Installing on Intel Atom Desktop

Having trouble installing Zorin on an Asus EEEBOX EB1030. It thinks it's a laptop with a built-in monitor and therefore I can't properly configure the screen resolution. Tried Lite first (V8) and was unable to configure properly so I tried Core (V8), and same problem. I managed to get into the monitor configuration, but was unable to properly configure or disable the built-in monitor without losing all monitors.

Here is xrandr output:

Code:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 4096 x 4096
VGA-0 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
   1440x900       60.0 +
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0 
   1280x960       60.0 
   1152x864       75.0 
   1024x768       75.1     70.1     60.0 
   832x624        74.6 
   800x600        72.2     75.0     60.3     56.2 
   640x480        75.0     72.8     66.7     60.0 
   720x400        70.1 
LVDS-0 connected primary 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768       60.0*+
   960x720        60.0 
   928x696        60.1 
   896x672        60.0 
   960x600        60.0 
   960x540        60.0 
   800x600        60.0     60.3     56.2 
   840x525        60.0     59.9 
   800x512        60.2 
   700x525        60.0 
   640x512        60.0 
   720x450        59.9 
   640x480        60.0     59.9 
   680x384        59.8     60.0 
   576x432        60.1 
   512x384        60.0 
   400x300        60.3     56.3 
   320x240        60.1 
DVI-0 connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 160mm x 90mm
   1920x1080      60.0 +   59.9     59.9     30.0     24.0     30.0     24.0 
   1680x1050      74.9     69.9     60.0     59.9 
   1600x1024      60.2 
   1400x1050      74.8     70.0     60.0 
   1600x900       60.0 
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0 
   1440x900       59.9     59.9 
   1280x960       60.0 
   1366x768       59.8 
   1360x768       59.8     60.0 
   1280x800       59.9 
   1152x864       75.0     75.0     70.0     60.0 
   1280x720       60.0     59.9 
   1024x768       75.0     60.0     75.1     75.0     70.1     60.0*
   960x720        75.0     60.0 
   928x696        75.0     60.1 
   896x672        75.0     60.0 
   960x600        60.0 
   832x624        74.6 
   960x540        60.0 
   800x600        75.0     70.0     65.0     60.0     72.2     75.0     60.3     56.2 
   840x525        75.0     69.9     60.0     59.9 
   800x512        60.2 
   700x525        74.8     70.1     60.0 
   720x480        60.0     59.9 
   640x512        75.0     60.0 
   720x450        59.9 
   640x480        60.0     75.0     72.8     72.8     75.0     66.7     60.0     59.9 
   720x400        70.1 
   680x384        59.8     60.0 
   576x432        75.0     75.0     70.0     60.1 
   512x384        75.0     70.1     60.0 
   416x312        74.7 
   400x300        72.2     75.1     60.3     56.3 
   320x240        72.8     75.0     60.1 
DisplayPort-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)


lshw -C video output:

Code:

*-display               
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: Atom Processor D2xxx/N2xxx Integrated Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 0b
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=gma500 latency=0
       resources: irq:45 memory:dfc00000-dfcfffff ioport:f0d0(size=8)


I noticed a file under /home/user/.config/monitors.xml, here is the contents of that file:

Code:

<monitors version="1">
  <configuration>
      <clone>yes</clone>
      <output name="VGA-0">
          <vendor>ACI</vendor>
          <product>0x19ea</product>
          <serial>0x01010101</serial>
      </output>
      <output name="LVDS-0">
          <vendor>???</vendor>
          <product>0x0000</product>
          <serial>0x00000000</serial>
          <width>1024</width>
          <height>768</height>
          <rate>60</rate>
          <x>0</x>
          <y>0</y>
          <rotation>normal</rotation>
          <reflect_x>no</reflect_x>
          <reflect_y>no</reflect_y>
          <primary>yes</primary>
      </output>
      <output name="DVI-0">
          <vendor>SAM</vendor>
          <product>0x094d</product>
          <serial>0x00000001</serial>
          <width>1024</width>
          <height>768</height>
          <rate>60</rate>
          <x>0</x>
          <y>0</y>
          <rotation>normal</rotation>
          <reflect_x>no</reflect_x>
          <reflect_y>no</reflect_y>
          <primary>no</primary>
      </output>
      <output name="DisplayPort-0">
      </output>
  </configuration>
</monitors>

Tried to modify this file but had no affect, and reset the file to default values. Is there any way to switch from Laptop to Desktop mode in Zorin/Ubuntu? Please help!

