Graphical Configuration

Konfiguri X, grafik-karton kaj monitoron

No matter which graphical environment (also known as desktop environment) you chose for this install of Mageia, they are all based on a graphical user interface system called X Window System, or simply “X”. So in order for KDE Plasma, GNOME, LXDE or any other graphical environment to work well, the following “X” settings need to be correct.

Choose the appropriate settings manually if you think the details are incorrect, or if none are shown.

  • Graphic Card

    If you need to, you can select a specific card from this expandable list. See la sekcio nomata “Choose an X Server (Configure your Graphic Card)”.

  • Monitor

    You can choose Plug 'n Play, if applicable, or choose your monitor from the Vendor or Generic lists. Choose Custom if you prefer to manually set the horizontal and vertical refresh rates of your monitor. See la sekcio nomata “Choosing your Monitor”.

  • Resolution

    The resolution and color depth of your monitor can be set here.

  • Test

    The test button does not always appear during install. If the option is there, and you test your settings, you should be asked to confirm that your settings are correct. If you answer Yes, the settings will be kept. If you don't see anything, you'll return to the configuration screen and be able to reconfigure everything until the test result is satisfactory. If the test option is not available, then make sure your settings are on the safe side.

  • Options

    Here you can choose to enable or disable various options.

[Averto]

There is a risk of damaging a monitor if you choose refresh rates that are outside the frequency range of that monitor. This applies to older CRT displays: modern monitors will reject an unsupported frequency and normally enter standby mode.

Choose an X Server (Configure your Graphic Card)

DrakX has a very comprehensive database of video cards and will usually correctly identify your video device.

If the installer has not correctly detected your graphic card and you know which one you have, you can select it from the tree by:

  • Vendor

  • then the make of your card

  • and the model of card

If you cannot find your card in the vendor lists (because it's not yet in the database or it's an older card) you may find a suitable driver in the Xorg category, which provides more than 40 generic and open source video card drivers. If you still can't find a specific driver for your card there is the option of using the VESA driver which provides basic capabilities.

[Atentu]

Be aware that if you select an incompatible driver you may only have access to the Command Line Interface

Some video card manufacturers provide proprietary drivers for Linux which may only be available in the Nonfree repository and in some cases only from the card manufacturers' websites. The Nonfree repository needs to be explicitly enabled to access them. If you didn't enable it previously, you should do this after your first reboot.

Choosing your Monitor

DrakX has a very comprehensive database of monitors and will usually correctly identify yours.

[Averto]

Selecting a monitor with different characteristics could damage your monitor or video hardware. Please don't try something without knowing what you are doing. If in doubt you should consult your monitor documentation.

Subdiskigo

This option allows you to set two critical parameters: the vertical refresh rate and the horizontal sync rate. Vertical refresh determines how often the screen is refreshed and horizontal sync is the rate at which scan lines are displayed.

It is VERY IMPORTANT that you do not specify a monitor type with a sync range that is beyond the capabilities of your monitor: you may damage your monitor. If in doubt, choose a conservative setting and consult your monitor documentation.

Plug'n Play

This is the default option and automatically tries to determine the monitor type from the monitor database.

Vendor

If the installer has not correctly detected your monitor and you know which one you have, you can select it from the tree by selecting:

  • Manufacturer

  • Monitor model

Generic

Selecting this group will list nearly 30 display configurations such as 1024x768 @ 60Hz and includes flat-panel displays as used in laptops. This is often a good monitor selection group if you need to use the VESA card driver when your video hardware cannot be determined automatically. Once again it may be wise to be conservative in your selections.