Can't change screen resolution

Asked by Dan Surmiak

Binary package hint: gnome-terminal

Flailing around, I enabled assistive technology, and now I'm stuck in 640x480 without a clue how to get out of this. I just wanted 1040x768 instead of the higher resolution that appeared when I first installed. I'm using Ubuntu 7.10.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Tue Apr 15 07:11:00 2008
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 7.10
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gnome-terminal
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: gnome-terminal 2.18.2-0ubuntu1
PackageArchitecture: i386
ProcCmdline: gnome-terminal -x /usr/bin/orca
ProcCwd: /home/dan
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 PATH=/usr/ccs/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/sfw/bin:/usr/openwin/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SourcePackage: gnome-terminal
Uname: Linux dan 2.6.22-14-generic #1 SMP Tue Feb 12 07:42:25 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

Question information

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Status:
Solved
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Solved by:
Dan Surmiak
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Last reply:

This question was originally filed as bug #217680.

Revision history for this message
Dan Surmiak (dsurmiak) said :
#1
Revision history for this message
Pedro Villavicencio (pedro) said :
#2

Thank you for your comments. This does not appear to be a bug report and we are closing it. We appreciate the difficulties you are facing, but it would make more sense to raise your question in the support tracker. https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu

Revision history for this message
Shane Fagan (shanepatrickfagan) said :
#3

I agree with Pedro. I dont think its a bug either.
It may be just a hardware problem nvidia graphic cards aren't that compatible with Ubuntu.
Did the resolution work before?
What version of Ubuntu are you using (eg gutsy 7.10 etc)

Revision history for this message
Bhavani Shankar (bhavi) said :
#4

Which graphics card are you using?

Revision history for this message
Bhavani Shankar (bhavi) said :
#5

Output of

lspci

please.....

Revision history for this message
Dan Surmiak (dsurmiak) said :
#6

Thanks for the reply. I'm an absolute newbie & still learning my way around
even the most elementary aspects of Ubuntu, including the support structure.
Sorry if I queried the wrong people by posting "bug". You're probably right
that it's related to nvidia--I was having problems with Vista too in that
regard, strangely enough when I played Freecell. Still, I wish I didn't feel
so clueless--I was liking Ubuntu until this latest snafu. As for resolution
working before, yes, but I couldn't change it in any obvious way. Then,
after enabling Assistive Tech, the next boot was into 640x480, &
Preferences>Screen resolution now offers that option as the only one
available--not acceptable. I'll now try returning to Vista & googling for
some documentation & support elsewhere.

On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 8:49 AM, shane fagan <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #29842 on gnome-terminal in ubuntu changed:
>
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+question/29842
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> shane fagan requested for more information:
> I agree with Pedro. I dont think its a bug either.
> It may be just a hardware problem nvidia graphic cards aren't that
> compatible with Ubuntu.
> Did the resolution work before?
> What version of Ubuntu are you using (eg gutsy 7.10 etc)
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
>
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+question/29842
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Revision history for this message
Bhavani Shankar (bhavi) said :
#7

Hello:

First please make sure that the nvdia drivers with the restricted drivers manager (System -> Administration -> Restricted Drivers Manager)

Then..

Please try to press CTRL+ALT+"+" and/or CTRL+ALT+"-" to dynamically change video frequency
or press CTRL+ALT+BKSPACE to restart graphics layer.

Reconfiguring your xserver-xorg may help you.

A) If you can view graphics Gnome desktop

Please open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal
and jump to step C

B) If you cannot view graphics Gnome desktop

Please press CTRL+ALT+F2 and make login with your user and password
and go on to step C

C)

To make a backup copy of your actual /etc/X11/xorg.conf type:

cd /etc/X11
sudo cp xorg.conf xorg.conf.bak

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Then try to reconfigure your xserver-xorg

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

answer to the simple questions, then restart the pc.

If something goes wrong you can restore the saved copy of your old configuration, open a terminal or login to a virtual terminal by pressing ctrl+alt+F2 and type:

cd /etc/X11
sudo cp xorg.conf.bak xorg.conf

and restart the pc, type:

sudo reboot

Hope it helps

Bhavani Shankar.

Revision history for this message
Dan Surmiak (dsurmiak) said :
#8

Just disabling the nVidia driver let me successfully change the resolution
to 1040x768. Now I can read the screen. Thanks so much. I will try out the
additional info you sent just to familiarize myself with the backup
procedure.

On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 9:17 AM, Bhavani Shankar <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #29842 on gnome-terminal in ubuntu changed:
>
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+question/29842
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Bhavani Shankar proposed the following answer:
> Hello:
>
> First please make sure that the nvdia drivers with the restricted
> drivers manager (System -> Administration -> Restricted Drivers Manager)
>
> Then..
>
> Please try to press CTRL+ALT+"+" and/or CTRL+ALT+"-" to dynamically change
> video frequency
> or press CTRL+ALT+BKSPACE to restart graphics layer.
>
> Reconfiguring your xserver-xorg may help you.
>
> A) If you can view graphics Gnome desktop
>
> Please open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal
> and jump to step C
>
> B) If you cannot view graphics Gnome desktop
>
> Please press CTRL+ALT+F2 and make login with your user and password
> and go on to step C
>
> C)
>
> To make a backup copy of your actual /etc/X11/xorg.conf type:
>
> cd /etc/X11
> sudo cp xorg.conf xorg.conf.bak
>
> give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you
> type it, then press enter.
>
> Then try to reconfigure your xserver-xorg
>
> sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
>
> answer to the simple questions, then restart the pc.
>
> If something goes wrong you can restore the saved copy of your old
> configuration, open a terminal or login to a virtual terminal by
> pressing ctrl+alt+F2 and type:
>
> cd /etc/X11
> sudo cp xorg.conf.bak xorg.conf
>
> and restart the pc, type:
>
> sudo reboot
>
> Hope it helps
>
> Bhavani Shankar.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+question/29842/+confirm?answer_id=6
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
>
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+question/29842
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Revision history for this message
Bhavani Shankar (bhavi) said :
#9

Hello again mate:

If any of the post here answers your question here please click " This solved my problem " Button on the RHS bottom of the answer post mate.. Or if you are using an email interface please click the link below ' If this anwers your question " or something similar in the post of the answer which solved your problem

Regards

Bhavani Shankar.

Revision history for this message
Dan Surmiak (dsurmiak) said :
#10

Hey,
   Just to fill you in, I thought the problem was solved--I got the resolution to where I wanted it, but then I tried to change from "no effects" to "normal", & immediately got a display I couldn't read. I couldn't even find Shutdown, & didn't know how to get to the CLI. I decided to reinstall Ubuntu, so I freed up the partition in Vista--bad move. GRUB was still in control, but no longer offered any options, just "Error 22". I'd lost Vista too. Luckily, when I reinstalled Ubuntu from the CD GRUB worked. Now I have the restricted drivers enabled, effects "normal", and changing the resolution works. BTW, I have nVidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 on a Dell 531s. I intend to be more careful in the future & know better what I'm doing. Thanks again. You guys are gentlemen and scholars.