1221 lines
22 KiB
HTML
1221 lines
22 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
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<HTML
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><HEAD
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><TITLE
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>XFree86</TITLE
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><META
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NAME="GENERATOR"
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CONTENT="Modular DocBook HTML Stylesheet Version 1.7"><LINK
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REL="HOME"
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TITLE="The X Window User HOWTO"
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HREF="index.html"><LINK
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REL="PREVIOUS"
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TITLE="Introduction"
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HREF="intro.html"><LINK
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REL="NEXT"
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TITLE="Running X"
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HREF="runningx.html"></HEAD
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><BODY
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CLASS="sect1"
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BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"
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TEXT="#000000"
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LINK="#0000FF"
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VLINK="#840084"
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ALINK="#0000FF"
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><DIV
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CLASS="NAVHEADER"
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><TABLE
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SUMMARY="Header navigation table"
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WIDTH="100%"
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BORDER="0"
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CELLPADDING="0"
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CELLSPACING="0"
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><TR
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><TH
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COLSPAN="3"
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ALIGN="center"
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>The X Window User HOWTO</TH
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></TR
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><TR
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><TD
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WIDTH="10%"
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ALIGN="left"
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VALIGN="bottom"
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><A
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HREF="intro.html"
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ACCESSKEY="P"
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>Prev</A
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></TD
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><TD
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WIDTH="80%"
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ALIGN="center"
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VALIGN="bottom"
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></TD
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><TD
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WIDTH="10%"
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ALIGN="right"
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VALIGN="bottom"
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><A
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HREF="runningx.html"
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ACCESSKEY="N"
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>Next</A
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></TD
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></TR
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></TABLE
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><HR
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ALIGN="LEFT"
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WIDTH="100%"></DIV
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><DIV
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CLASS="sect1"
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><H1
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CLASS="sect1"
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><A
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NAME="xfree86"
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></A
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>2. XFree86</H1
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><P
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> Virtually every Linux distribution comes with XFree86's
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<SPAN
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CLASS="application"
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>X Window System</SPAN
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> implementation. This project, of
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course, provides us the X server, but also includes an extensive suite of
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utilities and applications to help implement a fully functional GUI
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environment.
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</P
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><P
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> In fact, the list would be just too long to list everything that
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comes with XFree86. In addition to the X server itself, here are a few of the
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noteworthy utilities:
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</P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xdm</B
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> - the X Display Manager.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xfs</B
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> - the X Font Server.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>twm</B
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> - a lightweight Window Manager.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xterm</B
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> - the best known terminal emulator. Also,
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<B
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CLASS="command"
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>xterm3d</B
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> and <B
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CLASS="command"
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>nxterm</B
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>.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xwd</B
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> - a screen and window image capturer.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xf86config</B
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> - X server configuration utility.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xdpyinfo</B
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> - X display information utility. This
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shows great detail about the X server.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xlsclients</B
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> - lists currently connected X server
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clients.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xlsfonts</B
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> - lists fonts available to
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<SPAN
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CLASS="application"
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>X</SPAN
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>.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>appres</B
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> - lists the X <SPAN
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CLASS="QUOTE"
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>"resources"</SPAN
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> that a
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program will use.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xfontsel</B
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> - an application for viewing or
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selecting fonts.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xprop</B
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> - a tool for displaying window
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<SPAN
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CLASS="QUOTE"
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>"properties"</SPAN
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>, such as the Class name of the client.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xset</B
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> - sets user preferences for many things,
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including mouse, keyboard, sound (bell), etc.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xsetroot</B
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> - a program for changing the
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<SPAN
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CLASS="QUOTE"
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>"root window"</SPAN
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> appearance, e.g. setting a background color.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xvidtune</B
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> - an application to adjust X server
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video modes and monitor related settings.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xwininfo</B
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> - displays information about a selected
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<SPAN
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CLASS="QUOTE"
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>"window"</SPAN
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>.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> <B
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CLASS="command"
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>xmodmap</B
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> - a utility for manipulating keyboard and mouse
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button mappings.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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></P
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><TABLE
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BORDER="0"
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><TBODY
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><TR
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><TD
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> Many, many fonts. And quite a bit of documentation as well.
