[NCLUG] Video Mode Change

[Sean Reifschneider]

On Wed, Dec 12, 2001 at 02:47:48PM -0800, Kirk Rheinlander wrote:
>How do you change the video resolution on the fly? The ctrl-alt + route 
>does not work, at least on a laptop where there is no separate plus sign on 
>a keypad. I use the 1400x1050 LCD on the road, but plug into a 21 inch 
>1600x1200 display at the office. RH7.1.

My laptop has a '+' on the /? key which, when in num lock mode will
generate a num-pad plus.  Of course, I can never remember how to activate
it because NumLock is also ScrollLock.

The thing is that the Ctrl-Alt-NumPad+ will cycle through resolutions that
the server is currently running at.  In your Modes line in the XF86Config
file, you can specify multiple resolutions.  The virtual screen resolution
is set to the largest of these, and then any smaller ones "zoom in" on a
part of that larger display.  When you move the mouse to the edge of the
screen, it will scroll.

There isn't a way in X to have it suddenly switch to a new display which
has different dimensions, without restarting.  A bummer, to be sure, but
not something that impacts the people who are up to changing it.  Some
people say it can't be done, but I don't believe that's true.

Sean
-- 
 Q:  What kind of dog goes "BOFH!  BOFH!"?
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Sean Reifschneider, Inimitably Superfluous <jafo at tummy.com>
tummy.com - Linux Consulting since 1995. Qmail, KRUD, Firewalls, Python