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new to ubuntu

Discussion in 'Alternative Operating System Help' started by kenny111111, Dec 13, 2009.

  1. kenny111111

    kenny111111 Techie7 New Member

    hello
    I have an acer with vista on it. last night I put ubuntu on it. (to try it out) but the display is big. my question is. where do you adjust the screen resolution ?

    thanx. :helpsmili
     
  2. Kaistar

    Kaistar Dedicated Member

    Have you installed your graphics driver yet? I'm not familiar with Ubuntu myself, but here's what I do after a fresh install..

    System > Update Manager > Check

    For me, I change my resolution through Nvidia X Server Settings. ATI would probably have their own, but the other forum members would be able to better help you.
     
  3. kenny111111

    kenny111111 Techie7 New Member

    everything in vista is perfect. its only in ubuntu that everything is BIG.
    thanx
     
  4. rokytnji

    rokytnji Dedicated Member

    Everything works in Vista because when they sold the laptop everything came pre-configured/installed from the manufacturer. Also from what I gather you are just running live so any changes will not take after you reboot. Just so you are aware of that.

    As Kaister mentioned you need the right drivers for display to render correctly.

    One thing you can try (you must have internet access to do this a to download the driver)

    Go to System>Administration>Hardware Drivers

    Left click on Hardware Drivers and see what it picks up. If it gives you a driver to install. Use that. You will need to do this step every time you reboot if running live as like I said. Changes aren't saved running in live mode.
     
  5. kenny111111

    kenny111111 Techie7 New Member

    hello & thanks

    live ?

    when I start my laptop I get A screen to choose either vista or ubuntu.

    It installed on computer inside vista. if I change drivers wouldn't that affect vista?

    I can live with it the way it is. I just thought there would be a resolution setting inside ubuntu.

    thanx
     
  6. rokytnji

    rokytnji Dedicated Member

    kenny, now don't get offended but I am not a mind reader. The info provided by you is sparse at best. You haven't stated much at all.
    Are you running a wubi install?
    Are you running Ubuntu this way?
    Run Ubuntu from Windows via a portable USB Hard drive or folder | USB Pen Drive Linux
    or this way?
    Installing Ubuntu inside Windows XP using VirtualBox
    or this way?
    Yet Another Technology Site: Run Ubuntu inside Windows without VMware!
    Yes there is a way to set screen resolution in Ubuntu. There is a online manual. You haven't told me what version of Ubuntu you have installed either so guessing again here is a manual
    Ubuntu:Karmic -

    Bookmark the manual in your browser when you need to reference on how to do something.

    To change screen resolution with out effecting Windows go to
    on the top left hand side of top menu bar.
     
  7. Kaistar

    Kaistar Dedicated Member

    @Roky: I believe what he did was install Ubuntu within Vista. It's what I'm doing right now, having Ubuntu installed within Windows 7.

    What happens is you can boot into it separately during boot-up but at the same time you can simply uninstall Ubuntu in WIndows Vista/7 using the "Add/Remove" utility. I think it's a new trick they added to 9.04 or 9.10 since I don't remember 8.10 having it.

    @Kenny: Installing new drivers for Ubuntu won't affect Vista in any way at all, so you do not need to worry about that.

    Best thing for you to do now is to check for updates and drivers and install them. Changes you make to Ubuntu won't affect your Windows Vista at all.
     
  8. rokytnji

    rokytnji Dedicated Member

    As far as I know only wubi or This Link (which now looks as only working with 32 bit XP) I posted are the only ways to install Ubuntu inside of Windows besides running Virtual Box. That was why I asked.

    Amd just for info purposes. Wubi installs have been around since Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.

    Since 8.04, there has been 8.10,9.04, and now there is 9.10. All possible to install using the wubi installer.

    Since I run a full install of Linux without running inside of Windows I have hardly any experience with wubi installs which is a different breed of install altogether. Ubuntu Forums used to have a wubi section in the forums but things changed this past year and they moved it into general help.
    Wubi Forums? - Ubuntu Forums
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2009
  9. kenny111111

    kenny111111 Techie7 New Member

    Rocky
    I appolagize for lack of info. (no offence taken) & thanks for the links.:winkiss:

    kaistar: you are dead on. and when I entered ubuntu today the update manager had 355 updates. since then everything seems to be good !!!

    PS: you can change the screen resolution from desktop. system > Preferences > screen resolution
    PSS: I'm not sure of wubi install or version #. Iv'e had this ubuntu disc laying around for about a year now (hense the 355 updates)
    Thanks for all the help (I'm sure i'll be back)
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2009
  10. rokytnji

    rokytnji Dedicated Member

    Glad to hear you have thick skin Kenny. I can tell you what is going on if you open a terminal from Applications>Accesories>Terminal and you can type in

    Code:
    lsb_release -a
    copy and paste info in next post.