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</TD
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></TR
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></TBODY
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></TABLE
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><P
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></P
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><P
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> There are many more. We'll just touch on a few of these utilities here. But
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feel free to explore the others. Most should have their own man pages.
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</P
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><DIV
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CLASS="sect2"
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><H2
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CLASS="sect2"
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><A
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NAME="AEN209"
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></A
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>2.1. Hardware</H2
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><P
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> The X server controls both input (keyboard, mouse, etc) and output (display,
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monitor) devices.
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</P
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><P
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> Compatible hardware is a tough topic, since it is very much a moving target.
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We are forced here to avoid specifics, since this would surely change by the
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time you read this. And would be tediously lengthy anyway.
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</P
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><P
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> So let's settle for some generalities. <EM
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>Most</EM
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> PC type
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hardware is supported to one degree or another. Big help ;-)
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</P
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><P
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> Rule of thumb: if it is a device that uses a long-standing, commonplace
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protocol (e.g. PS/2), it should be well supported. Conversely, if it is
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something relatively new, with ground-breaking technology, the odds
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are not as good. This is just the nature of the beast with open source
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development versus manufacturers that cater more to the most popular
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platforms. Some manufacturers are more co-operative than others too.
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</P
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><P
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> Now, some general guidelines:
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</P
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><P
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> <P
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></P
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><UL
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><LI
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><P
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> Monitors - This is easy. Linux does not really need to be compatible with
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the monitor per se. That is the job of the video card. Any monitor that
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your graphics card can drive should do fine. Including, flat panel
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monitors.
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</P
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></LI
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><LI
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><P
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> Video cards - This is much tougher. The X server is determined by the
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the chipset. Many, many are supported. But inevitably there are always
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some newer cards, or even revised cards, that are not. And some may have
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better support and better optimization than others. Advanced
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features such as multi-headed displays, 3D, TV out, DRI, etc., have some
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support as well, though this should be researched first, as the support
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may be limited. Supported cards are listed: <A
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HREF="http://xfree86.org/cardlist.html"
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TARGET="_top"
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>http://xfree86.org/cardlist.html</A
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>.
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</P
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><P
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> Open source drivers are often developed incrementally. For instance, a
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particular card may work well for basic display purposes, but specialized
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features such as 3D may come much later in the development cycle. This
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is a quite different development model than with proprietary drivers from
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the manufacturer.
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</P
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></LI
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><LI
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><P
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> Keyboards -- Any standard PC type keyboard should do fine,
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including PS/2, USB and many infra-red devices. Probably many
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<SPAN
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CLASS="QUOTE"
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>"non-standard"</SPAN
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> ones too ;-)
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</P
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></LI
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><LI
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><P
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> Mice and other pointer devices -- Most should be supported including
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PS/2, bus, serial, USB and many infra-red devices. Optical mice also. Unix
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has long preferred three button mice, though more buttons is supported as
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well. Many wheeled mice have X server support via the
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<SPAN
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CLASS="QUOTE"
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>"IMPS/2"</SPAN
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> (IntelliMouse), or other specific protocols, though
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may require supplemental configuration for some individual applications.
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(See the <A
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HREF="appendix.html#links"
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>Links</A
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> section.)
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</P
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></LI
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><LI
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><P
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> Laptops have their own unique set of problems since the hardware tends to
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be very specialized, and often different from what is commonly found on
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desktop style systems. <SPAN
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CLASS="application"
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>X</SPAN
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> is supported by many.
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Check for details at <A
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HREF="http://www.linux-laptop.net/"
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|
TARGET="_top"
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>http://www.linux-laptop.net/</A
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>.
