Configure linux to only use 90% of screen area?

Cothol · n00b Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 13

I have an old Dell Inspiron 5000 laptop that I would like to install linux on. The laptop woks just fine except that about 10% of the screen (a big row at the very bottom) is dead (not black but just blue light, flashing).

Is there any way I could configure linux (at kernel level I guess) so this area of the screen isn't used? Or would this have to be done at the bios level?
Or is there some other solution?

I'm not a "kernel hacker"/programmer at all, but know my way around in linux/gentoo.

ld50 · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 135

Maybe you could configure you're window manager for that.
iirc, next version of fluxbox will let you do that, don't know about others.

Cothol · n00b Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 13

Well, yes, I figured I'd be able to configure x.org to do what I want. The problem is I will not always be running x.org and I want to be able to see what I am typing in the terminal.

Maybe there is an setting for this in the deafult graphics drivers? (note that I am only brainstorming on what might be possible I dont actually know if these things are possible).

i92guboj · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 6:37 pm Post subject:

I dont know of anything similar built into the kernel, and found no patch related to this thingie.

But I dont think that there should be too much problem in adjusting that (making all the stuff work correctly with that setting would be another thing, I think). I am not too familiar with the kernel sources, but I think that this could be implemented at various levels. If you are using binary drivers for the graphics, then that level is not an option. But you could try to hack a bit in drivers/char/vt.c, or at fb level, in drivers/video/fbcvt.c, but, as I said, those are just assumptions, im not familiar with the code itself, so, I cant give any more concrete pointers of what should you be looking

Cothol · n00b Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 13

Thanks for the reply 6thpink, I know what you're saying and I too think it would not be too much work, I just don't know where to look.

That other programs could have problems with settings like that I didn't think of. But to me it seems like that if I get x.org to work other programs using the window manager (no fullscreen apps) should woke fine.

ronmon · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:30 pm Post subject:

Actually, you could do this with gensplash by setting the text area to not use that area of the screen. Take a look at some of the .cfg files in /etc/splash to get an idea of how it works. Then make adjustments as needed. As an example, if you have a 1024x768 screen it might look like this:

i92guboj · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:41 pm Post subject:

I am not familiar with gensplash.

But if I am right, that is what you use to define a certain area of the screen to put a logo or progress bar thingie, isn't it?

Mmm, quite ingenious, it should work for this purpose in plain text console, but that will not be usefull the any other graphics driver, like the xorgs ones, but maybe he could try any other thing for xorg, since this tip could work for the console.

Nice one

Cothol · n00b Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 13

he, thanks of the input guys, that was a good solution ronmon but I'm sorry to say that yesterday I decided to open the thing up and se if I could fix the screen, maybe there was a loose connector or something I thought. Well, I got it open and after just a minute gently trying to see what was wrong the whole screen turned bright white, permanently it seems... :oops:

But I guess it was about to happen any day anyway...

But thanks again for trying to help!