    To see how your partitions look type in

    Code:
    sudo fdisk -l
    That is a lower cas L after the dash mark

    enter your password (you won't see anything happen, it is a security feature) and hit enter. Then copy and paste readout in next post.

    This will give me a better idea later when you ask questions on how you are running Linux.

    Some useful commands you can download and use. Just put them in your Documents folder in Home.
    Linux-Unix Cheat Sheets - The Ultimate Collection
     
  11. kenny111111

    kenny111111 Techie7 New Member

    kenny@ubuntu:~$ lsb_release -a
    No LSB modules are available.
    Distributor ID: Ubuntu
    Description: Ubuntu 8.10
    Release: 8.10
    Codename: intrepid


    kenny@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
    [sudo] password for kenny:

    Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
    Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x4e1ce926

    Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
    /dev/sda1 1 1306 10485760 27 Unknown
    /dev/sda2 * 1306 20110 151041024 7 HPFS/NTFS
    /dev/sda3 20110 38451 147324928 7 HPFS/NTFS
    /dev/sda4 38451 38914 3717120 12 Compaq diagnostics
    kenny@ubuntu:~$


    Here it is and I thank you again.
     
  12. rokytnji

    rokytnji Dedicated Member

    See Kenny. I can now see that you are running Wubi Ubuntu 8.10 by the readouts you posted. So the right manual you need is

    Ubuntu:Intrepid -
     
  13. Kaistar

    Kaistar Dedicated Member

    @Roky: Yeah I remember the Wubi installer you introduced to me which I used in the past. I was very surprised to find this option in the ISO I downloaded off Ubuntu's site, but it made my life a lot easier anyway.

    p.s. My Dell Vostro is now running Ubuntu 9.10 hehe. Looks like I'll be bugging you again come January.

    @Kenny: Glad to know that things worked. Keep us posted on your Ubuntu experiences, as I'm new to it as well haha.
     
  14. kenny111111

    kenny111111 Techie7 New Member

    kenny@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
    [sudo] password for kenny:

    Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
    Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x4e1ce926

    Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
    /dev/sda1 1 1306 10485760 27 Unknown
    /dev/sda2 * 1306 20110 151041024 7 HPFS/NTFS
    /dev/sda3 20110 38451 147324928 7 HPFS/NTFS
    /dev/sda4 38451 38914 3717120 12 Compaq diagnostics
    kenny@ubuntu:~$

    well I just updated. and I got no sound. any suggestions **edit** sound works (but not very loud)

    thanx
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2009
  15. rokytnji

    rokytnji Dedicated Member

    Look for Mixer by either right clicking speaker icon or look for sound mixer in menus. If you use the User Manual I gave you for 8.10 in my previous posts. You will learn how to turn up the volume. Some things are muted because Ubuntu has to be compatible with all kinds of computer hardware. So as not to blow your speakers. When in Mixer look for PCM and Speaker Volume Slider besides the Master slider.

    Edit: when you update sometimes, certain settings needto be reset because the updater updates configurations like OSS and ALSA.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2009
  16. kenny111111

    kenny111111 Techie7 New Member

    hello again

    I upgraded again this morning. (last time) and so far everything seems to be perfect.:21:

    is it possible to use marcum reflect (something like that) in ubuntu.

    I use it in windows, to make a mirror image of os. (for back up)

    thanks again rocky & Kaistar for all the info & links.

    heres my new specs.

    kenny@ubuntu:~$ lsb_release -a
    No LSB modules are available.
    Distributor ID: Ubuntu
    Description: Ubuntu 9.10
    Release: 9.10
    Codename: karmic
    kenny@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
    [sudo] password for kenny:

    Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
    Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x4e1ce926

    Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
    /dev/sda1 1 1306 10485760 27 Unknown
    /dev/sda2 * 1306 20110 151041024 7 HPFS/NTFS
    /dev/sda3 20110 38451 147324928 7 HPFS/NTFS
    /dev/sda4 38451 38914 3717120 12 Compaq diagnostics
    kenny@ubuntu:~$
     
  17. rokytnji

    rokytnji Dedicated Member

    Edited out previous comments and links.


    I forgot you are running a Wubi install and not a full install on a Seperate Partition. So disregard everything I said above because your Ubuntu install is just a folder inside of Windows Programs Menu. I do not know Wyubi well enough to tell you how you can back up Ubuntu other than to GUESS that since Ubuntu has a folder. You can copy and Paste that folder to a backup drive and if you break your Wubi install. You can copy and Paste that folder you backed up into Windows after Deleting old Ubuntu Folder. Remember. I am just guessing at this.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2009