[selowitch]

I have successfully installed Ubuntu via Parallels on my 20" iMac (Intel) but the highest resolution available is only 1024 x 768, even after I installed the ATI driver via EasyUbuntu. What do you suppose is the next step? I'm quite the Linux newbie....

[TheoCryst]

You don't need the ATi driver, actually, as Parallels provides a virtual video card. Instead, you need to do a little meddling in Linux itself. Don't worry, it's easy.

First, open up a terminal. From there, type the following:

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

You might need to enter an admin's password here. You should be presented with a text window with a bunch of stuff. Ignore most of it, but look for the following:

Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

It'll appear several times throughout the file. Each time you see it, add your desired resolution (in your case, 1680x1050) so that it appears like the following:

Modes "1680x1050" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

(You can also add any other resolutions you'd like Ubuntu to support.) From there, shut down Ubuntu and, under your VM settings in Parallels, add the same resolutions you previously added to Xorg.conf (Don't forget to tick the box that says "Enable custom screen resolutions"). Then just reboot Ubuntu and your new resolutions should be available!

[selowitch]

Wow, thank you, TheoCryst! Extremely helpful.
EDIT: Ooo, haven't gotten it to work yet. Although I followed your instructions, right now I'm in this weird loop where I log in to my account, get a brief amber screen, then I'm back on the login page again! I guess what I'll do now is trash this faulty virutal machine make a new one I know works, dupe it, and play with the dupe. Shoulda done that in the first place.

[diamondsw]

Originally Posted by TheoCryst 

You don't need the ATi driver, actually, as Parallels provides a virtual video card. Instead, you need to do a little meddling in Linux itself. Don't worry, it's easy.

First, open up a terminal. From there, type the following:

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

You might need to enter an admin's password here. You should be presented with a text window with a bunch of stuff. Ignore most of it, but look for the following:

Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

It'll appear several times throughout the file. Each time you see it, add your desired resolution (in your case, 1680x1050) so that it appears like the following:

Modes "1680x1050" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

(You can also add any other resolutions you'd like Ubuntu to support.) From there, shut down Ubuntu and, under your VM settings in Parallels, add the same resolutions you previously added to Xorg.conf (Don't forget to tick the box that says "Enable custom screen resolutions"). Then just reboot Ubuntu and your new resolutions should be available!

Sadly, this does not work for me - the new resolutions do not show up in Ubuntu/Gnome. I had similar problems in Fedora Core 6; after a lot of rebooting (and crashing gdm - FC6 seems flaky in that regard) it finally worked, but I sadly don't know what made it stick.

In my case, I'm trying to use the posted MacBook Ubuntu image on a MacBook Pro, and I'd like to up the resolution to my full 1440x900.

[Filmo]

I've just installed Fedora Core 6 on an 17" imac from the i386 DVD iso (FC-6-i386-DVD.iso)

The problem I'm having is that it ONLY seems to work in 1600x1200 mode which is far to big for the iMac 17".

I've tried using the System->Preference->screen Resolution panel to change it to something more workable, but none of the other resolution word. (screen gets all 'giggly' like it doesn't like any resolution other than 1600x1200).

What's up? How do I get a 'lower resolution'?

Using Parallels build 1970 (which I'm pretty sure is the latest version.

[cryer]

This didn't work for me either, but I know it has to because other people have gotten it to work successfully (such as TheoCryst here). Anyone have any ideas?

[genem]

Originally Posted by Filmo 

I've just installed Fedora Core 6 on an 17" imac from the i386 DVD iso (FC-6-i386-DVD.iso)

The problem I'm having is that it ONLY seems to work in 1600x1200 mode which is far to big for the iMac 17".

I've tried using the System->Preference->screen Resolution panel to change it to something more workable, but none of the other resolution word. (screen gets all 'giggly' like it doesn't like any resolution other than 1600x1200).

What's up? How do I get a 'lower resolution'?

Using Parallels build 1970 (which I'm pretty sure is the latest version.

I have the same issue with build 3188 (march 7 2007)

[linuxnoobe]

I followed the original directions by theocryst. I had the same login problem. I undid what I did do by logging in as root, but that didn't fix it. I also undid the parallels stuff. No use. After turning off the mac and the restarting, and then trying linux again, it said there was some problem with x11 or something and asked be if I wanted to diagnose the problem. So I said yes, but then is said something about a G[something][something] driver or video something or other (sorry I can't remember) being messed up or needing replacement. Any ideas?

[linuxnoobe]

Any time I change the screen res via root, it brings me back to the login. I would like to fix this. ?

[linuxnoobe]

Running Ubuntu under Parallels Desktop for Mac | Muffin Research Labs by Stuart Colville may have help for our problem. BTW: I made a new account while in root and I deleted the original problem-login one, so that is a way to fix it. You can still access the files on the original by going home/[originalusername/

[linuxnoobe]

Here is what I just saw when signing in to root: Something about x server being disabled and to restart gdm after it is correctly configured... ??

[tavin64]

Install the restricted ati drivers. Ubuntu does not install those by default, do the following in a terminal window:
(make sure the restricted repository is enabled)

sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r) xorg-driver-fglrx
sudo aticonfig --initial
sudo aticonfig --overlay-type=Xv
then restart by doing: sudo shutdown -r now

you should now see an option for your resolution when you restart the pc. If that still doesnt work there is still one more option to do but try this one first.

[linuxnoobe]

Following your steps will make the resolutions the right size? I just type exactly what you typed, line by line? What is restricted repository, I don't know how to enable it.

