Items off the screen

[jmhill]

I'm using the TinyCore 3.4 live CD on a PC/104 card and a VGA display.

The issue is that the entire desktop is not appearing in my video display.

The tiny/micro graphics, "Toolkit for Linux.  Build it your way" is not appearing in the center of the display but rather 75% across and down the screen, and I cannot see the application bar at the bottom of the screen.

How can I improve the situation?  Is there a "zoom out" or a setting to change? 

I tried two different VGA displays, producing the same results.  Other than not seeing things, I think the screen looks good.

Jonathan

[maro]

What X server are you using (e.g. the default 'Xvesa')? Did you specify somehow a specific resolution (e.g. via a boot code or by running 'xsetup.sh')? Do you have more details about the VGA card of your system?

If you use 'Xvesa' you could get a list of the supported resolutions via Xvesa -listmodes, or run 'xsetup.sh' to choose a specific one (after which you'll have to restart the X server for it to take effect).

[jmhill]

Thanks for your reply, I'm getting somewhere now, details are further below.

I have a PC/104 card which includes integrated graphics.  The board has a Geode GX1 processor along with a CS5530A companion chip which includes the graphics capability.

I'm using the default Xvesa.  I noticed that ISOLINUX allows me to specify a resolution at boot time.  I had tried the settings 640x480 and 600x800 but did not see a difference. 

I ran 'Xvesa -listmodes' and I found some interesting items

VBE version 2.0 (Cyrix)
DAC is switchable, controller is VGA compatible
Total memory: 2496 kilobytes

There is a fairly long list of resolutions.  From the control panel I ran the Xvesa setup program and picked the highest resolution that it lists, 800x600x16.   I have a USB memory stick plugged in.  When I rebooted, the display came up as it should.

I now can see the entire desktop, it looks similar to the posted screen shots.

Thank you for the help.
Jonathan

[tinypoodle]

You could use the boot parameter 'vga=ask' to see and choose available resolutions at boot time.

[maro]

Using the 'vga=...' boot code in combination with Xvesa is IMHO pointless (as I've explained just a few days ago).

BTW the ISOLINUX (or more general any other boot loader, like GRUB) is not really playing any part of which boot codes are supported. What you get with the TC ISO image are a couple of help screens that can be read by pressing F2, F3 or F4. But all those are merely text, the processing of the boot codes happens in the kernel itself or via the scripts that make up the TC startup process. All those boot codes would equally be available to be used by any other boot loader.

[tinypoodle]

Using the 'vga=...' boot code in combination with Xvesa is IMHO pointless (as I've explained just a few days ago).

maro,
having read the post you link here then and now again, I couldn't disagree with anything in the smallest detail. However my conclusion seems to be rather opposite.

Whatever practical experience I have so far with TC, I find it of much higher priority to care at boot time about the VGA or VESA mode, as e.g. I have not found a way in TC to change the framebuffer mode after booting; while the resolution (and other parameters) for X could easily be changed at any moment, requiring at most a restart of the X server.
I couldn't see why it would be pointless to achieve an optimized mode for the console, even if optimization for an X server has been achieved.

Just in case KMS would play any role in this, then I might not have understood your point lacking any experience with KMS and having only very limited theoretical knowledge.

[maro]

Well, calling something "pointless" might sound a bit harsh, but my assessment was that the OP had a problem with the X server (and with the 'Xvesa' one in particular). IMHO providing a hint that has either only an impact on the screen resolution of a different X server (i.e. 'Xfbdev') or has an impact on the console resolution is potentially only misleading the OP (as I did not see any request to increase the resolution of the console). Anyway, I consider the issue now closed.

[tinypoodle]

My hint was in reference to "I noticed that ISOLINUX allows me to specify a resolution at boot time." and in full awareness that the OP had already solved the issue of X resolution, so in the spirit to getting optimal console resolution in addition, after optimal X resolution was achieved.

[jmhill]

Just found a BIOS setting associated with flat panel displays that appears to set
the maximum resolution for regular VGA displays as well.  So now I can have 1024x768x16.  I'm not sure how much memory this costs though... 800x600x16 also looks sharper on my display.

Jonathan