uBuntu, Virtual PC and unusual graphics mode

Thanks for your questions.

There are some issues reported on Microsoft Virtual PC depending Linux based systems.

Most important, it seems that Virtual PC allows only 16bit color depth for linux. Ubuntu uses 24bit as default.

There are two ways to solve the problem:

1) Use VMWare (the VMWare-Server allows to install iso images and is free)
2) Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf, find Section "Screen" and change "DefaultDepth" to 16.

Please let us know, if you need more information on how to do that.

Wow, what a prompt reply. Thanks.

I would prefer to use Virtual PC but to your second offer I would answer yes, I do need assistance with the procedure. Can you please assist with this? At the moment I have a terminal window that says:

ubuntu@ubunbtu:~$

Silly question perhaps, but isn't the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf in your (virtual) CD (therefore not editable)!?
Second silly question, the safe graphics option should not load the X server and GDM: you should end up in a console not on a desktop!?

If you need to fire at me, please sight the chest :-)

I'm afraid I cannot help as I wait for Marcus to help with how I can edit the file he is talking about.

When I tried to edit the file by typing - Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf - I get the following error:

Warning: Unknown mime-type for "etc/x11/xorg.conf" -- using "application/*"
Error: no write permission for file "/etc/x11/xorg.conf"

Awaiting some instructions.

Hi Markus

Hoping you find some time to read the follow up to the mail you sent.

Sincerely
Isaac de Abreu
Johannesburg - South Africa

-----Original Message-----
From: <email address hidden> [mailto:<email address hidden>] On Behalf Of Markus Thielmann
Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 12:33 PM
To: Isaac de Abreu
Subject: Re: [Question #6181]: uBuntu, Virtual PC and unusual graphics mode

Your question #6181 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/6181

    Status: Open => Answered

Markus Thielmann proposed the following answer:
Thanks for your questions.

There are some issues reported on Microsoft Virtual PC depending Linux
based systems.

Most important, it seems that Virtual PC allows only 16bit color depth
for linux. Ubuntu uses 24bit as default.

There are two ways to solve the problem:

1) Use VMWare (the VMWare-Server allows to install iso images and is free)
2) Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf, find Section "Screen" and change "DefaultDepth" to 16.

Please let us know, if you need more information on how to do that.

_______________________________________________________________________
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/6181/+confirm?answer_id=0

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/6181

>Error: no write permission for file "/etc/x11/xorg.conf"

Yes, thats what I meant. Its on your CD, you cannot write in it.

Sorry for the delay , had a quite tough schedule today :-)

I'll be able to answer your question not before monday evening (CET). Sorry!

Sorry again for the delay.

In my opinion, the easyiest way ist to use the alternate install cd (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download, click "Check here if you need the alternate desktop CD") for installation.

It comes with a text-based graphical installer, so you won't have any problems installing feisty.

After installation, change to a console (Ctrl-Alt-F1 oder Alt-F1), log in with your given username and password. After that, type: "sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf". This will open the text editor nano with the file xorg.conf in super-user-mode. it will ask for a password, it's the same password as with the login.

Now change the defaultdepth, save (Ctrl-X) and restart ("sudo shutdown -r now") your computer. After that, you *should* be able to log in and start gnome.

p.s.: You are able to change xorg.conf on the iso edition as well ("/etc" is on a ram-disk). As all changes get lost with a restart, I won't recommend that.