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# The Answer Gang

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### determining screen resolution

From Bob Krovetz

Answered By Thomas Adams, Karl-Heinz Herrmann, Dominik Vogt (from the FVWM list)

I'm using RedHat 6.2 and the fvwm2 window manager.

> [Thomas] Hello,

> I have CC'ed this e-mail to the FVWM2 Mailing List (of which I am a member). They might also be able to help --

In my fvwm2rc file I tell the system where to put my calendar, browser, and other windows on my desktop. I specify the locations and the size of the windows.

> [Thomas] What you mean is, you use specify the geometry. I would recommend putting these in your $HOME/.Xdefaults file (often symlinked to $HOME/.Xresources).

If I switch to a different display with a lower screen resolution then these values will be inappropriate. Is there a way to get the screen resolution so that I can scale the values appropriately?

Thanks, Bob

> [Thomas] Yes, there is, but you'll have to do it manually if you are switching to a higher/lower resolution.

> If you do this switching by using the Alt-Ctrl-Keypad + or - he resolution will change but not the screen size. You will get a virtual screen size (visual in XF86Config) of your maximum resolutin (i.e. if you run your max resolution everything will be visible at once, on lower resolutions you will have to scroll around on the screen).

> In this case the placement and size of windows can stay the same.

> I switched screen several times in the past and in that case I changed the max. resolution and therefore the actual virtual screen sizes. I had to change the settings in .fvwm2rc and/or .Xdefaults to get a good placement of the initial startup windows again. I don't know of a way to automatize this, something like "one xterm half screen width at the left screen edge" would sure be nice -- unless that would be too small.

> [from Fvwm List -- Dominik Vogt]

> In 2.4.x, you can use $[vp.width] and $[vp.height] to get the screen's (viewport's) dimensions.

> Bye

> Dominik ^_^ ^_^

I was thinking in particular about a switch between a desktop machine and a laptop. I can use a different .fvwm2rc and .Xdefaults file for the two machines, but it would be nice to have one set of files for both. It would also be nice to have the display reconfigured when I use Alt-ctrl + or -. Even if the screen initially doesn't look right, if the fvwm2rc file is based on using the screen resolution then I can just restart the window-manager.

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Published in issue 72 of Linux Gazette November 2001

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