Subj : Re: Sleep Mode on a Dell M991 Monitor; WAS: Adjusting Resolution on
To   : =?iso-8859-1?Q?lin=F8nut
From : Saul Lubkin
Date : Wed Oct 13 2004 06:27 pm

Thanks to responded to my posting to the linux group; I
actually used a composite of the information that I obtained from several
of you. and of the answer ecieved from our sysadmin, Hoss Firoozna, for
our FreeBSD LAN here
in the math dept at the univ of Rochester.

Interestingly, ALL attempts at using various "configuration" tools failed
-- sometimes requiring modifying the XFConfig-4 file via Ethernet from
another computer, to recover -- the XF86Config-4 file was so badly mangled
by some of the tools (Debian linux' native "debconf" was no peach -- it
phrased some of the requests for data in wierd enough language, that I put
in the wrong data -- it was one of the times i recovered from another
computer on my home Debain lan over Ethernet.

Particularly useful was the diff stuff one fellow linux user sent me --
comparing his XF86Config file before and after his edit.

I got the definitive data on the monitor, by going to the Dell website,
and getting up the manual on-line.

The following lines from my edited XF86Config-4 file tell the full story,
of what it was best to edit:



# **********************************************************************
# Screen sections
# **********************************************************************
Section "Screen"

#<within the screen section >


    #Modes       "1024x768" "1280x1024"  SAUL
    Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" "720x400"

# **********************************************************************
# Monitor section
# **********************************************************************
Section "Monitor"

#<within the monitor section >

    #VertRefresh 50-90 SAUL
    VertRefresh 50-160
    #enable sleep mode SAUL
    Option "DPMS"


    #HorizSync   31.5, 35.15, 35.5 SAUL
    HorizSync   30-96


The changes to vertical and horizontal sync are, of course, important;
they basically define the important capabilities of the monitor.

The "modes" lines enable one to switch the resolution at will -- to any
one of the pre-set resolutions availalble in the monitor (which were
listed in the user manual for the monitor, on the Dell website).

My sysadmin, Hoss Firoozna, enables "sleep mode" for our math dept
computers -- so that if you leave the monitor on, it will use very little
power, until you press a key, when it "wakes up".

My guess:  It's a good idea to do that, rather than turn off the monitor;
I'm guessing that there's less wear and tear on the monitor, if it
"sleeps" at night, rather than getting turned off.

BUT, I'd like the opinions of some of you on this -- I KNOW that many of
you know A LOT MORE THAN I DO about many of these things.

:)

Yours,

-- Saul

On Tue, 5 Oct 2004, [iso-8859-1] Linønut wrote:

> Saul Lubkin poked his little head through the XP firewall and said:
>
> > I connected it with my Debian Linux (woody) system -- and it is running
> > well -- but at 1024x768 resolution.
> >
> > The Dell M991 manual -- whchi I located on line -- indicates that this
> > monitor has a preset setting, to run at 1600X1200 resolution -- which
> > would be MUCH better.
> >
> > But, I can't find anywhere, how to make this adjustment.  (There's nothing
> > on the back of the monitor that would allow that; and the menu-driven
> > front controls don't seem to have anything, either.)
>
> Here's what I did in XF86Config-4, the comments are the old settings:
>
> DefaultDepth 24
> SubSection "Display"
>       Depth      16
> #     Modes      "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768"...
>       Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768"...
> EndSubSection
>
> SubSection "Display"
>       Depth      24
> #     Modes      "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768"...
>       Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768"...
> EndSubSection
>
> SubSection "Display"
>       Depth      32
> #     Modes      "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768"...
>       Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x960" "1152x864"...
> EndSubSection
>
> Back up /etc/X11/XF86Config-4, Do the edit, log out, see if the login prompt
> is now in higher resolution.  If X craps out, undo your edits.
>
> --
> The only entities that care about Linux market share are commercial
> entities, and they represent only the tip of the iceberg.
> Penguins love icebergs.
>

.