size problem.
Insert disc, turn off notebbook.
Restart and when the Grub page appears, choose primary boot.
Various resolutions are listed, I tried 1280 x 1024 which leaves about an inch on either side of the screen.
Also tried 1400 x 1050 which leaves around a quarter inch either side of the screen.
However in both cases I lost the taskbar at the bottom of the page but the screen is full top to bottom.
Is it okay to alter the screen size this way and I am hoping someone can tell me how to move the taskbar up the page a little.
For further info I have found out my screen has a hor frq of 29 - 55
and a ver frq of 0 - 60.....does this help.
Thanks again
Smokeyone
One Step At A Time
Posts: 5513
smokeyone, I know you want to get this to work soon, but you need to take this slowly. You indicate that you can get into Windows 98. If you can, can you please tell us the screen information (width x height x resolution) that Windows 98 shows? Telling us that you have a "wide screen" does not help. We need specific numbers.
Also, TRY A SMALLER SCREEN. If you try 800x600 do you get a screen? I know it's not what you want to work with, but how are the margins around the screen then? Can you use 1024x768? Same questions? You may need to start by loading Mepis at a smaller resolution and then adjusting up from there, but first get the display to work!
Don't worry about "naming" the display type and mouse. "Unknown" can often be just fine. We want to narrow down SIZE.
Please post the results of the above and we can go from there
Jon
Thanks for the help & I hope
Posts: 234
Thanks for the help & I hope I have not confused anybody. My display does work but I have a black border all the way around the screen.
It's full screen in win xp (1440 x 900). I tried mepis at 800 x 600 and ended up with a bigger border. One and half inches top & bottom with three inches either side.
Thanks again
Smokeyone
Thanks for Screen Size Info
Posts: 5513
Smokeyone, thanks for providing the Windows screen resolution. Now I have some idea of the proportions of your screen. I just checked the XF86Config-4 file on my system and 1440x900 is supported (in theory at least).
Have you actually installed Mepis onto your system or are you still using the Live CD format? If you have installed Mepis, please post the following file to the forum so that I can see that the proper resolution(s) exist. The file is lengthy and somewhat incomprehensible
Open a Konsole and enter the command "cat /etc/X11/XF86Config-4". The results will probably go off the screen, but cut/paste the results here. Once that's done I can give you instructions to set a couple different resolutions that may work for you
Jon
Thanks very much for your
Posts: 234
Thanks very much for your help on this. I'll have a go at opening a Konsole as I have installed Mepis on the hd. Will get back as soon as I can.
Smokeyone
Thanks again for the help
Posts: 234
Thanks again for the help but I realised afterwards that as my mepis modem does not work then I could have a problem cutting & pasting.
From other posts is the easiest way around the modem problem to purchase an external one............
I have never opened any Konsole before so is this correct -
click gear sign bottom left toolbar
choose Konsole (terminal programme)
If so, after typing in your command I get
no such file or directory
Thanks
Smokeyone
PS Not meaning to go off track or grumble I also have the following problems - is this par for the course or are they connected
You know about the black border on the screen--
Modem not working--
A couple of keys on the keyboard have swapped themselves around--
The dvd drive does not self eject or eject at all by pressing the
button, I have to use a paperclip through the hole--
The mouse curser sometimes behaves oddly--
Screen size and tuning
Posts: 120
As a last resort you can try to tweak the screen manually.
Start Mepis as root in KDE.
Start Konsole.
In Konsole type: "xvidtune &" - this will start the xvidtune program in the background, so Konsole remains accessible.
In xvidtune window push "Auto", this will immediately apply all your changes to the display.
Play around with "wider", "narrower", "taller", "shorter" and other buttons.
When pleased with the display, push "Apply", then "Quit".
If unable to adjust the display to your liking, accept my compassion, and go edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. To use the native resolution of your laptop, you must add there the MODELINE 1440x900 and all associated parameters - that's not for anybody weak of stomach... Fortunately there is extensive documentation about xorg.conf, but for a newbie this is a really hard job.
Best wishes, let Great Spirit be with you.
BNK (Dr.Cobalt-60)
Thanks very much for the
Posts: 234
Thanks very much for the info. Will give it a go. What a helpful bunch on this forum.
Re - my last post and mention of keyboard keys swapping themselves around. I think I have found the answer by searching through various posts -
Control centre
Reginal & accessibility
Keyboard layout
Enable keyboard layouts
Choose country and model, my model was not listed so I just choose a hp one but it seems to have worked.
If I can sort out my problems with mepis I might put all the answers on a spare web page I have - it might help someone else.
