Method and System for Setting Display Resolution

Abstract

A computing system with a graphical windowing server displaying to a display, and a method for setting the resolution of a display to which a computing device displays. The method comprises running a graphical windowing server with a digital connection enabled between the display and a graphics adapter for the display, querying the display with the digital connection for display modes supported by the display, receiving returned mode data, the mode data being indicative of one or more display modes supported by the display, shutting down the graphical windowing server, composing a modeline for the display according to the returned mode data and a desired resolution, running the graphical windowing server with the digital connection disabled and the modeline, and loading a graphics specification corresponding to the resolution indicated by the modeline.

1 . A method of setting the resolution of a display with a graphical windowing server coupled to said display via a digital connection, said display having a graphics adapter and mode data indicative of display mode supported by said display, the method comprising:
 enabling a digital connection between said display and said graphics adapter;   running the graphical windowing server in response to said digital connection having been enabled;   receiving mode data from said display;   shutting down the graphical windowing server;   creating a modeline record for the display based on said mode data;   disabling the digital connection;   running the graphical windowing server in response to the digital connection having been disabled and the created modeline; and   loading graphics specification corresponding to said modeline record.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein the graphical windowing server comprises an X based graphical window server, the digital connection comprises a Display Data Channel and the graphics specification is contained in an Xresources file. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and further comprising selecting a desired resolution according to a resolution or resolutions identified by said mode data. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein creating modeline record comprises modifying a resolution identified by said mode data according to a desired resolution. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein said mode data comprises a modeline or modelines. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 querying said display for display modes supported by said display; and   controlling said graphical windowing server to query said display with the digital connection.   
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , and wherein said graphical windowing server comprises an X based graphical window server, said digital connection comprises a Display Data Channel and said graphics specification is contained in an Xresources file, and wherein querying said display comprises controlling said X based graphical window server to query said display with said Display Data Channel by executing an xrandr utility program. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and further comprising saving the mode data. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and further comprising writing the mode data to a file. 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and further comprising conducting a search of said mode data for data indicative of one or more supported or desired graphics standards or resolutions. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein said one or more graphics standards or resolutions comprises VGA. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein said one or more graphics standards or resolutions comprises a number of columns. 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein said one or more graphics standards or resolutions comprises a number of rows. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein loading said graphics specification comprises controlling said graphical windowing server to load said graphics specification. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein said graphical windowing server displays to a plurality of different displays, and the method further comprising setting the resolution of each of said plurality of displays to respective different resolutions. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein said graphical windowing server displays to a plurality of different displays, and the method further comprising setting the resolution of each of the plurality of displays to an identical resolution. 
     
     
         17 . A computing system comprising:
 a digital connection;   a display for displaying images coupled to said digital connection, and having a graphics adapter and mode data indicative of display mode supported by said display;   a graphical windowing server coupled to said display via said digital connection; and   a controller coupled to said graphical windowing server and configured to   
       a) enable a digital connection between said display and said graphics adapter, 
       b) run the graphical windowing server in response to said digital connection having been enabled, 
       c) receive mode data from said display, 
       d) shut down said graphical windowing server in response to having received said mode data, 
       e) create a modeline record for the display based on said mode data, 
       f) disable the digital connection, 
       g) run the graphical windowing server in response to the digital connection having been disabled and the created modeline; and 
       h) load a graphics specification corresponding to the resolution indicated by the new predefined modeline. 
     
     
         18 . The computing system as claimed in  claim 17 , and wherein the graphical windowing server comprises an X based graphical windowing server, the digital connection comprises a Display Data Channel and the graphics specification is contained in an Xresources file. 
     
     
         19 . The computing system as claimed in  claim 17 , and wherein the controller is further configured to conduct a search of mode data for data indicative of one or more desired or supported graphics standards or resolutions.