strange 1600x1200 display

[Jeff Spaleta]

On 5/13/05, Gene C. <czar at czarc.net> wrote:
> The "proper" way to fix this is to only list those entries which correspond
> with the aspect ratio of the display/monitor you have but ... that might be
> very difficult to do on a reliable basis.

i don't think 'proper' aspect ratio for your monitor matters for this
problem.  If your monitor can do 1680x1050 safely then why not have it
as a selectable option in the config tool?  Is it damaging to the
monitor to run the 1680x1050 mode? If not.. then it should stay in the
list the config tools present to you as a selectable option. Maybe
someone really likes the letter box feel of 1680x1050 on a standard
monitor...who are we to say thats bad as long as the monitor can do
it?

The problem you and I experience isnt that the 1680 mode is
selectable.. the problem is the config tool is sorting the accessible
modes differently than how X sorts the modes when it starts up.  The
config tools that create the xorg.conf file do not explicitly set the
virtual resolution and do not explicitly set the default mode.  Unless
told otherwise, X assumes that the virtual resolution is the "largest"
mode in the mode list and will set the virtual display size
accordingly.  Unless told otherwise X will use the first mode in the
mode list as the physical resolution. As long as the first mode in the
list is the one you want X to start in and is the "largest" mode in
the list..everything works as expected.

A compromise feature, would be to have the config tool only write
modes to the xorg.conf file with the same aspect ratio as the mode you
originally selected in the dialog.
That way when i run system-config-display I still see the 1680x1050
mode in the pull down list of resolution and can select it if i want.
But if i select the 1600x1200 resolution, only similar aspect ratios
are placed in the config file.  That way.. when i alt+ctrl-plus and
alt-ctrl-minus i only flip through resolutions with the same aspect
ratio.


-jef