Smokeyone
Bad Hair Day
Posts: 5513
Man smokeyone you're having a heck of a time with your system! Just remember, the sledgehammer is to be used only as a last resort
Yes, to use the Konsole, you click on the tiny icon that has an "S>" in it or the way that you did it through the menu. Once the screen opens, type the following commands (it IS case sensitive):
pwd ls /etc/X11
This will tell me 1) where you are (your "home" directory), 2) all of the main files in your /etc/X11 directory. Once I know that then we can go on!
Boris, the xorg.conf file is not used by 3.3.1-1. Rather XF86Config-4 is used for video control; however, your suggestions for using xvidtune is a good one. I just want to make sure that smokeyone has a backup of the configuration file before proceeding. That's saved my naughty bits more than once
Jon
Oh, I just wanted to mention, I am running Mepis on my laptop also. However, mines one of those ancient ones that doesn't have "wide screen"
Also, I noticed that one of my first posts was messed up on my description of the file location; it put spaces where they were not supposed to be. I don't know whether to blame my fingers or the forum display tools. I'll be nice and blame my fingers (grin). The file that you ultimately will be modifying is
/etc/X11/XF86Config-4
(or maybe xorg.conf if Boris is right)
Thanks for the info but I am
Posts: 234
Thanks for the info but I am still having no luck.
All I get now is --- permission denied
Smokeyone
Must Be User root
Posts: 5513
Smokeyone, in order to make changes to this file you will need to be root. However, do not make any changes until you show us what you've found. The X Window configuration file is a strange beast for the uninitiated and you can definitely stop your GUI cold if you're not careful.
What file are you looking at that you are getting "permission denied"?
Jon
Where am I going
Posts: 234
Where am I going wrong..................
1 Boot up mepis
2 Login username & password
3 Click gear sign bottom left toolbar
4 Click Konsole (terminal programme)
5 Shell Konsole page appears with File New Bookmarks ........
& Session Edit View ........
6 Close did you know hints
7 First line already showing in red
My password @1[~]$
8 Type in after the above
/etc/X11/XF86Config-4
9 Permission denied
Thanks again
Smokeyone
Gotcha!
Posts: 5513
Ya missed it by -><- that much smokeyone
You got the console open and all that's fine up to step 7 above. But when you enter
/etc/X11/XF86Config-4
on a command line alone, Mepis thinks you're entering a command. That's why you are getting "permission denied". Instead, enter
cat /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
The "cat" command will send all the junk to your screen and you can cut/paste it here.
So go back over the other instructions and information above and provide the results. If you have any other difficulties well, we're here
Jon
Ah - success at last. Thanks
Posts: 234
Ah - success at last. Thanks for that. Still more troubles though. There is a ton of stuff as you guessed some of which refers to various screen sizes way past my screen size. Anyway, if you recall I have dual booted and my mepis modem does not work. So i thought i would be clever and burn the info to disc but mepis says it does not recognise cd drive. What next please.
Smokeyone
I think the cd problem was
Posts: 234
I think the cd problem was my goofy because I managed after all.
Now I have the info in a file on my win xp machine but of course I cannot open it. Where do i go from here please.
Thanks
smokeyone
I Don't Understand
Posts: 5513
I'm sorry smokeyone, I don't understand what you mean on your last posts. Are you meaning that you have a lot of information that you can't display properly, and if so, what information? If you can explain what that information is, I might be able to provide you with some other solutions to capture the "stuff".
Also, do you only have a CD burner on your computer, you don't have a floppy (I know many newer systems don't)?
You're making progress; don't give up now!
Jon
Sorry for the confusion.
Posts: 234
Sorry for the confusion. Opened the info okay but as mepis modem does not work (yet) decided to burn to disc but that gave me problems. My fault I think because I managed to burn the info to dics in mepis eventually. So now I have the info on disc in mepis. Closed mepis, opened windows xp and stored the info.
This is the info displayed from your line cat /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
Smokeyone
It's A Text File
Posts: 5513
OK Smokeyone, the file you created should just be a plain text file. You should be able to open it with Notepad or Wordpad in Windows. DO NOT try to open it with Word! If you can open it, simply "select all" and "copy". The results will be in your clipboard. Come into this forum, and "paste" the results.
