[rescue] IRIX boot resolution (not X)

[Ryan Thoryk]

I've got a monitor on my Indigo2 (a Sony Multiscan 17sfII) that can only do up
to 1280x1024x60.  Note that it's 60 hz max for that resolution.  The machine
starts up (with the prom) at 60hz, then when the kernel boots it switches to
either 72 or 76hz (which doesn't work), and then I have X set at 60hz so X
works.  So the prom monitor works, X works, but not the IRIX kernel's
"graphical" text mode. I've got IRIX 6.5.15.

I was wondering if the kernel could somehow be told to use 60hz instead of
whatever is uses now (the monitor says something like "out of sync range").  I
was looking over the prom variables and also fooled around in Sash looking for
something.  I would guess that Sash might do it somehow, since it boots the
kernel directly.

Any ideas on that?

also one more thing - I got sick of the 1280x1024x60 because of the refresh
rate so I switched to 1024x768x76 which works great.  I was wondering how IRIX
manages the widget sizes, because at that resolution the buttons/toolbars/etc
look really big (because the default is 1280x1024).  Can they be scaled down?
I'm guessing probably not.

Ryan Thoryk
Unix and Network Specialist
ryan at tliquest.net