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limva

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Problem With Screen Resolution In Gnome

I'm new to linux and I've just installed ubuntu.

My pc is an old 166 mhz Pentium w/ 64Mb ram and 4.3g hard drive.  The video adapter is S3 Virge-DX/GX PCI.  The display resolution was 800X600 at 32 bit when it had Windows 98 installed, and it could go up to 1024X768 at a lower color depth (I think it was at 16 bit).

After I installed the ubuntu linux, screen resolution in Gnome will not go any higher than 640X480.  I tried changing it within Gnome but there was no other option but 640X480.

I'm sure it could display higher than 640X480 unless Gnome is a lot more resource hungry than Windows 98?  Any suggestions?  Please help!
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gheist
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I assume this is 1MB video card which shows best mode available at 24+8bit colors which is 640x480.
Set colors to 16bit and you will get 800x600


> 1024X768 at a lower color depth (I think it was at 16 bit).
Windows radiated your head for too long ....
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limva

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Where do I set the color bit?  The Screen Resolution Preferences dialog only shows the screen resolution and the refresh rate.
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I opened xorg.conf in sudo mode (by running "gksudo gedit") and changed the "DefaultDepth to 16.  Then I restarted Gnome.  No change.

So I changed DefaultDepth to 8 and restarted Gnome again.  This time the screen was grainy but still in 640x480 resolution.  I then tried to change the screen resolution in Preferences but it still would not give me any other options but 640x480 and 60htz.

What am I doing wrong?
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ASKER

It worked!

The ubuntu install somehow failed to write the lines for HorizSync and VertRefresh in xorg.conf.  I put those in and then changed the screen configuration to 1024x768 in 16 bit and it worked!

Thanks gheist for pointing me in the right direction!

Bad old monitor needs to be switched off and on between DCC reads (fixed as you did - with hsync and vrefersh from back label of it)
For 8bpp you need to fetch lowcolor icons for gnome, otherwise it is fine.
2MB videocard is good, especially from times when 4MB was top pf the line.

I am pretty sure I tried pointing you in wrong direction and luckily passed the right place you caught then.
Once you are at editing that file, you may read "man s3virge" to try to improve some matters of video ( or probably risk it crashing)