external monitor settings not accessible

[52ROSt]

kubuntu 14.04, Lenovo x240
Dell Monitor E198WFPf, resolution 1440x900, external connection

As this monitor did not display using 1440x900 but a lower resolution, I experimented with monitor settings and messed it up. If I remember it correctly, I clicked by accident the built in monitor as the monitor to be used while an external monitor is connected.

Removing the external monitor, the internal monitor works fine but I cannot change settings of the external monitor.

I cannot access the graphical settings at all. However, I can access the command window.

With which command can I open the graphical settings?

With which command can I reset the external monitor to any default value?

Any additional hints are very welcome as well.

Thanks in advance!

[Teunis]

Please tell us what type of graphics card and driver you are using.

[52ROSt]

Question is well understood but how can I retrieve this information?

If needed I can use the PC without the external monitor; it is a notebook PC.

[SecretCode]

sudo lshw -class display

will give you the hardware and the name of the driver. Not sure how to get the full details of the driver, but "Driver Manager" in the menus will tell you if you have a proprietary driver loaded.

[52ROSt]

Thanks for your help. Here is the information I got with the given command:

rost@rost-ThinkPad-X240:~$ sudo lshw -class display
  *-display               
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 0b
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       resources: irq:59 memory:f0000000-f03fffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:3000(size=64)
rost@rost-ThinkPad-X240:~$

Is this information sufficient for the final help?

[Teunis]

Yes this is good info, you have an Intel card and the driver is included in the distro so you don't have to use third party tools.

This type of problem is usually solved by editing the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file or if it doesn't yet exists by making one.
I can't really help you with the content of that little text file so let's hope someone with experience shows up!

You can have a look if such a file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf) already exists and if so post the content here between the # or CODE tags.

PS, I plugged the type of monitor into a Google search with the words linux and xorg.conf included and this came up:
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=20556

This needs to be added to xorg.conf:

Section "Device"
         ...
         driver  "intel"
         ...
         Option   "AccelMethod" "UXA"
EndSection

Give it a try but first make a backup of the existing file!

[52ROSt]

I looked into /etc/X11/ but there is no file "xorg.conf". I looked also for hidden files. xorg.conf is not exisiting.

The only files I found are:
- xorg.conf.5.gz two time . One time written in normal characters and one time in itallic. Both are in /usr/share/man/man5/
I have no clue what these fles are for.

I also have no experience in creating such file and hope that - as you wrote - "...someone with experience shows up!"

[Teunis]

I'm surprised you didn't find the file as you wrote you had 'messed up' the monitor settings what typically means this file has bad entries...


It's pretty easy to make the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file
Start up your favourite text editor but do it as root, for kate that would be:

kdesudo kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Then paste the found code into it and save the file.

Log out and in again, see if things are better.

[SecretCode]

You don't need an xorg.conf. You can work fine without it and you can mess things up without it!

I didn't have one in my 14.04 installation until I manually created one from nvidia-settings.

Also ...

[52ROSt]

I created a xorg.conf file the way Teunis explained. It was indeed easy. But:

- System does not boot anymore
- Clonezilla, which I use to create images of my root and boot directory doese not boot (Starts normally and after the approx. 30 sec stop to read the screen information it does conitue for about 3 sec. Screen remains black, no information is read anymore from the Clonezilla stick.)
- kubuntu live USB sticks boots.

Is there a way to delete the xorg. conf file using any USB stick tool or CD-ROM?

[Teunis]

Oops!

The system's boot should not be affected by an xorg.conf file but yes, you can delete it once logged in from the USB stick.
Or rename it so the system doesn't use it yet you can with new insights still edit it.

I agree with SecretCode's sentiment but there are issues that can only be fixed through entries in this file, like on my Thinkpad it's the way to enable the screen brightness controls.

Success.

[52ROSt]

I booted kubuntu from USB live stick.
Idendfied under "Devices" the root partition of the kubuntu installation on the PC and found the xorg.conf file

Howver I could not rename or delete the file because I cannot access this file with the root rights. When clicking the xorg.conf file the context menu does not allow me to open the file with root rights.

What can I do to delete or rename this file?

[Teunis]

Sorry for the delayed response but I've busy.

Yes you need root rights to remove (or rename) this file.

One way is to start Dolphin as root from the live session:
Press Alt+F2 and a little box will open at the top of the desktop, type in:

kdesudo dolphin

This will bring up Dolphin, you should NOT attempt to supply a password, if such a box opens you simply click OK.

Now you navigate to the file in question and do what you want.

[52ROSt]

Hi Teunis, thanks for getting back on my problem. kdesudo dolphin was the solution to delete the xorg.conf file. I have to remember this way to get root rights.

Now I am back again to square 1. The remaining problem is the one I described in my first post. To make it easier I ccopy all information here:

kubuntu 14.04, Lenovo x240
Dell Monitor E198WFPf, resolution 1440x900, external connection

As this monitor did not display using 1440x900 but a lower resolution, I experimented with monitor settings and messed it up. If I remember it correctly, I clicked by accident the built in monitor as the monitor to be used while an external monitor is connected.

Removing the external monitor, the internal monitor works fine but I cannot change settings of the external monitor.

I cannot access the graphical settings at all. However, I can access the command window.

With which command can I open the graphical settings?

With which command can I reset the external monitor to any default value?

addtional information:

running the command

sudo lshw -class display

results in

rost@rost-ThinkPad-X240:~$ sudo lshw -class display 
  *-display 
                      description: VGA compatible controller 
       product: Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller        
vendor: Intel Corporation        
physical id: 2 
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0 
       version: 0b 
       width: 64 bits        
clock: 33MHz 
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom        
configuration: driver=i915 latency=0 
       resources: irq:59 memory:f0000000-f03fffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:3000(size=64) 
rost@rost-ThinkPad-X240:~$

How can I "teach" the installed kubuntu what to use the external monitor in the correct way

[52ROSt]

Problem solved!!!

kdessudo dolphin

allowed me to delete the /etc/x11/xorg.conf file

I then remembered that in before i added this file the kubuntu worked normally when I used only the notebook screen.
- Started notebook in docking base and the machien worked fine with the notebook screen.
- Switched on the external monitor
- Opened system settings and selected Display configuration
- Corrected settings for the external (Dell) monitor and achieved for the first time the max resolution of the external monitor.


Another problem occured which I will post separately as it doesn't match the title of this post.(Topic will most likely be: "Notebook screen and external monitor show different images".)

Thanks for all your support!


@Teunis - as your location is 5m below sea level: I installed 1 1/2 weeks ago kubuntu on the notebook of my grandson but only 3m below sea level... He is happy with kubuntu machine and was not with his W8.1 machine.