I just got a new monitor for my desktop system (the old one died after *many*
years of service). The new monitor is a high res 16:9 monitor, but the VESA video driver insists on using 1024×768 (which was the resolution of the *old*
monitor). It does seem to detect higher, 16:9 resolutions but it is not using them. I *think* I need to set some low-level video mode thing, but it has been a long time since I have had to do that that I have totally forgotten how to do it. And I have been unable to find it with a websearch either.

From /var/log/Xorg.0.log:

(II) VESA(0): Printing DDC gathered Modelines:
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “1366×768″x0.0 85.50 1366 1436 1579 1792 768 771 774 798 +hsync +vsync (47.7 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “1360×768″x0.0 85.50 1360 1424 1536 1792 768 771 777 795 +hsync +vsync (47.7 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “800×600″x0.0 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync (37.9 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “800×600″x0.0 36.00 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync (35.2 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “640×480″x0.0 31.50 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 -hsync -vsync (37.5 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “640×480″x0.0 31.50 640 664 704 832 480 489 492 520 -hsync -vsync (37.9 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “640×480″x0.0 30.24 640 704 768 864 480 483 486 525 -hsync -vsync (35.0 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “640×480″x0.0 25.18 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -hsync -vsync (31.5 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “720×400″x0.0 28.32 720 738 846 900 400 412 414 449 -hsync +vsync (31.5 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “1024×768″x0.0 78.75 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync (60.0 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “1024×768″x0.0 75.00 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (56.5 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “1024×768″x0.0 65.00 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (48.4 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “832×624″x0.0 57.28 832 864 928 1152 624 625 628 667 -hsync -vsync (49.7 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “800×600″x0.0 49.50 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync (46.9 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “800×600″x0.0 50.00 800 856 976 1040 600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync (48.1 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Modeline “1280×720″x60.0 74.48 1280 1336 1472 1664 720 721 724 746 -hsync +vsync (44.8 kHz)
(II) VESA(0): Searching for matching VESA mode(s):

Any of 1360×768, 1366×768, or 1280×720 would be fine.

Following this are a pile of blocks starting with ‘Mode: …’ or ‘*Mode: …’. I think these are the modes the driver is reading from some ‘magic’ place and maybe the stared ones are ‘matches’ to the DCC mode lines. I think what I need to do is update this ‘magic’ place with a low-level program (probably eventually run in /etc/rc.local or someplace like that) that will add in a
‘Mode’ — I did this *years* ago with little machines with Intel video chips and 16:9 monitors. But I am totally blanking on the command to use. I find using a 4:3 video mode on a 16:9 monitor somewhat unusable.

I running CentOS 5.11 w/Xen. The video chipset is a NVIDIA Corporation C77
[GeForce 8200] (rev a2). I am using stock CentOS 5 drivers and libraries
(slightly out of date).