Adjusting your Linux Mint display resolution

Linux Mint is a popular distribution of the Linux operating system. Linux Mint has a relatively-high default resolution, such as 1400 X 1050, at which many people over 30 find text hard to read. This document explains how to select the recommended display driver for your Linux Mint PC, and then adjust the resolution of your Linux Mint display to a lower value, such as 1152 X 864, to make screen text easier to read.

Note: The procedures below apply specifically to Linux Mint 15, Cinnamon, and generally to all other recent editions of the Linux Mint distribution.

Selecting the Recommended Display Driver

To select the recommended display driver for your Linux Mint PC, do the following:

1. Click Menu (at lower-left corner of its screen) to display the menu.
2. Click the System Settings icon (third down at left) to display the System Settings window as shown in Figure 1.
3. As shown in Figure 2, scroll to the Hardware section, click Device Drivers, type your password and then click OK to display the Driver Manager window.
4. If you are not already using the recommended driver, select it and then click Apply Change.
5. Reboot your PC, and then adjust your display resolution according to the procedure below.

Figure 1 - The System Settings icon in the Linux Mint
menu lets you display the System Settings menu.

Figure 2 - The Device Drivers icon lets you display the Driver Manager window.

Adjusting Your Display Resolution

To adjust the display resolution of your Linux Mint PC, do the following:

1. Select the recommended display driver according to the procedure above.
2. Click Menu (at lower-left corner of the screen) to display the menu.
3. Click the System Settings icon (third down at left) to display the System Settings window.
4. Click Switch to Advanced Mode (at lower left), scroll to the Hardware section and then click Display to display its window as shown in Figure 3.
5. In the Resolution field, click the drop-down arrow to display all available resolutions.
6. Click a resolution to select it, and then click Apply to momentarily blank the screen and then display your selected resolution for 30 seconds. If you like your new resolution, click Keep this Configuration. Otherwise, Linux Mint restores your original resolution at the end of the 30 seconds.

Figure 3 - The Display window lets you adjust the resolution of your display.