Jon
Maggie@2[~]$ cat
Posts: 234
Maggie@2[~]$ cat /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "XFree86 Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "PS/2 Mouse" "CorePointer"
#InputDevice "USB Mouse" "CorePointer"
#InputDevice "Serial Mouse" "CorePointer"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AllowMouseOpenFail" "true"
EndSection
Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/PEX"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
# True type and type1 fonts
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-xfree86-nonfree"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/java"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/openoffice"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-bitstream-vera"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/western"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/decoratives"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/type1/gsfonts"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/CID"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/TrueType"
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/CID"
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "defkeymap"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Serial Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "Microsoft"
Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "false"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "PS/2 Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "false"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Buttons" "5"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "USB Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Buttons" "5"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Hewlett-Packard"
ModelName "HP 1024 LCD Flat Panel 14-inch Display"
#Option "DPMS" "true"
HorizSync 32-61
VertRefresh 50-90
Modeline "640x480" 25.175 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 #60Hz
Modeline "800x600" 40.12 800 848 968 1056 600 601 605 628 #60Hz
Modeline "1024x768" 75 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync
Modeline "1024x768" 85 1024 1056 1152 1360 768 784 787 823
ModeLine "1152x864" 65 1152 1168 1384 1480 864 865 875 985 Interlace
Modeline "1152x864" 92 1152 1208 1368 1474 864 865 875 895
Modeline "1152x864" 110 1152 1240 1324 1552 864 864 876 908
Modeline "1152x864" 135 1152 1464 1592 1776 864 864 876 908
Modeline "1152x864" 137.65 1152 1184 1312 1536 864 866 885 902 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1280x1024" 80 1280 1296 1512 1568 1024 1025 1037 1165 Interlace
Modeline "1280x1024" 110 1280 1328 1512 1712 1024 1025 1028 1054
Modeline "1280x1024" 126.5 1280 1312 1472 1696 1024 1032 1040 1068 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1280x1024" 135 1280 1312 1456 1712 1024 1027 1030 1064
Modeline "1280x1024" 135 1280 1312 1416 1664 1024 1027 1030 1064
Modeline "1280x1024" 157.5 1280 1344 1504 1728 1024 1025 1028 1072 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1280x1024" 181.75 1280 1312 1440 1696 1024 1031 1046 1072 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1400x1050" 129 1400 1464 1656 1960 1050 1051 1054 1100 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 162 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 189 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 202.5 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 220 1600 1616 1808 2080 1200 1204 1207 1244 +HSync +VSync
ModeLine "1800x1440" 230 1800 1896 2088 2392 1440 1441 1444 1490 +HSync +VSync
ModeLine "1800x1440" 250 1800 1896 2088 2392 1440 1441 1444 1490 +HSync +VSync
EndSection
Section "Device"
#Option "sw_cursor" # needed for some ati cards
#Option "hw_cursor"
#Option "NoAccel"
#Option "ShowCache"
#Option "ShadowFB"
#Option "UseFBDev"
#Option "Rotate"
#Option "NoUseBios" # needed for some Savage cards
# nvidia special options, use with care
Option "CursorShadow" "1"
Option "CursorShadowAlpha" "63"
Option "CursorShadowYOffset" "2"
Option "CursorShadowXOffset" "4"
Option "FlatPanelProperties" "Scaling = native"
Option "NoLogo" "false"
Option "IgnoreEdid" "true" # needs to be true for some nvidia cards
Identifier "Card0"
Driver "nv"
BoardName "unknown"
#BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultColorDepth 16
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768""800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768""800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768""800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768""800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768""800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768""800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768""800x600"
EndSubSection
# Only the official NVIDIA driver supports twinview
# these setting are an example
Option "TwinView" "false"
Option "SecondMonitorVendorName" "unknown"
Option "SecondMonitorModelName" "unknown"
Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "30-82"
Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "50-75"
Option "MetaModes" "1024x768, 1024x768; 800x600, 800x600; 640x480, 640x480"
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "RightOf"
Option "ConnectedMonitor" "dfp,dfp"
EndSection
Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection
Maggie@2[~]$ [F
Maggie@2[~]$
Thanks again for your your help. By the way, where did you learn all about mepis....
Smokeyone
Thanks for The Configuration File
Posts: 5513
Thanks smokeyone for getting the config file downloaded. Isn't that fun to read
Now here's the bummer. In the various "Modeline" sections there are supposed to be various settings for each one of the screen resolutions that your monitor is capable. According to a previous post, you wanted to use 1440x900. The closest I see in the mess above is 1400x1050. I also noticed that the ModelName is "HP 1024 LCD Flat Panel 14-inch Display". Is that really what you have or was that the closes that you (or Mepis) could find? Didn't you mention that your laptop has a wide display?
Well, I just did a test on one of my systems. I recall reading on this forum that all of the Modeline info is not really used. So here is what I recommend. First, back up your XF86Config-4 file. Since you have it on a CD, I think that qualifies
Any changes that you make to this file must be done as user root. If you have a favorite text editor then use it; however, for the purposes of this description I'll recommend kate. To start it in "superuser mode", press alt+F2 to bring up the "run" command. In the Command box enter
"kdesu kate /etc/X11/XF86Config-4"
(without the quotation marks). You will be prompted for root's password and then the kate editor will start up.
Now the fun begins!
Use kate's edit/search/replace function. Choose Edit, then Replace. In "Text to find" enter "Modeline" (no quotes). In "Replacement text" enter "# Modeline". Press Replace. On the first find, you will be asked what to do; choose "Replace All".
