Linux display help please
 

I have a problem. I recently improved my server room by swapping out three crt displays for three lcd displays. The room is MUCH cooler, and I have reclaimed a usable amount of real estate on the counters for keyboards and mice and notepads, etc.

Unfortunately, one group of servers that share a kvm switch (a couple of windows boxes and a linux box) does fine for the windows boxes but not for the linux box. The display (when that server is selected) reads "Cannot display this video mode". I swap out the lcd and swap in the crt, it comes up fine. To a text display, no gui.

I'm pretty sure the lcd display is functioning adequately, it works at at least 1024x768 as indicated by the windows boxes connected to it.

I don't think the resolution of the linux box is fixed at its current setting, whatever that may be. I'd be happy to change it to something more palatable to this display. But I don't know how.

So I'm asking:

1 -- How do I determine the current display settings?

2 -- How do I change the display settings?
2a -- for testing purposes.
2b -- for keepers.

Thanks in advance.

When you say in text mode, do you mean the LCD can't display it when it's in text mode?

Yes.

I think the console comes up in 132 column mode, which is giving my lcd fits. But I don't know how to check it or change it. Presume nothing about my fluency with this system.

Booting with Grub or Lilo?

um, Cleveland?


Seriously, how could I answer that question for you?

I have the ability to sit at this computer and make an ssh connection to the linux box. I can login and probe around for your answers. I'm available now. :)

logged in as root now.

would the gabbly chat be better?

Let's assume it's grub then. I'm not 100% sure but you could try this:

In the file /etc/grub.conf, find a line that starts with "kernel", and at the end of that line, add the setting: vga=773. Reboot. (If there already is a vga setting, this is the problem; change it to 773.)

http://www.mepis.org/node/2992

http://home.nyc.rr.com/computertaijutsu/grub.html

There is such a file.

There is no line with the word kernel in it.

I have:

root (hd0,1)
install --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 /boot/grub/stage1 d (hd0) /boot/grub/stage2

**at this point the line wraps in my display, but I don't know if it is a hard return or not, but I'll pick up on the next line anyway**

0x8000 (hd0,1)/boot/grub/menu.lst
quit



****and that's all she wrote***

vga=0x31a

that's the line I found as I brailled my way along to boot\grub\menu.lst

Now I have to figure out what the decimal equiv is for that and I think I'll find something greater than 80 char/line. then I'll pick something nice and simple like 1024x768

Is there an /etc/lilo.conf?

chekcing

0x31a is hexadecimal for 794. Which is 16-bit 1280x1024.

You could just change it to 0x305, which is hex for 773.

having a little navigation problem.


the reply I get when I think I'm in the etc directory is:

/bin/ls: lilo.conf: No such file or directory

YIPPEE!!!

Gonna do it RIGHTNOW

Now, the remote shutdown restart sequence would be???? :biggrin:

I still want to know but I don't want to wait this time. I'm walking down to the server room to light up my new linux lcd!!!

ka-CHING!!


Thank you, SIR!

You are welcome my good man!

Now we just have to reassure the fine folks without KVMs that Linux won't kill their monitors.

Yes, I know... I had trouble wording that original post. The edit you see was my least awful attempt. I was trying to convey the maximum information precisely and concisely. I guess it worked (on you) since you solved my problem. But I can easily see where a reasonable person would be ... misled. Let's try again.

*****************

I have a server room, with several servers in it. The room is small and cramped, having come into being by putting a wall and a door across the little nook that they used to occupy. This "room" gets quite warm and crowded with the growing amount of equipment in it. One way I've tried to reduce the clutter is to use some KVM switches. That stands for Keyboard Video Mouse. The effect is to be able to control several machines using a single set of K(eyboard)V(ideo)Mouse). This is a big help. I plug in my keyboard to this specialized switchbox, and my mouse and my video display. Then each of the servers has a special cable to connect the keyboard output of the server (and the video and the mouse) to the switchbox (the KVM). Then, on the front of the kvm, I just select which of the two or four or twelve, or whatever servers connected to the switch I want to control and it's like the server's talking directly to the keyboard and screen. The kvm switch is invisible. Of course, I can only see one of the connected servers at a given time, but that's ok. I can click my way through the list of servers until I see what I want.

There are several benefits of using kvm switches. I decrease the number of monitors I need to have in this space where real estate is at a very dear premium. I also decrease the amount of heat generated in this space, since there are fewer devices involved. I decrease the power load since there are fewer devices. Fewer cables to keep track of, etc, etc. It's all good.

I recently received some lcd monitors and I wanted to replace the crt monitors in my server room with the lcd ones. This should be a strictly plug and play swap. A display is a display is a display. When I made this swap, it went fine, with one small problem. The display mode of the one of the servers was configured to a resolution that the lcd was incapable of displaying. When I put the crt back in place I could see the output of this server, but the lcd simply showed "Cannot display this video mode".

I need to change the video mode of this particular server before it can be used with the new lcd display. My questions in this thread are:
and the answers and the path to the answers are found in the posts of this thread.

**Spoiler Alert** :p

* * * * * * * * * * *

How's that?