How to adjust the Ubuntu screen size

After you install an Ubuntu operating system on your computer, you might find that the Ubuntu desktop screen size is slightly too large to display completely. For example, the toolbar at the bottom of your Ubuntu desktop might be only partially visible, if at all. The possible solutions to this problem vary according to whether you have an LCD (flat) monitor or a CRT (glass) monitor.

If you have an LCD monitor, you have two possible solutions:

• Run "automatic configuration" to adjust the screen size on your LCD monitor.
• Activate a proprietary video-card driver.

If you have a CRT monitor, you have two possible solutions:

• Adjust screen size and position on a CRT monitor.
• Activate a proprietary video-card driver.

Running Automatic Configuration

Only an LCD monitor has an automatic-configuration button. Therefore, if you have a CRT monitor, you cannot run automatic configuration. To adjust the screen size on your LCD monitor through automatic configuration, do the following:

1. Locate the automatic-configuration button. See the instructions that came with your LCD monitor.
2. Press and release the automatic-configuration button to run automatic configuration and adjust screen size.

Activating a Proprietary Video-Card Driver

To activate a proprietary driver for your video card (or the built-in "video-card" circuitry on your motherboard), do the following:

1. At the top of the Ubuntu desktop, click on System to display its drop-down menu.
2. Select Administration to display its drop-down menu.
3. Click on Hardware Drivers to first display a "Searching for available drivers window," and then after approximately 20 seconds, display a "Hardware Drivers" window.
4. If the Hardware Drivers window lists only one proprietary video driver, select it to activate it. If the list contains more than one proprietary video driver, select the recommended (or newest) driver to activate it.

Adjusting Screen Size and Position

Only a CRT monitor has both "size" and "position" adjustment knobs. Therefore, if you have an LCD monitor, you cannot adjust screen size. To adjust screen size and position on a CRT monitor, do the following:

1. Locate the horizontal-size, horizontal-position, vertical-size, and vertical-position adjustment knobs. You can usually find these knobs at the back, or under a cover at the front.
2. Adjust the horizontal-size knob until you see a black stripe at either the left or right of the screen.
3. Adjust the horizontal-position knob until you see identical black stripes at both sides of the screen.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you see only thin, identical black stripes at both sides of the screen.
5. Adjust the vertical-size knob until you see a black stripe at either the top or bottom of the screen.
6. Adjust the vertical-position knob until you see identical black stripes at both the top and bottom of the screen.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you see only thin, identical black stripes at both the top and bottom of the screen.