setup s-video on Inspiron 1525 Ubuntu

since you are not using Dell's Ubuntu go to http://www.ubuntuforums.org

First of all: Will it make a difference if I install Ubuntu from Dell's Ubuntu image?? If yes, I am ready to go through the cumbersome process of formatting my laptop to fix this issue.

 

I have googled and also posted on ubuntuforums.org.

As an afterthought, here's something more I did regarding display:

 

My xrandr output looks like this:
hd@hogwarts:~$xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 1024, maximum 1400 x 1400
VGA connected 1280x1024+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 380mm x 305mm
1280x1024 60.0*+ 75.0 60.0 60.0*
1400x1050 60.0
1280x960 60.0
1152x864 75.0 75.0
1024x768 75.1 75.0 70.1 60.0
832x624 74.6
800x600 72.2 75.0 60.3 56.2
640x480 75.0 72.8 75.0 60.0 59.9
720x400 70.1


Also when I connect the S-video cable to TV:
hd@hogwarts:~$xrandr --output TV --auto --right-of LVDS
xrandr: screen cannot be larger than 1280x1024 (desired size 1280x600)

This is similar to the post:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=617934&page=2

Can someone help??
This is how my xorg.conf looks like:
# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

I also had a lot of trouble getting S-video and VGA-out to work, but I found a solution.

 

As far as I experienced, Ubuntu's display manager does not work very well. Try installing grandr, a graphical interface for xrandr.

 

It should be in the repos, so "sudo apt-get install grandr". Synaptic should do the job also. It does not add itself to the menu, but you can open it if you press alt-F2 and type grandr.

 

You plug everything in, start grandr and it should show which video outputs are connected. Clic the one you want, unmark the "Off" bullet, select the resolution and hit Apply. If it doesnt work try changing to another resolution. Sometimes it shows resolutions that are not compatible with the connected screen.

 

It did the job for me... I wonder why it doesn't come preinstalled =). There are also some tutorials online to do this directly with xrandr though the console.

 

Let me know if it works!

thank you !!!

grandr works. Only issue is that my Shift and Caps-lock buttons on the Keyboard froze.

I resolved that by changing the settings on Appearance to None.

 

THanks!!!