This document is intended to help you learn how to generate your own timing numbers to make optimum use of your video card and monitor. We'll present a method for getting something that works, and then show you how you can experiment starting from that base to develop settings that optimize for your taste. This will enlighten you on ways to tweak the timing numbers to achieve particular effects. If some of the modes look OK, try commenting out all but a 640x480 and check that that mode works. If it does then uncomment a couple of other modes, e.g. an 800x600 and a 1024x768 at a frequency that your monitor should be able to handle.
More help is on the way.
Many driver modules in the just-released XFree86 4.0 support DDC, the VESA Display Data Channel facility. When DDC is enabled, the monitor actually tells XFree86 what modelines it can support. So with 4.0 and any recently-manufactured monitor you are likely not to have to do any configuration at all. For notice when this page changes, fill in your email address. Material copyright Linux Documentation Project .