From c90d1ba0373b46edaea196a049a420ca19e3c311 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: gferg <> Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:07:12 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] updated --- LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/appsSect.sgml | 2 +- LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/howtoChap.sgml | 2 +- .../docbook/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO.xml | 145 +++++++++--------- 3 files changed, 71 insertions(+), 78 deletions(-) diff --git a/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/appsSect.sgml b/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/appsSect.sgml index 3bd6f19d..6e449014 100644 --- a/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/appsSect.sgml +++ b/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/appsSect.sgml @@ -1312,7 +1312,7 @@ How to set up a touch screen input device under XFree86. XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO, XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO -Updated: Jul 2003. +Updated: Sep 2013. How to compose a mode line for your card/monitor combination under XFree86. diff --git a/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/howtoChap.sgml b/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/howtoChap.sgml index d087e666..8d05bce1 100644 --- a/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/howtoChap.sgml +++ b/LDP/howto/docbook/HOWTO-INDEX/howtoChap.sgml @@ -5151,7 +5151,7 @@ How to set up a touch screen input device under XFree86. XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO, XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO -Updated: Jul 2003. +Updated: Sep 2013. How to compose a mode line for your card/monitor combination under XFree86. diff --git a/LDP/howto/docbook/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO.xml b/LDP/howto/docbook/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO.xml index c867497e..10d397cb 100644 --- a/LDP/howto/docbook/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO.xml +++ b/LDP/howto/docbook/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO.xml @@ -1,7 +1,6 @@ @@ -10,7 +9,7 @@
-XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO +X.org/XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO Eric @@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ -$Date$ 2000 Eric S. Raymond @@ -32,14 +30,32 @@ Copyright Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify - this document under the terms of the Open Publication License, + this document under the terms of the + Creative Commons Attribution License, version 2.0. + + 6.6 + 2013-09-22 + esr + + Ten years after: minor updates for X.org. kvideogen and xf86setup are + dead, read-edid has a new home page. + + + + 6.5 + 2003-09-28 + esr + + License changed to Creative Commons. + + 6.4 - 2003-07-14 + 2004-10-14 esr URL fixes. @@ -89,18 +105,20 @@ -This HOWTO is effectively obsolete. -Current (4.0.1 and up) versions of XFree86 compute optimal modelines -from the resolution you specify in the Modes section of your X -configuration file. +This HOWTO is effectively obsolete, and +has been so since 2003. Current versions of X compute optimal +modelines from EDID information returned by your monitor. In addition, +many of the constraints and caveats in this document applied to CRTs +but no longer apply to digital flatscreens. How to compose a mode line for your card/monitor combination -under XFree86XFree86. The -XFree86 distribution now includes good facilities for configuring most +under X.orgX.org (originally +written for its ancestor +XFree86XFree86). +X distributions now include good facilities for configuring most standard combinations; this document is mainly useful if you are tuning a custom mode line for an ultra-high-performance monitor or very unusual hardware. It may also help you in using -kvideogen to generate mode lines, or xvidtune to tweak a standard mode that is not quite right for your monitor. @@ -127,12 +145,13 @@ here. Why This HOWTO Is Obsolete -For 4.0.0 and later versions of XFree86, you no longer have to -generate modelines at all under most circumstances. Instead they are -computed internally by the server at startup time, based on the -resolution you specify in the Modes part of the Screen section part of -your XFree86 configuration file and the monitor capabilities your X -server gets via an EDID query to the monitor. +In X.org (and for 4.0.0 and later versions of the now-obsolete +XFree86) you no longer have to generate modelines at all under most +circumstances. Instead they are computed internally by the server at +startup time, based on the resolution you specify in the the monitor +capabilities your X