From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jun 20 13:14:54 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1E0CB1065670 for ; Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:14:54 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Received: from mx01.qsc.de (mx01.qsc.de [213.148.129.14]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D23298FC08 for ; Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:14:53 +0000 (UTC) Received: from r56.edvax.de (port-92-195-40-10.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.40.10]) by mx01.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id 75F333D0FA; Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:14:52 +0200 (CEST) Received: from r56.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by r56.edvax.de (8.14.5/8.14.5) with SMTP id q5KDEqHZ002016; Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:14:52 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:14:51 +0200 From: Polytropon To: Chad Perrin Message-Id: <20120620151451.94b1cb9d.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <20120620032824.GD15821@hemlock.hydra> References: <20120620032824.GD15821@hemlock.hydra> Organization: EDVAX X-Mailer: Sylpheed 3.1.1 (GTK+ 2.24.5; i386-portbld-freebsd8.2) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Attaching a monitor via vga X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Polytropon List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:14:54 -0000 Allow me to mention an additional approach (but I think using xrandr is fine - it sometimes works where "bare X" fails). Depending on the options of the GPU in your laptop, you can use /etc/rc.conf to make specific settings depending on what "connector" (internal dotmatrix display, external VGA, be it CRT or LCD) you use. For X to find out resolution and screen size properly, in Section "Monitor" you can use Option "Preferredmode" "NNNNxNNNN" and DisplaySize MMM MMM (where MMM is to be given in millimeters) to "hardcode" the parameters of the screen. Modern screens should provide them by theirselves (especially all LCDs should do that), but it can be helpful to define them in a "mixed mode setting" as what an external monitor on a laptop can be considered. If DPI calculation doesn't work as intended (results in too small or too big text for example), you can add Option "DPI" "DD x DD" to Section "Device" where you define your driver. Use values of between 70 and 120. For dotmatrix displays, you can easily calculate the correct value (horizontal size in pixels divided by width in inch; vertical similarly) in case it isn't obtained automatically. The correct value should also be found in the documentation of the screen. Note that flatpanels only have one fixed amount of pixels and therefore also one fixed DPI resolution, whereas CRTs are more versatile. A last option would be to check out TwinView if it's supported by your GPU. Settings like Option "ConnectedMonitor" "CRT, CRT" can be used to tell X what monitors to connect on startup and how to initialize them. -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...