Ubuntu
xserver-xorg-video-intel package

  1. Bug #158415
  2. Comment #31

Comment 31 for bug 158415

Revision history for this message
positivek (anonyhole) wrote : Re: [Needs GEM] higher resolutions aren't recognized for external monitors after hotplugging but after X start (Virtual is static)

I can confirm the incorrect maximum resolution reporting that Alex Krastelev wrote of (above, 2009-01-18) well in my 8.10 (via the distribution upgrade process).

My process to reproduce:
1. Using laptop, no external monitor plugged in, at max resolution (1280x800).
2. Plug in my external monitor into the VGA port of my laptop and power on the monitor.
3. Run Gnome's "System-->Preferences-->Screen Resolution" (which brings up a window called "Monitor Resolution Settings").
4. My external monitor is shown, as off.
5. Select my external monitor.
6. View drop-down list of resolutions. BUG: The max res shown available is 1280x1024. My external monitor is *capable* of 1680x1050.
7. Choose the 1280x1024 resolution for the external monitor and select "Off" for my laptop display. Click "Apply".
8. Correctly, my laptop monitor turns off and the external display uses this non-native resolution of 1280x1024.
9. View the available resolutions again (using the window or xrandr) shows that the resolutions are limited to 1280x1024 (i.e. no change).
10. Quit all programs and quit X ("log out").
11. The Ubuntu login screen is now mirrored on my external monitor at 1024x768.
12. Proceed to log back in.
13. The laptop monitor turns off. The external monitor switches to the resolution used when I last set it (step 7). All seems to be the same. But...
14. Re-run "Screen Resolution" app again (or xrandr).
15. Now the the external monitor has more of the resolutions available in the drop-down list, including the external monitor's native (max) resolution of 1680x1050.
16. The drop-down list shows a resolution beyond what my external monitor can support (1600x1200).
17. I can switch between these freely and achieve my external monitor's native (max) resolution. I can even turn off the external and turn on the laptop displays and back again, keeping this fuller list of resolutions in the drop-down list. THIS is the behavior that I expect when I plug a monitor into the system and use the Screen Resolution to change monitors.

Software:
  Gnome 2.24.1
  Compiz is turned off.
  Ubuntu 8.10 via online distro upgrade from prior dist.
  Linux machname 2.6.27-9-generic #1 SMP Thu Nov 20 22:15:32 UTC 2008 x86_64 GNU/Linux

lspci includes:
  00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
  00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

Laptop computer:
  Acer TravelMate 4720, native resolution of 1280x800.
  2.5GB memory

External monitor:
  Acer X223W, native resolution of 1680x1050.