Next, go down through the file until you find a section marked
Section "Screen"
Four lines down there should be a line "DefaultColorDepth 16". It may have a different value than 16. If it does, change it to 16 and let me know on your repost.
You will notice that below that section there are different entries "Depth 1" followed by "Modes" and that's followed by "1024x768" and possibly others. These are the lines that you will be changing. To make life simple, don't worry about any other "depths" than 16; just ignore them for now. Go down to "Depth 16" and the next line down "Modes". If there are multiple values inside of quotation marks other than "1024x768" then delete them. Better yet, (for now) delete everything after "Modes" on that line. Replace it with
Modes "1440x900" "1024x768"
Here you must include the quotation marks.
I am including "1024x768" on the line above as a fallback position. When you restart your X Windows server, if things don't work in the higher resolution, either the system will automatically drop back to 1024x768 or you will be able to (I'll explain in a moment).
OK, you have made all the appropriate changes. Press File, Quit, Save.
Now you have to restart the X server. To do this press ctrl+alt+backspace. The screen will blank, and you should be taken to the little wristwatch icon as usual and then (hopefully) you will see the KDE Login screen and it should be at the higher resolution. Log in and see how everything appears. If there's too long of a pause or things just don't look right let me know. If things are really a mess then you can restore the file from your backup copy. If things look good at the higher resolution, you can drop back to the lower resolution by entering ctrl+alt+plussign. Pressing that key combination again will take you back to the high resolution.
This is always a tricky thing, so let me know how it goes
Jon
Thanks again Jon for the
Posts: 234
Thanks again Jon for the help.
Followed your instructions but no change. Everything opened up as you suggested but after the restart X server the screen size had not altered. Also tried ctrl+alt+plussign, no change in resolution it seems.
To go over the details I have a HP ZD7000, the screen is called a t Flat Panel, whatever that means. It's 14.3 inch across by 17" diaganol.
Went through kdesu kate .......
Then Modeline
Default Color Depth was already 16 so left it alone
Went to depth 16
Amended as suggested
Depth 16
Modes "1440x900""1024x768"
EndSubSection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Also went back to check the alterations were saved, they were.....
Rats!
Posts: 5513
I'm getting stumped here smokeyone! I was originally going to paste my modeline info from one of my systems that doesn't even have a wide monitor. My XF86Config-4 file that was generated on an old system has Modeline info for 1440x900. However, I didn't want to post it because on older systems, the wrong info can blow your monitor! So I took the next step and commented all the stuff out to prove that the Modeline information was not even used (I didn't want to waste your time).
I did some Google searching for "modeline 1440x900". I found a link to someone who made their own settings:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/history/356209
The gist is, that person's modeline setting for 1440x900 is the same as on my non-wide-screen system. Here is the modeline line from my system (it may wrap to multiple lines in the forum display, but it is a single line):
Modeline "1440x900" 106.47 1440 1520 1672 1904 900 901 904 932 +HSync +Vsync
Try putting that line into your XF86Config-4 file (without a leading "#". Also, this probably won't matter, but add a space between the "1440x900" and "1024x768" on the Mode line (it doesn't show on the forum display).
If this doesn't work, then I'm going to be real close to running out of ideas 
Jon
Thanks for all your help Jon
Posts: 234
Thanks for all your help Jon but still no luck. I even tried copying the text from the link you mentioned where the other person got it to work. All I managed to do was to make mepis freeze. I actually did a complete re-install, have done it twice today so far. All seems to be working again but still the wrong screen size.
Have had an idea, could this be anything to do with the NVidia GEForce FX Go 5600. I mention this because is is not mentioned in the text but the other person on the link put it into his text but it is only a thought.
Thanks again
Smokeyone
Calling in The Cavalry
Posts: 5513
I have posted a new thread Smokeyone to see if others might have some ideas. The link is here:
http://www.mepis.org/node/7830
Jon
Cavalry a Comin'
Posts: 5513
smokeyone,
You're getting some good info from some good folks already. Please keep track of the link above also.
Jon
Thanks again Jon for all
Posts: 234
Thanks again Jon for all your help. I appreciate the time you have spent on this problem. Have posted further details following on from your link.
Smokeyone
Notebook screen size
Posts: 68
Hi Smokeyone:
First, the version you installed from the "Point & Click Linux!" book is not the latest. You should really (if possible) download a copy of the latest version available - which I believe is 3.3.2. Install it, and see what resolution, refresh, and color depth it results in for your HP. I'm assuming here your HP notebook uses one of the new wide screens?
As for the configuration file where screen resolution, refresh, and color depth are listed it's = /etc/x11/xf86config - 4 Make sure you can view hidden files. Also, in order to edit this file you must log in as root.
Regards.