Changed monitors, desktop is distorted in SUSE
rkoenig
Status: Interested
Joined: 04 Oct 2003
Posts: 16
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I just switched monitors, now when I boot into SUSE, using graphics mode, the desktop is all scrunched together, and I can't read anything. How can I fix this?

It was all working fine before I switched monitors by the way.
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jeffd
Status: Assistant
Joined: 04 Oct 2003
Posts: 594
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Hi rkoenig. Linux doesn't always do stuff automatically like Windows does, but don't worry, this is easy to fix.

Once you are in the distorted desktop, hit ctrl + alt + backspace, that will take you back into the command line, exiting the KDE desktop. That should not be distorted.

You'll need to change runlevels to do the repair.

Log in as su [root]
Do that by typing in: su
hit enter, then enter your root password.

Now you can change runlevels. That's quite easy to do. Just type in:
telinit 3
and hit enter. Now you are in runlevel 3
Next type in:
sax2
this will bring up the SUSE SAX2 configuration screen. This should display fine.
The odds are good that your new monitor will be detected fine. Click 'change configuration', then make sure it's your monitor in the monitor selection. Click finalize. A window will pop up asking you to test it. Do so. If it looks right, click the save button. Then click Finish.

Sax2 will close, and return you to the command line.

Type in:
telinit 5
to return to runlevel 5, which is the gui mode, the KDE desktop and Gnome work at runlevel 5.

If you need to, type in:
startx
this will start the x window system, with your desktop. You should see the login screen, on a normal looking desktop. Login, and it should all be fine.

Let me know if that doesn't work for you and we'll go from there.

If your monitor wasn't automatically detected, you'll have to configure it manually, go to the monitor manufactorer website, get the information you need, vertical and horizontal refresh rates, display width, etc. Then just enter that data manually in the sax2 configuration panel, but hopefully you won't need to do that.

Working with linux as a newbie, it's often helpful to work with a kvm switch, running another box so you can do web research without having to change keyboard/mouse/monitor. I've found that works very well for researching stuff about command line etc in real time.
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rkoenig
Status: Interested
Joined: 04 Oct 2003
Posts: 16
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Thanks guys, that did the trick, it's working again, telinit to runlevel 3, then rerunning sax2, reconfiguring the monitor defaults worked great, now I'm back on the penguin, it had me worried there for a minute.

I'll be back if I have more problems, which I'm sure I will, but learning is half the fun of this stuff.
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