NEED HELP with Acer Aspire One 532h video resolution

[nimda]

First off I fully understand that I just might not have done the correct combination of key words when searching for a solution to my problem. Second I know the root of most of my problems with any flavor of Linux is that though I am not completely new to the Linux world I am no GURU, so I am reaching out to those that are.

I sucessfully followed Backtrack 4 � USB/Persistent Changes/Nessus by Kevin Riggins here h**p://www.infosecramblings.com/backtrack/backtrack-4-usbpersistent-changesnessus/ and now have BT4 working on USB and am starting down the path of enlightenment of pen testing.

My system is an AAO 532H detailed specs can be found here h**p://support.acer.com/acerpanam/netbook/2010/Acer/Aspire/AspireOneAO532h/AspireOneAO532hsp2.shtml

Here is the video card excerpt of the "Video Subsystem"
Intel Atom processor with Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 (Intel GMA 3150), 64 MB of dedicated video memory, supporting Microsoft DirectX 9
External resolution / refresh rate2:
VGA port up to 1600 x 900: 60 Hz

And here is the "Display" excerpt:
10.1" SD 1024 x 600 (WSVGA) pixel resolution, high-brightness (200-nit) Acer CrystalBrite LED-backlit TFT LCD

So now after all of that here is my question / problem. When I boot to regular ubuntu or win the display is just auto detected to support up to 1024x600 with no interaction on my part. However, when booting to BT4 I have a max resolution of 800x600. Also unless I run "fixvesa" I get "no screens found" error when I run "startx", this boggles me also as everything else sticks like making files and such but the process of replacing /etc/X11/xorg.conf with /etc/X11/ xorg.conf-versa file that "fixvesa" seems to do does not stick. A work around I have done to automate this task was to add "fixvesa" and "startx" lines to the /root/.profile file.

Any help with the max resolution and fixvesa issues, which might be related, will be greatly appreciated.

[Bud Jones]

I had a similar problem with my xorg.conf file being overwritten at every reboot.

What i did was
1. ctrl-alt-backspace
2. nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
3. set my resolution mode to what i wanted and ctrl-o to save
4. startx make sure it works
5. /usr/bin/dexconf was re-wrting xorg.conf on boot so i renamed to dexconf--1
6 reboot

Hope that helps if i didn't missunderstand u

[FurryFur]

I had a similar problem with my xorg.conf file being overwritten at every reboot.

What i did was
1. ctrl-alt-backspace
2. nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
3. set my resolution mode to what i wanted and ctrl-o to save
4. startx make sure it works
5. /usr/bin/dexconf was re-wrting xorg.conf on boot so i renamed to dexconf--1
6 reboot

Hope that helps if i didn't missunderstand u

Well this worked for one of my issues I no longer need to have fixvesa and startx in my .profile file, well Ill probably put startx back in to I boot strait to GUI but the fixvesa is no longer needed. I think step 5 was the fix on that. I am still stuck with 800x600 as my max rez. I cant post my entire xorg.conf file so here is the part I think is important:


# ************************************************** ********************
# Screen sections
# ************************************************** ********************

# Any number of screen sections may be present. Each describes
# the configuration of a single screen. A single specific screen section
# may be specified from the X server command line with the "-screen"
# option.
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "VESA Framebuffer"
Monitor "My Monitor"

# If your card can handle it, a higher default color depth (like 24 or 32)
# is highly recommended.

# DefaultDepth 8
# DefaultDepth 16
DefaultDepth 24
# DefaultDepth 32

# "1024x768" is also a conservative usable default resolution. If you
# have a better monitor, feel free to try resolutions such as
# "1152x864", "1280x1024", "1600x1200", and "1800x1400" (or whatever your
# card/monitor can produce)

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x600" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection

EndSection

Yeah I had the same problem so I did a little research though to find out what it was. Seems like its just some sort of network protocol software so if your not connected to a decnet network it doesn't really matter what you set the values to. Just give yourself a name (can be anything as long as its less than 6 character). And just leave the address as default as your not on a decnet network (or rather you are the only comp on your own network). The only thing thats kinda annoying is that it changes your mac addresses (makes it more structured like ipv4/v6 are) so it is remotely possible that you could get a conflicting mac address on some networks but this is probably "extremely" unlikely.

Ok well I have been able to change the xorg.conf file so that I get a reaction but it is not desirable. If I put a new line under the mode of the 24 bit section with virtual 1024 600 then the screen goes all screwy when startx is run. Can anyone else offer any ideas?

[nimda]

Well I am not sure what happened on my last post. it looks like some one else consolidated my post with someone else's. Just reading it ppl should be able to figure it out but below is the part that is not mine.

