freeze after resolution change

[JohanLingen]

Hi all,

Just installed 8.10. The screen is rather small (15") so I wanted to change the screen resolution. I selected 800x600 and clicked 'apply'. The resolution was changed, but then the screen froze while the display configuration window hadn't been fully rebuild.
When I restart the computer I have the initial resolution back. However, as soon as I try to open the Display configuration window, the screen freezes and shows a not fully rebuild window in 800x600 resolution.

How can I change resolution and prevent the screen from freezing?

According to lspci I have a Radeon 9200 SE video card

[aged hippy]

Re: freeze after resolution change

Hi.

I have an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, and had exactly the same problem, the cure (in my case) was to start Synaptic (package Manager, and to install the xserver-xorg-video-ati, xserver-xorg-video-radeon, and xorg-driver-fglrx packages.

It should then pick the correct resolution for you.
YMMV.

Good Luck

[JohanLingen]

Re: freeze after resolution change

Thank you for your help.

I installed the only missing package xorg-driver-fglrx but...

I started the computer and it says:

grep: /usr/lib/kde4/etc/kde4/kdm/kdmrc: No such file or directory
Not starting K Display Manager (kdm-kde4; it is not the default display manager.

[aged hippy]

Re: freeze after resolution change

kdm-kde4; it is not the default display manager - was this a fresh install, that is: did you install it with the live CD? Or did you up-grade?

[JohanLingen]

Re: freeze after resolution change

I upgraded from 8.04 KDE4;

kubuntu.org stated that those upgrades could require one to execute

update-alternatives --set x-session-manager /usr/bin/startkde

So I tried that, but it had no effect (which may be very obvious to someone who perfectly understands what the effect is of this command)

[aged hippy]

Re: freeze after resolution change

The effect should be to start kdm as the window manager.

Do you have Compiz or another Window Manager installed?

[JohanLingen]

Re: freeze after resolution change

No, not that I am aware of. Or it should be the difference between kdm and kdm-kde4?
Files with both names are in /etc/init.d

[aged hippy]

Re: freeze after resolution change

I've just peeked in usr/bin, and i only have startkde, but i installed anew. As you've up-graded, you still have the kde4 references, and Intrepid only used KDE 4, there is no .kde4 directory in a new install.

If there is a startkde4 file in usr/bin, try startkde4 instead of startkde.

[JohanLingen]

Re: freeze after resolution change

there is no startkde4 in /usr/bin

When I try to execute startkde I get the error:

"$DISPLAY is not set or cannot connect to the X server."

[aged hippy]

Re: freeze after resolution change

Then instead of update-alternatives --set x-session-manager /usr/bin/startkde try update-alternatives --set x-session-manager /usr/bin/kdm-kde4

As you can see, "which may be very obvious to someone who perfectly understands what the effect is of this command" doesn't apply to me.

[JohanLingen]

Re: freeze after resolution change

kdm-kde4 is not a program in /usr/bin

Pity that it isn't more obvious to you than it is for me. Then we (or actually I) will have to wait for more expertise
(unless you have another idea of course?)
Solved or not, I am thankful for your help anyway!

[toad]

Re: freeze after resolution change

kdm was the default for kde3, kdm-kde4 was the default for kde4 in 8.04 and kdm is the default for kde4 in 8.10 Clear as mud.

To tell your system that you're back to kdm simply do

sudo dpkg-reconfigure kdm

Let us know how you get on.

Hang on, I cannot remember whether this has to be done outside X or not... You'd be safer to go out of X by pressing CTRL+ALT+F4, login, type

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

If you get an error message then it is kdm-kde rather than kdm. Now do the first command. To start kdm again do

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start

[aged hippy]

Re: freeze after resolution change

kdm-kde4 is not a program in /usr/bin

Pity that it isn't more obvious to you than it is for me. Then we (or actually I) will have to wait for more expertise
(unless you have another idea of course?)
Solved or not, I am thankful for your help anyway!

You're Welcome.


"Then we (or actually I) will have to wait for more expertise"
...Ahh ... right on cue - toad.

[JohanLingen]

Re: freeze after resolution change

Thank you Toad for replying. Unfortunately, the dpkg-reconfigure didn' t sort any effect. I still have the same error message...
Do you have any other ideas?

[toad]

Re: freeze after resolution change

Well, the kdm stuff wouldn't, but at least that is all in order now. As for your freeze try the following command for starters - it should set everything back to the original state straight after install.

sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg