Everything on my desktop looks tiny. How do I change my screen
resolution?
After you have installed Red Hat Linux, you may want to change your screen
resolution, so that objects will fit better on your desktop. You can
adjust the resolution with Xconfigurator, a
tool which allows you to modify your X Window System settings.
To use Xconfigurator, you must log in as
root and at a shell prompt, type Xconfigurator to
start the application. The opening screen will look like Figure 14-1.
 | Tip |
|---|
| | You can start Xconfigurator in two other
ways, both of which give you access to additional configuration
tools.
From the menu in GNOME or KDE,
go to => ; or, from a shell prompt, type
setup. Both methods will produce a menu of items
which you can configure, such as X, your sound card, mouse, and
other features.
|
To navigate and make selections, use the [Tab]
key. When your selection is highlighted, press the
[Enter] key.
 | Note |
|---|
| | Make certain that your monitor and graphics card are supported for
Red Hat Linux. To check, visit the Hardware Compatibility List at http://hardware.redhat.com.
|
To continue, [Tab] until the Ok button is
highlighted and press
[Enter]. Xconfigurator will
then probe your system for your video card, and suggest the correct X
server to match your system, as in Figure 14-2. Click the Ok
button to proceed.
Next, pick your exact monitor make and model number, as in Figure 14-3. You can often find the make
and model number on the front or back of your monitor.
You will have quite a few monitor choices — the hash mark
(#) indicates your position in the list. Use your
[Up Arrow] and [Down Arrow] keys to move
through the list, or use the [Home],
[End], [Page Up] and [Page
Down] keys. You can also jump to the manufacturer's place on the
list by typing in the first letters of the name (such as ViewSonic) on
your keyboard.
| Tip |
|---|
| | If you do not find your monitor among the listed makes and models,
you can specify your monitor's horizontal and vertical sync
frequencies by choosing Custom in the
list. Refer to your monitor's documentation for information about
its correct frequency rates. Be careful! Do not
select a frequency range which exceeds your monitor's capacity,
because you could damage or destroy it.
|
Once you have selected your monitor's make and model, a dialog
window appears to inform you that your card has be probed for its
correct display settings. Do not worry if your monitor blinks during
the process; that is normal.
You do not have to probe your video card. If you choose
No when asked if you want to accept the
settings on the Monitor Probe screen, the next dialog will ask
you how much memory is on your video card, then you will be able to
select your chosen resolution (see Figure 14-4).
You can choose modes ranging from 8-bit to 32-bit, depending on the
power of your computer and how many colors you want displayed. In each
of the mode columns, you will find resolution choices listed; using your
[Tab] key, position the cursor in the boxes next to
your chosen resolution. Select one by pressing
[Space].
| Tip |
|---|
| | You can select more than one screen resolution
— for example, if you prefer 800x600 and
1024x768, you can adjust your resolution at any
time without opening Xconfigurator. To do
this, use the [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[+ (plus)] or [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[- (minus)] keys to
switch between resolutions.
|
When you are finished making your selections, press
Ok.
Next, your video settings will be tested. You will see a graphical
screen, with a dialog asking whether your settings appear
correct. Following this dialog, another will ask whether you want a
graphical login screen; if you answer Yes, you
will have a graphical screen when you log in to your system. A final
dialog will inform you of the location of your video configuration file
in the /etc/X11 directory.
Now, log out, then log in again to your new screen resolution.
