Can someone please tell me how to edit my com.apple.boot.plist file so that I can change the resolution to 1280x1024? I get permission errors even when using sudo.

If you boot in Single User mode you are root so you can type
nano /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist

edit whatever you want the type Control-X to save and exit.

If you booted in GUI run Terminal and type
sudo su
type your password
type the command same command line as in single user mode.

Much more simpler way to do this is to browse with Finder to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist and just drag damn' file to your desktop. After that edit your file (the desktop one) and save it. To finish the job you drag the desktop version in the same folder where the old one was ... /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ and it should appear some dialog window....press the Authenticate button and type your password when it's asked for. Good job ... all done!

By the way ... did you changed your root password?
To do so you open Terminal and type sudo passwd root.
Then you type your password and after that type your chosen root password (twice)
Now it should repeat first part and it should work.

Why would you want to drag it to the desktop to edit? Just edit the original one. Use a text editor like Smultron (yes, there's an Intel compiled version). When you try to save it, you'll get authentication popup and you just enter the password to save it correctly. Even simpler.

Hi all...

I´m edit the file /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist and insert the lines:
<key>Graphics Mode</key>
<string>1280×1024×32</string>

I restart my osx86 (10.4.3) and my screen resolution dont´t change. (original is 1024x768).

I open the file again and the lines are there!!

What I can do to change may resolution to 1280x1024.
My monitor is LG 710SH 17" and my vga is one FX 5200 with 256mb 128 bits.

Tanks and I hope some one can help me.. please..

Andre

Do you ever tryed to type "Graphics Mode"="1280x1024x32" at the Darwin bootloader?
If this also don't work then maybe it's not possible with your Nvidia card in VESA mode.

How I can do it in Darwin bootloader? (tanks for the fast response )

Press F8 at boot (quickly) and you should have something like this:

I tried and it didn't work (I tried both ways)
I've got a geforce 6600. Is there anything i can do?

That's not simplier, that's just GUI way.

Dear DrJägermeister,

Your tip work, I insert im my bootloader and my new resolution are working. But how I can do this automatic?

Tanks

Edit the com.apple.Boot.plist and add that value to the kernel flags key.

macgirl,

How I can do it, please?

Tanks

Andre

Open Treminal from the Utilities Folder, then run this:
sudo pico /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist
the system ask for your password, then add it after the
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string>"Graphics Mode"="1280×1024×32"</string>

I don't know why it is not working with
<key>Graphics Mode</key>
<string>1280×1024×32</string>

Just a hint, diconnect the TV connector before boot if it is connected of course.

I have some sort of the same problem.. I use -s to get single user mode, and I use emacs to edit the Boot file, but I get "read only". Ok I'll just chmod it to a+w, but then it get the following message: Read-Only file system..

what to do?

How can I make an other partition default. And can I make this bootloader run automatically (without F8) and wait a few minutes to choose if i want to run an other OS???

You can try this:
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string>rd=diskXsY</string>

to boot on another partition, but it didn't work for me (probably because of NTFS, perhaps with FAT32 it'll work who knows...)

And with this you'll have the timer:

<key>Timeout</key>
<string>8</string>

8 seconds here...

(As you can see in the file, <key>Timeout</key> and <key>Kernel Flags</key> could already be wrote, don't make twice...)

you have to
fsck -fy
and
mount -uw /

Before you can edit in single user

Maybe if you add a refresh rate it works? Example: 1280x1024x32@75

Greetz keeshond

Hi there,
I'd like to move to 1280x1024 as well but I tried all these tips with no success. There are other way to set that display resolution? I've a Toshiba M70-166, LCD native res is 1280x1024.



Thanks in advance...

I was editing my com.apple.boot.plist file and saved it back and now when I boot it immediately says "missing boot.plist file". I guess I majorly messed it up someway. Anyway to get to it without having to reinstall the whole OSX86 DVD?
Thanks

you mention TV Connector ... exactly what are you referring to there? I have an ATI AIW card with coax connected ... are you referring to that?

thx

got it working with macgirls method
thanks a lot!



*didn't get it to work on jas 10.4.8 but yes on uphuck 10.4.9 v1.3*


Is it possible to use 1680x1050?

Works nearly fine.
"Graphics Mode"="1680x1050x32" in my com.apple.Boot.plist results in 1400x1050 (unchangable). A real progress in contrast to the formerly unchangable 1024x768.
But does anyone know why it works only with 1400px and not with 1680?


Edit:
?video at Startup shows that there are only 4:3 ratio resolutions like 1024x768, 1280x1024 etc. available. Is there any trick to get 16:10 ratio resolutions like 1280x800 enabled?

Doesn't work in install DVD's Terminal
Also, sudo, pico and chmod/chgrp are "unknown commands".

i start my osx in F8 and -s mode
start directly in terminal mode

so i start like root
i try to edit com.apple.Boot.plist
but when i try to change i have this errors
W18: Warnig: Changing a readonly file
E383: Unable to oprn swap file for "/Lib...../com.apple.Boot.plist"


what i have to do?

thanks

Hello fumocamel!

the problem is that you can't modify any file when you're using "-s" at Darwin bootloader. This flag makes system to be in single mode. So it mounts all partitions on "read-only"! To change "com.apple.Boot.plist" you can do it using two ways:

1 - Boot system normaly and copy "com.apple.Boot.plist" to you desktop and open it. You'll change it without problem. Save file and copy it to the original folder.

2 - Boot system normaly and open a Terminal windows. Type command: sudo nano /Lib...../com.apple.Boot.plist change it and save file.

It'll work fine!

My regards!

sono nuovo avrei un problemino ho installato tiger 10.4.9 di Unpuk nativo al riavvio mi da com.apple.boot.plist not found. spero che qualcunopossa aiutarmi a capire cosa fare e sopratutto siate piu dettagliati nella spiegazione. ci capisco poco del terminale. grazie


amd 64 dual core
ram 1 gb
mb msi k9vgm-v
nvidia integrata 25 mb

Just to give my experience- this worked for me without any problem. I'm seeing full 1680x1050 resolution on my HP Pavillion dv9000 using macgirls method with the string you used above.

Same with me worked fine, thankyou

Im using

and works fine. Using Chimei 22" monitor with ATI HD 4870 graphic card. Looks fantastic