What makes a monitor supported/unsupported by Linux?

[Wallex]

I am about to get a 17'' Samsung flat monitor.
But I just thought of something... what if I can't make it work in Linux? What exactly defines wether a monitor will be compatible or not with Linux? The only thing I configured when I installed SuSE (after messing up and not being able to get my monitor working in X) was the refresh rates. Logically speaking... most (if not all) monitors these days behave the same way when it comes to communication between monitor and pc, right? is there anything I should worry about? Problems I could expect? Or will reading and setting the refresh rates be enough?

[cyberhwk]

I find that the generic monitor works quite well for the many times I've installed linux. The monitor is probably one of the things I never had problems with. The refresh rates and other information required is usually included with the monior documentation and if not you can always check the manufactures website. I found most anything works if fiddled with long enough. (just don't burn out an old monitor. Some coming out of the top of one has a way of ruinning ones day;) )

[Wallex]

Phew! I am glad to hear. So I'll just have to setup the refresh rate and I am done... and since this is a new monitor we are talking about, it'll come with all the documentation I could ask for. All I have to be careful with is not setting the refresh rate too high, according to what I read, setting it too high can permanently damage your monitor.. I don't know if it's true, but I am not going to find out.

[cyberhwk]

Yea. The older monitors tend to go out for a smoke. Except for the go out part. some of the newer monitors are protected from this and will just not display anything but I wouldn't chance it with a nice new monitor. If you got some piece of junk that you can't even give away I suggest you play around with it. keep your camera around cause if you do get it to smolder it would be amuseing to have pictures. :D :-D

[OdinsDream]

Newer monitors will instead display something like "Out of Range" or "Cannot Display Mode"

Whereas...yes, older monitors, just die a lonely, pathetic death.

[cyberhwk]

Has anyone got pictures of this Monitor Death. Cause I would really like to see it. (also I think it would be amusing to impose a windows picture on a smoking monitor and put it on my web site! :D)

[Wallex]

Something went wrong. This monitor isn't that bad... except that it won't work in Linux. Why not? During the 'nice bootup SuSE screen'... well... there's no screen to begin with. As soon as I 'start' Linux my monitor will go black displaying the message 'None Supported 1024x385 V:87Hz'. According to the pc's 'beeps' I 'know' when it asks me for the login and password, and then I try to change to any of the other terminal windows, but none of them gets a display! Geez... I'll have to plug-in the old monitor again and do whatever changes I need to do, right? Damn... I'll have to go read the monitor's manual for the refresh rates and then do xf86cfg (if that was the name of the program....)

[OdinsDream]

Well, your screen is trying to tell you exactly what's wrong. Your monitor doesn't support that resolution and refresh rate. Maybe you should try 1024x768 instead of the non-standard numbers you have there?

[Wallex]

Alright... I've 'sort' of managed to get my monitor working. I used xf86cfg and I saved the results to /etc/X11/XF86config, now it works when I startX.
But it doesn't works when I am outside of X. the Xf86config file I was talking about is the one used for when I start an X session, so which is the one used the rest of the time? I really need to know because it's annoying to not have any kind of display when I am outside X (what if I fail to get into X? I'll be trapped in a void!).
Also, could someone tell me what kind of 'configuration' is most likely to work on most monitors? I am tired of dealing with things the way they are now... when my flat screen doesn't works, I need to plug-in my older monitor, and while inside X I need to plug-in my newer monitor, this is driving me crazy!

[cyberhwk]

I have found that the average monitor resolution is 640 * 480, 800 * 600, 1024 *768, and for screamin monitors 1280 *1024.. hope these specs help and when you start out try using a smaller amount of bits Ie 16 or 8 then work you way up to the amount of bits you want or the max your monitor and video card can display togather (which ever comes first!)

[JohnT]

Don't forget after you get running that you can cycle through your resolutions using the Ctrl+(NumPad) + or - keys.

[Wallex]

I am not sure I understand this, but I get the feeling that there are two 'xf86config' files. The one in /etc/X11 and the one that I don't know where it is.

why I say this? Because the one in /etc/X11 gets called when I do the startX, but before the startx the screen remains black with the error message I posted before. This probably is due to my messing up with the SuSE install... and when I fixed my monitor, I only fixed the /etc/X11/x86config file... so.. it seems that 'whichever other file' that there is out there is still using my 'older and wrong' monitor settings.. as a result, I have to stare at a blank screen until it reaches the Xdm window, then I can see stuff... I 'could' leave it as it is, but I really should look for a way to fix it (what could I possibly do the day the x-server fails me?)

[JohnT]

what could I possibly do the day the x-server fails me?
We all contemplate that, amongst other things.:p

[cyberhwk]

Originally posted by Wallex
(what could I possibly do the day the x-server fails me?)

Try Try again? :D Whats the worst that can happen? If Xwindows doesn't start up you can go to a backup that you made. (you didn't make a backup? Shame Shame. Neither did I. ) It happened to me once and I'm running redhat. Redhat has a nice Rescue recovery program on their first Cd and it worked like magic for me.

So play around and rest assured that you may have a fall back plan and if you don't have Redhat on your machine. I guess your S.O.L. :D Unless your distro has a recovery program as well. and if you crash the whole machine it can always be fixed. Whats the fun of running linux unless you get to tinker and play with it:confused: :D

[Wallex]

Play with it? That's what I am doing. My monitor isn't exactly 'perfectly configured', I still need to find a way to configure the monitor 'out of X', but until then I am fine... except for the fact that now I seem to have over 1400 pixels of resolution... everything feels so tiny. I had to go to the fonts section and increase all of their sizes to stop myself from going blind. Anyway... that small 'issue' with the monitor is being taken care of elsewhere (another thread). But seriously... doesn't anyone know 'where' to configure the 'general' monitor layout? I still can't see a thing while Linux is booting up.

[cyberhwk]

Sorry I can't help you on the terminal screen setup. I'm not familar with Suse and I'm used to a graphical environment. But I would like to ask why set the screen res. so high? won't 1024 by 768 work? Also and I know this is the "wimps" way out but couldn't you use VNC and have someone help you with your screen setup? It might be a dumb question but I just wanted to offer another option. Just a thought.

[JohnT]

except for the fact that now I seem to have over 1400 pixels of resolution... everything feels so tiny.

Read my post above for cycling through resolutions modes.