How To: Use 1680×1050 resolution in Ubuntu on a LG 204WT monitor

When I received my free copy of Windows Vista Ultimate, I left space on my hard drive to setup a dual boot using Ubuntu Linux. Everything worked great, my devices all work; however, I was limited to standard resolutions on my monitor! The issue? My monitor, a LG 204WT, is a wide screen, and the standard resolutions makes everything look stretched and terrible! Well, until the day that wide screen monitors are easily detected in Ubuntu, you can simply add the resolution yourself! Note: Remember to make a backup in case anything goes wrong!

Simple open up a terminal window and follow the steps:

1) Navigate to the folder:

cd /etc/X11

2) Now is the time to make a backup of the xorg.conf file!

sudo cp xorg.conf xorg.conf.backup

3) Open the configuration file:

sudo gedit xorg.conf

4) Search for the Monitor section and modify it to match the configuration below:

Section "Monitor"
     Identifier     "Generic Monitor"
     VendorName     "LG"
     ModelName      "LG L204WT"
     HorizSync       28.0 - 83.0
     VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
     Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

5) Search for the Screen section and modify it to match the configuration below. Note: The option’s information should all be on one line.

Section "Screen"
     Identifier     "Default Screen"
     Device         "x1800"
     Monitor        "Generic Monitor"
     DefaultDepth    24
     Option         "metamodes" "DFP-0: 1680x1050 +0+0" #; DFP-0: 1280x1024 +0+0;
                       DFP-0: 1024x768 +0+0; DFP-0: 832x624 +0+0; DFP-0: 800x600 +0+0;
                       DFP-0: 640x480 +0+0"
     SubSection     "Display"
          Depth       24
          Modes      "1680x1050" #"1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
     EndSubSection
EndSection

6) Save and close the window. Now you will need to restart the environment. Press the key combination below, then login as usual:

Press Crtl+Alt+Backspace

7) Once logged back in, you can set the resolution by clicking on:

System->Preferences->Screen Resolution, then select 1680x1050!