Steven M. Bellovin writes:
> Yes, it has 1600x1200 resolution; it's a 20.1" display.
> ... sku=320-1578

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?TabPage=techspecs&sku=320-1578&c=us&l=en&cs=19&page=external

I just love the marketing phrase "up to XXX" and a long list of
resolutions.  LCD's have one and only one pixel pitch.  The fact that
they list all those other resolutions leaves me wondering which one is
real and which ones are interpolated.

> What I don't understand is the phrae "Supported Future Video Modes".
> Does that mean that VESA is considering the mode, but hasn't endorsed 
> it yet?  And what, if anything, in the X suite should know about it?

My two CRT monitors here both run in the resolutions mentioned in the
"future modes".  I don't think the "future" tag in and of itself is
the kiss of death.

(II) MGA(0): Manufacturer's mask: 0
(II) MGA(0): Supported Future Video Modes:
(II) MGA(0): #0: hsize: 640  vsize 480  refresh: 85  vid: 22833
(II) MGA(0): #1: hsize: 800  vsize 600  refresh: 85  vid: 22853
(II) MGA(0): #2: hsize: 1024  vsize 768  refresh: 85  vid: 22881
(II) MGA(0): #3: hsize: 1280  vsize 1024  refresh: 85  vid: 39297
(II) MGA(0): #4: hsize: 1600  vsize 1200  refresh: 75  vid: 20393
...


What I needed to do at one point was widen the default V and H clock
ranges (after hunting them down in the manufacturer's manuals).  After
that X had no qualms about using the future modes.  The reluctance was
simply caused by it not wanting to exceed the compiled-in default H
and V frequency ranges.

        Section "Monitor"
        ...
	# Sony 20seII
        HorizSync       30-96
        VertRefresh     48-160
	# # hitachi Superscan Supreme 803
	# HorizSync       31-115
	# VertRefresh     50-160

And yes, I agree X really needs to do better automating this.  One
shouldn't have to become an XF86Config file expert just to get X
working correctly.  Luckily Xorg does a much better job of
autoconfig-ing things (it even managed to squeeze a few more pixels
out of my Hitachi monitor, cranking it up to 1920x1440.)

-wolfgang