server gets via an EDID query to the monitor (and +the Modes part of the Screen section part of your X configuration +file, if you have one). To change your screen resolution and color depth, simply edit or create a Display section describing it. Here is a sample Screen @@ -154,22 +173,21 @@ EndSection All you will usually need to do is change the numbers in the -Mode entry. X will do the rest. If you specify an impossible +Modes entry. X will do the rest. If you specify an impossible resolution, it will fall back to the closest approximation that the EDID data from the monitor says it can support. Therefore, the information in the remainder of this HOWTO is useful only if (a) you have an old, pre-EDID monitor, or (b) your graphics-card driver doesn't support querying the monitor, or (c) you -are running an old version of XFree86 (in which case, you should +are running a very old version of X (in which case, you should fix your problem by upgrading), or (d) your monitor/card combination -can support a resolution above 1920 x 1440 or below 640 x 480, which -is the range over which XFree86 has canned modelines. +operates outside the range over which X has canned modelines. Introduction -The XFree86 server allows users to configure their video +The X server allows users to configure their video subsystem and thus encourages best use of existing hardware. This document is intended to help you learn how to generate your own timing numbers to make optimum use of your video card and monitor. @@ -199,52 +217,30 @@ handle. Tools for Automatic Computation -If your monitor was made after 1996, it probably supports the -EDID -specification. EDID-capable monitors (sometimes called "Plug'n'Play" -monitors in Microsoft marketing literature) can report their -capabilities to your computer. +All modern monitors support the EDID +specification. EDID-capable monitors report their capabilities to your +computer. -Many driver modules in XFree86 4.0 support DDC, the All modern X driver modules support DDC, the VESA Display Data Channel facility. A DDC-enabled graphics-card module will ask the monitor to hand it an EDID capability description and -configure itself from that data. So with 4.0 and any recent monitor, +configure itself from that data. So with any recent monitor, you are likely not to have to do any configuration at all. If your graphics-card module happens not to be DDC-enabled but your monitor speaks EDID, you can still use the read-edid program to ask the monitor for its statistics and compute a mode line for you. See the read-edid home +url="http://www.polypux.org/projects/read-edid/">read-edid home page. -Starting with XFree86 3.2, XFree86 provided an -XF86Setup program that makes it easy to generate -a working monitor mode interactively, without messing with video -timing numbers directly. So you shouldn't actually need to calculate a -base monitor mode in most cases. Unfortunately, -XF86Setup has some limitations; it only knows -about standard video modes up to 1280x1024. If you have a very -high-performance monitor capable of 1600x1200 or more you will still -have to compute your base monitor mode yourself. - -There is a KDE tool called KVideoGen that -computes modelines from basic monitor and card statistics. I've -experimented with generating modelines from it, but haven't tried them -in live use. Note that its horizontal and vertical `refresh rate' -parameters are the same as the sync frequencies HSF and VSF we -describe below. The `horizontal sync pulse' number seems to be a sync -pulse width in microseconds, HSP (with the tool assuming fixed `front -porch' HGT1 and `back porch' HGT2 values). If you don't know the -`horizontal sync pulse' number it's safe to use the default. - -Another XFree86 modeline generator lives A manual modeline generator lives here. You can either download the Python script or use the CGI form provided. -Recent versions of XFree86 provide a tool called +X provides a tool called xvidtune which you will probably find quite useful for testing and tuning monitor modes. It begins with a gruesome warning about the possible consequences of mistakes with it. If you @@ -254,8 +250,8 @@ xvidtune effectively and with confidence. If you have xvidtune(1), you'll be able to test new modes on the fly, without modifying your X configuration -files or even rebooting your X server. Otherwise, XFree86 allows you -to hot-key between different modes defined in Xconfig (see XFree86.man +files or even rebooting your X server. Otherwise, X allows you +to hot-key between different modes defined in Xconfig (see X.man for details). Use this capabilty to save yourself hassles! When you want to test a new mode, give it a unique mode label and add it to the end