My laptop committed suicide. Is there a way I can boot into my ubuntu using an external screen?

Ubuntu 10.10 video: Nvidia 9500 gm i think

I can get dual screen upto and until the ubuntu login screen at which point it goes back into laptop display only. Then I can just type and enter my password. The system (i assume boots into ubuntu) but I got no way of going onto the x or nvidia settings to change my display to external monitor

EDIT

well I booted into terminal using control shift F1 i think, and now I'm trying to reporgram x.org, but strangely it seems bland with not a lot of settings in it

EDIT 2 xrandr returns "Can't open display"

EDit 3

after some messing around with xrandr and xinit ... my x.org only displays one monitor instead of two in its settings although both, i.e. the laptop and external screens are both connected.

EDIT 4 it seems that x.org now has a "screen" and "monitor" section, I can't seem to be able to boot linux into monitor. I get a "Monitor is not a valid keyword" in this subsection