Hi, and welcome to the Zorin forum!

Sadly I think there is a bug due to the hardware:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2192251

No guarantees but if you get to the GRUB menu at boot time you could try this:

1. Press the TAB key on your keyboard to edit the boot command line.

2. Press the space bar once then enter:

Code:

xforcevesa nomodeset acpi=off nolapic

Then press enter to continue booting.

Keep us posted!

Hi

I believe that the problem is that there is only one VGA compatible display driver and hardware that is configured according your aspect ratio and resolution in your laptop when installing the os. If an external display is used so there should be the same aspect ratio and resolution available to be able to use parallel the both displays with using the whole display. I don't know if there is any possibility to switch from one display to an other and change the aspect ratio or resolution according to different displays' needs after installation. I have the same problem, even if the aspect ratio is the same there is not any resolution setting in the ext display that comply with my laptops resolution. There can be better knowledge available for that, whether it is possible to do one way or another. Best solution however would be that there were separate output for ext. display with it's own driver setup to be set according to ext. display's needs.

Swarfendor437: Was unable to perform these modifications to the grub menu, said xforcevesa command could not be found (did you mean xforcevga?).

Anyway, I'm thinking of trying Zorin 6.4 since it's 12.04 based, and the PC came with 12.04 pre-installed on it. The issue seems to stem from the vesa drivers, and 12.04 uses cedarview drivers.

Henriolavi: This is a desktop problem.

Will keep this topic updated.

Ok, so you have not any additional ext. display, but the installation makes wrong aspect ratio and/or resolution to your os. and you don't get there the right picture on the screen. The problem is however the same. It seems to be some bug or shortcoming in the hw configuration software that runs during installation, why it fails. I do not either know the solution for making a manual display configuration to correct it, sorry for that. I hope that there is someone to help you better in this.

andrewg wrote:Swarfendor437: Was unable to perform these modifications to the grub menu, said xforcevesa command could not be found (did you mean xforcevga?).

Anyway, I'm thinking of trying Zorin 6.4 since it's 12.04 based, and the PC came with 12.04 pre-installed on it. The issue seems to stem from the vesa drivers, and 12.04 uses cedarview drivers.

Henriolavi: This is a desktop problem.

Will keep this topic updated.

Hi, no, NOT xforcevga - x = GNU/Linux graphics system; force = what it says; vesa = vesa is an Xorg driver for generic VESA video cards [in GNU/Linux].

Just try 'nomodeset' and 'acpi=off' separated with a space.

Ok, I tried Zorin 6.4, no go. Still sees the desktop as a laptop and assigns a built-in or "laptop" monitor/display. Very frustrating, especially considering these EEEBoxes come pre-installed with Ubuntu 12.04. I am considering just going back to Ubuntu/Unity, but I would much prefer a windows-like interface as these are going to be used as thin clients with some basic functionality like web browsing being handled by the thin client itself.

Editing boot parameters is not working either, I can get to "grub>", but when I push tab it gives a list of available parameters, and when I try to enter any of the parameters you gave, it says "not found" "bad command" or something along those lines. Even tried the "e" command when Zorin 6.4 grub menu comes up to edit the boot config, added the parameters you gave (on separate lines) and it gave the same error message and booted like usual.

There has got to be a switch somewhere to make it look at the desktop as a desktop and not a laptop.

Hi, please take a look here - NO GUARANTEES!:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Quirks

Ok, trying the LVDS quirk, but xorg.conf is not present in Zorin under etc/X11/. Is it located somewhere else? Or is another file used in place of the xorg.conf?

HI, no, like ubuntu it was removed but can't remember at which release point - you can create your own from scratch though:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config