[TriLUG] Odd GNOME and X Problem

[Scott Chilcote]

Hello John,

There's some clues in the Linux Laptop HOWTO.

http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-HOWTO/Laptop-HOWTO.html

You can apparently modify your /etc/X11/XF86Config file to have separate 
"Subsection \"Display\" subsections in the "Section \"Screen\" stanza. 
This approach would require you to use different color depth levels for 
the Notebook's LCD and the external monitor.  Then you could start X 
with the different args for setting the bpp levels depending on which 
one you're using.

Look at the hint in 10.2.9:
> From Steve <steve at cygnet.co.uk> I got a configuration for X windows 
 > with an external monitor: Note that I have introduced a neat trick!
 > For my nice 17" monitor I start X with no options and get the default
 > 16-bit 1152x864 display - but when using the LCD screen I specify a
 > 15-bit display (startx -- -bpp 15) and get the correct 800x600
 > resolution automatically. This saves having to have two XConfig
 > files.

If this works, it might be a good idea to disable the notebook's screen 
while using the external monitor to keep it from being overdriven.

I found some other discussions about this by googling on "linux laptop 
external monitor resolution", but it seems like a work in progress from 
the discussions I saw.

Luck,

    Scott C.


John Beimler wrote:

> I have a Dell Latitude C400 laptop that I use both docked and undocked.
> 
> I have two seperate XF86Config files that I use, one docked one 
> undocked. The internal LCD can only do 1024x768, but when I am docked, I 
> would like a much higher resolution on the 21" monitor.
> 
> I can set the resolution much higher in the XF86Config, but it appears 
> that GDM or GNOME limits the highest resolution to 1024x768.
> 
> I've poked around at this for a while, but I can't figure it out. Any 
> even vauge tips or pointers would be appreciated.
> 
> 
> Peace.
> 
> john
>