[tavin64]

yes just type each line in the terminal. to enable the restricted repositories do the following command in terminal:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

You will then see a txt file with some addresses and other things. Delete all the # you see from the lines that have a deb right next to it. Then do ctrl+x and it will ask you to save the file, type y and then enter and you should be back in terminal. Then type the following:

sudo apt-get update

After that it will update all repositories and then do the commands i listed above. Let me know if you have any other problems.

[linuxnoobe]

After it restarted (you do know this is in Parallels, right?), it said:
Failed to start the X server (your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not set up correctly Would you like to view the X xerver output to diagnose the problem?

I did yes.

It showed this screen in the picture:


Then it asked if I would like to view the detailed X server output as well, and I said yes, and it showed that same screen in the screenshot again.

Then it said: The X server is now disabled. Restart GDM when it is configured correctly.

Then it asked me to log in in a window which looked like terminal except it looked like MS DOS. I tried logging in as the main user and as root that way, but it kept just acting like terminal and not really logging in..

Then I restarted parallels, and it took me back to the ms dos like terminal login screen again.

Now I don't know how to log into ubuntu!

[tavin64]

Ohh wait I thought you were trying to use bootcamp. Well thats a totally different story. Graphics card support with parallels for anything other than windows is very bad as parallels has no drivers for it unlike vmware which comes with a video driver package for linux as well in vmware tools. If you really want to run linux virtually your best best is using vmware fusion as it has better driver support. But if you really want to run ubuntu on a macbook flawlessly I would really recommend doing it with bootcamp.

[linuxnoobe]

Yes, well, a general practice is to read the title of the thread before posting...

Now how do I undo what I did?

And are you sure that you can't get proper resolution on Parallels?

[tavin64]

No because parallels even on windows xp installs a driver so that you can get the correct resolution. Even though its a virtual session you are running it has to get a display driver somewhere. That is why parallels doesnt officially support anything but windows. If you want to do any other OS than windows you have to use vmware as there are versions of it for pretty much every single platform so there will be a driver for the video no matter the OS.

[linuxnoobe]

I want you to tell me how to fix what you told me to break!

Pretty please?

[tavin64]

Just uninstall the fglrx driver by typing the following in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --purge xorg-driver-fglrx

After that the xorg.conf file will be rebuilt to default settings. Reboot and thats it.

[linuxnoobe]

That didn't fix it! I'm still getting no further than the "ms dos" terminal!

Now, does anybody know how to make the OS which "just works" work with more than three default resolutions, in Parallels? I mean, COME ON! Why can't you put in a custom resolution or choose from a big list like the other operating systems?

P.S. I'm still getting the thing about failed to start the x server. I may just UNINSTALL THE WHOLE THING if I can't get a good answer on how to fix it. I would appreciate another type of linux which has better resolution options. I can download and use an iso file.

[linuxnoobe]

I hope I don't come off as mad, disappointed, unappreciative, or rude. I just didn't expect such an acclaimed OS, one said to be crash free, to be so easily ruined.

[chabig]

Originally Posted by tavin64 

That is why parallels doesnt officially support anything but windows. If you want to do any other OS than windows you have to use vmware...

Wrong. Parallels supported Operating Systems.

[tavin64]

Originally Posted by chabig 

Wrong. Parallels supported Operating Systems.

Yeah but the problem lies in the fact that parallels tools does not come with a linux version. And linuxnoob, it is not the OS' fault. The problem lies with drivers. You can have the best hardware in the world but if the drivers that are written for it are subpar, you wont be able to use the hardware at its fullest potential. ATI driver support to begin with is pretty average on linux and you want it to run perfectly on a virtual terminal? It does not work that way. You want an OS that just works on your mac? You already have OSX. No matter what distribution on linux you are running, from Gentoo (most advanced in terms of configuration) to Mandriva (probably the most user friendly), you are still going to run into problems. The linux community is all open source, which means that people like you are the ones that create the software and most of the drivers used to run in it. We are not talking about a large corporation like Microsoft or Apple which has hundreds of paid developers to make the stuff just work on their OS. No linux distribution is ever going to install perfectly and run all your hardware perfectly right out of the box. That is not the point of linux, even though it has come a long way from its beginnings. Now there is one more thing you can do as to try and get the xserver working is to type the following in terminal:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

that will force a reconfigure your current settings and rebuild the xorg.conf file once again. After that reboot and if gdm does not load automatically then just type:

gdm

in the terminal and see if you get an xorg error output msg. Also if you want ubuntu to work a lot better on your mac dont run it on parallels, use a bootcamp partition. Or use vmware as it has way better support for other OS' other than windows.

[linuxnoobe]

Well, I am proud to announce that in order to get proper monitor size (with it working properly), you have to, when configuring the xorg, is to select all the screen sizes with the space bar at the proper point in the install. Now it works

[tavin64]

Originally Posted by linuxnoobe 

Well, I am proud to announce that in order to get proper monitor size (with it working properly), you have to, when configuring the xorg, is to select all the screen sizes with the space bar at the proper point in the install. Now it works

So when you did a "sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg" you just chose every single resolution option and it worked?

[linuxnoobe]

Yup. When doing this, you gotta make sure that you select all the resolutions you are going to want to use in the future with the space bar. So I guess anybody with this problem can just type in the config code you gave last and select all the right resolutions. That really should be in the instruction manual on parallels or something.

[tavin64]

Yeah when you install Ubuntu using the live cd method the installer does not ask for which resolutions you want to use. The best way to install Ubuntu on vmware or parallels is to use the alternate cd installation. That way you have more controlled of the setup of the system. The alternate cd is another version of the ubuntu install disc which you can download from the same place you get the desktop version.

[SLiMeX]

When Leopard comes out, with Boot Camp support Linux like Ubuntu and Knoppix?