Home / ubuntu / Questions / 136139
In Process
ohnolawl
Asked: 2012-05-13 13:43:15 +0800 CST

"xrandr: Configure crtc 0 failed" when trying to change resolution on external monitor

  • 772

I've been trying to set up an external monitor for a bit, finally got it mostly working except the resolution is off. My monitor's native res is 1600x900, which I finally got to show up in xrandr:

user:~$ xrandr
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 640 x 480, current 1024 x 768, maximum 1600 x 900
default connected 1024x768+0+0 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768        0.0* 
   800x600         0.0  
   640x480         0.0  
   1600x900       59.9

However when I try to change the resolution I get the following error:

user:~$ xrandr --output default --mode 1600x900
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
xrandr: Configure crtc 0 failed
xrandr display-resolution 12.04 external-monitor

3 Answers

  1. I found that problem with ATI video drivers, with deactivated driver all works.

    Use

    xrandr --verbose

    to determine your ctrtc number? And try correct output syntax, e.g.:

    xrandr --output CRT1 --crtc CRT1 --brightness 0.7

    other outputs:

    • the Intel driver uses LVDS, VGA, TMDS-1 (TMDS-2, ...), TV
    • the ATI driver uses LVDS, VGA-0 (VGA-1, ...), DVI-0 (DVI-1, ...), S-video
    • the RadeonHD driver uses PANEL, VGA_1 (VGA_2, ...), DVI-I_1/digital or DVI-I_1/analog (DVI-I_2/digital or DVI-I_1/analog, ...), TV_7PIN_DIN
    • the NV driver uses LVDS, VGA0 (VGA1, ...), DVI0 (DVI1, ...), ???
    • the MGA driver uses ???, VGA (or VGA1, VGA2, ...), DVI (or DVI1, DVI2, ...), ???
    • the Nouveau driver uses LVDS, VGA-1, DVI-I-1, HDMI-1, ???
    • 11

  2. xrandr --verbose was very helpful to me. i managed to create a few scripts to help out with my buggy docking station situation. i want docked to be only external display, undocked to mean only laptop.

    xrandr -d :0 --output eDP1 --mode 1920x1080 --crtc 1 \
    --output DP1-1 --off \
    --output DP1-2 --off \
    --output DP1-3 --off

    and also...

    xrandr -d :0 --output DP1-1 --mode 1920x1080 --crtc 1 \
    --output eDP1 --off \
    --output DP1-2 --off \
    --output DP1-3 --off
    • 5

  3. First, you need to disable WAYLAND by uncommenting a line in file: 

    /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

    the above file may be in some other folder name variation of gdm. Remove the # in front of the line

    #WaylandEnable=false

    Reboot your Linux.

    After that, run the xrandr command. You will not find WAYLAND0. You will find DP1, HDMI1, VGA1, etc... instead.

    Now, you can use xrandr to change display resolution normally. Follow the same process you were doing earlier.

    • 4