How to configure your display using xrandr

If you new to Ubuntu Linux, sometime you might face a problem in configuring display in Ubuntu Linux, it’s might cause of un-supported monitor or lcd on your system.

To solve the problem you could done it by following the instruction below using the xrandr. First open your terminal from your desktop, go to Ubuntu Main Menu button > Accessories > Terminal, and type the following command  to find your default display adapter:

# xrandr

# Screen 0: minimum 320 x 240, current 1280 x 800, maximum 1280 x 800

default connected 1280×800+0+0 0mm x 0mm (you’ll see the default word that I just bold it, is my default display adapter, but it might different with your’s)

1280×800       50.0*

1024×768       51.0

960×540        52.0

840×525        53.0

800×600        54.0

800×512        55.0

720×450        56.0

680×384        57.0     58.0

640×512        59.0

640×480        60.0     61.0

576×432        62.0

512×384        63.0

400×300        64.0

320×240        65.0

# cvt / gtf 1280 800 60 (note: you can use cvt or gtf, but dont type both just one) i.e # cvt 1280 800 60

then you will get the following messages

# 1280×800 59.81 Hz (CVT 1.02MA) hsync: 49.70 kHz; pclk: 83.50 MHz

Modeline “1280x800_60.00″   83.50  1280 1352 1480 1680  800 803 809 831 -hsync +vsync

Then to add new mode run the following command :

# xrandr –newmode  ”1280x800_60.00″   83.50  1280 1352 1480 1680  800 803 809 831 -hsync +vsync

after that add your desire mode to the default display adapter of yours by using the command line option below:

#xrandr –addmode default “1280x800_60.00″

And to set up your screen display with new resolution, run the command below:

# xrandr –output default –mode 1280×80

Before and after screenshot:

800×600

1240×800