I just installed ubuntu 11 and the maximum resolution that it will let me set it at is 1024 x 768. My graphics are onboard, its the intel 82845g. Trying to increase the resolution and support the video more smoothly.
UPDATE:
user1@pc1:~$ xrandr | grep maximum
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 2048 x 2048
user1@pc1:~$ gtf 1280 1024 59.9
# 1280x1024 @ 59.90 Hz (GTF) hsync: 63.49 kHz; pclk: 108.70 MHz
Modeline "1280x1024_59.90" 108.70 1280 1360 1496 1712 1024 1025 1028 1060 -HSync +Vsync
user1@pc1:~$ xrandr --newmode "1280x1024_59.90" 108.70 1280 1360 1496 1712 1024 1025 1028 1060 -HSync +Vsync
X Error of failed request: BadName (named color or font does not exist)
Major opcode of failed request: 149 (RANDR)
Minor opcode of failed request: 16 (RRCreateMode)
Serial number of failed request: 20
Current serial number in output stream: 20
user1@pc1:~$
What Laptop/computer model do you have? what Ubuntu version you installed: 11.04 or 11.10? Is it an external monitor or a the laptop screen? If an external monitor, how do you plug it? VGA, DVI, HDMI? – Hanynowsky Mar 09 '12 at 04:39
user1@pc1:~$ xrandr -q Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 2048 x 2048 VGA1 connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm 1024x768 60.0* 800x600 60.3 56.2 848x480 60.0 640x480 59.9 user1@pc1:~$
– djturbojp7 Mar 09 '12 at 23:40description: VGA compatible controller product: 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 2 bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0 version: 01 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom configuration: driver=i915 latency=0 resources: irq:16 memory:f0000000-f7ffffff memory:ffa80000-ffafffff user1@pc1:~$ – djturbojp7 Mar 09 '12 at 23:41
xrandr -s 1280x1024 – Hanynowsky Mar 10 '12 at 00:41