of your hot-key list. Leave a known-good @@ -273,7 +269,7 @@ better understand the relationships that define them. displaydisplay works is essential to understanding what numbers to put in the various fields in the file Xconfig. Those values are used in the lowest levels of -controlling the display by the XFree86 server. +controlling the display by the X server. The display generates a picture from what you could consider to be a series of raster dots. The dots are arranged from left to right to form @@ -415,7 +411,7 @@ clock you can use): BTW, there's nothing magic about this table; these numbers are just -the lowest dot clocks per resolution in the standard XFree86 Modes +the lowest dot clocks per resolution in the standard X Modes database (except for the last, which I extrapolated). The bandwidth of your monitor may actually be higher than the minimum needed for its top resolution, so don't be afraid to try a dot clock a few MHz @@ -462,9 +458,10 @@ if this were so). The card's dot clock -Your video adapter manual's spec page will usually give you the card's -maximum dot clockdot clock (that is, the total number of pixels per second -it can write to the screen). +Your video adapter manual's spec page will usually give you the +card's maximum dot clockdot +clock (that is, the total number of pixels per +second it can write to the screen). If you don't have this information, the X server will get it for you. Recent versions of the X servers all support a --probeonly option that @@ -479,7 +476,7 @@ have to reboot to get your console back. The probe result or startup message should look something like one of the following examples: -If you're using XFree86: +If you're using X.org or XFree86: Xconfig: /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/Xconfig @@ -560,7 +557,7 @@ hardware. A superior hardware combination without an equally competent device driver is a waste of money. On the other hand, with a versatile device driver but less capable hardware, you can push the hardware a little beyond its rated performance. This is the design -philosophy of XFree86. +philosophy of X. You should match the dot clock you use to the monitor's video bandwidth. There's a lot of give here, though --- some monitors can @@ -851,11 +848,12 @@ monitor can display at most 800x600, then high resolution is beyond your reach anyway (see Using Interlaced Modes for a possible remedy). -Don't worry if you have more memory than required; XFree86 will make -use of it by allowing you to scroll your viewable area (see the -Xconfig file documentation on the virtual screen size parameter). +Don't worry if you have more memory than required; the X server +will make use of it by allowing you to scroll your viewable area (see +the Xconfig file documentation on the virtual screen size parameter). Remember also that a card with 512K bytes of memory really doesn't -have 512,000 bytes installed, it has 512 x 1024 = 524,288 bytes. +have 512,000 bytes installed, it has 512 x 1024 = 524,288 +bytes. If you're running X/Inside using an S3 card, and are willing to live with 16 colors (4 bits per pixel), you can set depth 4 in Xconfig and @@ -1321,7 +1319,7 @@ to the maximum pixel frequency of the board. Using Interlaced Modes (This section is largely due to David Kastrup -dak@pool.informatik.rwth-aachen.de) +dak@gnu.org) At a fixed dot clock, an interlaced display is going to have considerably less noticable flicker than a non-interlaced display, if @@ -1329,7 +1327,7 @@ the vertical circuitry of your monitor is able to support it stably. It is because of this that interlaced modes were invented in the first place. -Interlaced modes got their bad reputqtion because they are inferior to +Interlaced modes got their bad reputation because they are inferior to their non-interlaced companions at the same vertical scan frequency, VSF (which is what is usually given in advertisements). But they are definitely superior at the same horizontal scan rate, and that's where @@ -1413,7 +1411,7 @@ won't promise it. Why not? There is NO reason whatsover why you have to use 640x480, -800x600, or even 1024x768. The XFree86 servers let you configure your hardware +800x600, or even 1024x768. The X server lets you configure your hardware with a lot of freedom. It usually takes two to three tries to come up the right one. The important thing to shoot for is high refresh rate with reasonable viewing area. not high resolution at the price of eye-tearing @@ -1822,8 +1820,3 @@ Local Variables: compile-command: "mail -s \"HOWTO update\" submit@en.tldp.org - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -To unsubscribe, e-mail: submit-unsubscribe@en.tldp.org -For additional commands, e-mail: submit-help@en.tldp.org -