Ubuntu virtual screen size

Clearly since im a workaholic I have build my own home servers. I run ubuntu 8(hardy), basically because its the most easy linux flavour to admin. My high power systems are normally screenless and keyboardless. So manage them like every other sys admin does; with ssh -X and the builtin vnc (vino). The catch is at some point they normal are setup to use an cruddy old lcd that i have lying around and this results in screen size crunch when I vnc to it..

You dont want to shift the real size the display to cater for the bigger vnc size because if you brick the box then you might need physical access, which means dusting of that old cruddy lcd. So you make the vitural screen size bigger here is the hack...

$ cd /etc/X11
$ sudo cp xorg.conf.YYYYMMDD
$ sudo vi xorg.conf

Why use the date as YYMMDD.. basic its sortable.. forget the crazy US dates this is a computer, "ls -1" it with > 1000 files and you'll get the point....

Now Locate "Screen" section and add the Virtual line.. or the entire "Display" sections if you need to add "Display" SubSection double check existing display mode from System > Preferences > Screen Resolution

Section "Screen"
  Identifier      "Default Screen"
  Monitor         "Configured Monitor"
  Device          "Configured Video Device"
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth   24
    Modes   "960x600"
    Virtual 1280 1024
  EndSubSection
EndSection