Yeah I had the same problem so I did a little research though to find out what it was. Seems like its just some sort of network protocol software so if your not connected to a decnet network it doesn't really matter what you set the values to. Just give yourself a name (can be anything as long as its less than 6 character). And just leave the address as default as your not on a decnet network (or rather you are the only comp on your own network). The only thing thats kinda annoying is that it changes your mac addresses (makes it more structured like ipv4/v6 are) so it is remotely possible that you could get a conflicting mac address on some networks but this is probably "extremely" unlikely.

[lupin]

Well I am not sure what happened on my last post. it looks like some one else consolidated my post with someone else's. Just reading it ppl should be able to figure it out but below is the part that is not mine.

My bad, sorry. I think I may have merged three posts together instead of two.

Carry on people, nothing to see here

[nimda]

Givein this a little bump because I have no idea on what to do still. Hopeimg for some one else out there with a newer AAO like mine that might have the answer.

Well I dont know what i am going to bread but here is what I am trying now. I grabbed the source.list file from Ubuntu 9.10 and poped it into the bottom of the source.list file in /etc/apt/source.list file. I did run into one issue when I tried to apt-get update where it was complaining about running out of space or something dont remember the exact error i was getting but the resolution was to edit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/70debconf file and add APT::Cache-Limit "33554432"; to the end. I am now just waiting for the apt-get upgrade to get done and ill reboot and see if my video issue is fixed. Ill be back to let anyone that is watching this know how it went.

Well I dont know what i am going to bread but here is what I am trying now. I grabbed the source.list file from Ubuntu 9.10 and poped it into the bottom of the source.list file in /etc/apt/source.list file. I did run into one issue when I tried to apt-get update where it was complaining about running out of space or something dont remember the exact error i was getting but the resolution was to edit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/70debconf file and add APT::Cache-Limit "33554432"; to the end. I am now just waiting for the apt-get upgrade to get done and ill reboot and see if my video issue is fixed. Ill be back to let anyone that is watching this know how it went.

Ok well even though the upgrade did work it did not fix the video problem and my wifi now does not work when running wicid. Instead of trying to now figure that issue out I am abandoning this install of BT4. So I know this shouldnt be a deal breaker for me using BT but it will make it difficult to use and learn BT on my netbook. I am very disappointed because of all my research on BT and what netbook best works with it and everything pointed me to this combination. I guess its just the newer netbook?? maybe I dont know. Hope someone might find this one day and maybe figures it out.

[Westnile]

I have the same problem I have a 532h as well.

I bought this for purposes of business my local community (very small) donates to me to pentest their wifi and other parts of their network.

I bought this netbook with hopes of not having to lug my machine arround town.

I can get the live cd to boot up after typing fix-vesa stuck in 800x600 I changed the font size to 7 as per another site suggested.

Still with no luck I am stuck at 800x600 in a live cd mode because I cant see the prompts to install it to my hard drive.

Anyone else able to atleast get it installed to the hard drive?

I don't care if the internal wireless works or not I have a Alfa AWUS036H usb card.

[nimda]

Well I followed the how install to a USB drive with nessus in the how to section on this site. It's all terminal based. Just stop if you only want to install after the rsync part, that basicaly does the install.

I have the same problem I have a 532h as well.

I bought this for purposes of business my local community (very small) donates to me to pentest their wifi and other parts of their network.

I bought this netbook with hopes of not having to lug my machine arround town.

I can get the live cd to boot up after typing fix-vesa stuck in 800x600 I changed the font size to 7 as per another site suggested.

Still with no luck I am stuck at 800x600 in a live cd mode because I cant see the prompts to install it to my hard drive.

Anyone else able to atleast get it installed to the hard drive?

I don't care if the internal wireless works or not I have a Alfa AWUS036H usb card.

[Westnile]

Well I followed the how install to a USB drive with nessus in the how to section on this site. It's all terminal based. Just stop if you only want to install after the rsync part, that basicaly does the install.

I'll try that but can I force a specific resolution after the install is done?
I plan on just wiping the current os on the HD and making it bt4 only any ways just cant figure out how to get better than 800x600.

I've tried just about everything I have found on various forums including changing the font size which it semi worked i still couldnt click the buttons at the bottom tho.

[nimda]

I'll try that but can I force a specific resolution after the install is done?
I plan on just wiping the current os on the HD and making it bt4 only any ways just cant figure out how to get better than 800x600.

I've tried just about everything I have found on various forums including changing the font size which it semi worked i still couldnt click the buttons at the bottom tho.

Sorry to say you will be in the same boat. This is where I am at. I know people will disagree about my next statement but because the video works I am loosely playing with some of the same tool but in ubuntu 9.10. Wifi works fine in BT one you go start the networking.