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</P
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></LI
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></UL
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>
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</P
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><P
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> You can check the <SPAN
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CLASS="QUOTE"
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>"hardware compatibility list"</SPAN
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> at your
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distribution's web site too. This should give a very good idea of what
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<EM
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>should work</EM
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> with your release.
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</P
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><P
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|
> Newer versions of XFree86 obviously will have better hardware support. If you
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are using an older Linux version and don't have full hardware support, see
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about upgrading XFree86. Check first to see if your distribution has updates
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for your release.
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</P
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></DIV
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><DIV
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CLASS="sect2"
|
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><H2
|
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CLASS="sect2"
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="AEN240"
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></A
|
|
>2.2. XF86Config</H2
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|
><P
|
|
> The primary configuration file for XFree86 is
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
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|
>XF86Config</TT
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>, which may exist on your system as
|
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<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config-4</TT
|
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> for XFree86 v4.x, or possibly other
|
|
variations (see man page). It is typically located as
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>/etc/X11/XF86Config</TT
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|
>, though again, there may be
|
|
variations in the path. If both a <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config-4</TT
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|
>
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|
and <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config</TT
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|
> exist, XFree86 v4.x will use the former.
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|
This is a required file.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
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|
>XF86Config</TT
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> file defines hardware devices, and other
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critical components of the X server environment.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> While this is a plain text file, and is editable, it is most often created
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during installation by whatever utility your vendor uses for this purpose.
|
|
XFree86 also includes the <B
|
|
CLASS="command"
|
|
>xf86config</B
|
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> utility for this,
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|
but many distributions have their own such utilities. These utilities can be
|
|
run after installation if need be, to alter the configuration, or if new
|
|
hardware is installed. Read your locally installed documentation first. If
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you attempt to hand edit this file, be sure to make a backup copy first since
|
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<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
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>X</SPAN
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|
> will not start if this file is not to its liking
|
|
;-)
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> This file contains various <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"sections"</SPAN
|
|
>. Each section defines some
|
|
fundamental aspect of XFree86, such as <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"InputDevice"</SPAN
|
|
> (mouse,
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|
keyboard, joystick, etc), <SPAN
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|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"monitor"</SPAN
|
|
>, or <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"screen"</SPAN
|
|
>. The
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config</TT
|
|
> man page describes the sections and
|
|
common values for each. Note that the values listed in the man page is not a
|
|
comprehensive listing. There are many device specific <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"options"</SPAN
|
|
>.
|
|
Check <A
|
|
HREF="http://xfree86.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
>http://xfree86.org</A
|
|
> for notes
|
|
and tips on your hardware.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> The author's current <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config-4</TT
|
|
>, as generated by Red
|
|
Hat's installer for XFree86 4.1:
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> <TABLE
|
|
BORDER="0"
|
|
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
|
|
WIDTH="100%"
|
|
><TR
|
|
><TD
|
|
><FONT
|
|
COLOR="#000000"
|
|
><PRE
|
|
CLASS="screen"
|
|
>
|
|
Section "ServerLayout"
|
|
Identifier "XFree86 Configured"
|
|
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
|
|
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
|
|
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
Section "Files"
|
|
# The location of the RGB database.
|
|
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
|
|
|
|
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
|
|
# By default, Red Hat 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
|
|
# the X server to render fonts.
|
|
FontPath "unix/:7100"
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
# Module loading section
|
|
|
|
Section "Module"
|
|
Load "dbe" # Double-buffering
|
|
Load "GLcore" # OpenGL support
|
|
Load "dri" # Direct rendering infrastructure
|
|
Load "glx" # OpenGL X protocol interface
|
|
Load "extmod" # Misc. required extensions
|
|
Load "v4l" # Video4Linux
|
|
# Load "fbdevhw"
|
|
Load "pex5"
|
|
Load "record"
|
|
Load "xie"
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
|
|
Section "InputDevice"
|
|
Identifier "Keyboard0"
|
|
Driver "keyboard"
|
|
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
|
|
|
|
# Option "AutoRepeat" "500 5"
|
|
|
|
# when using XQUEUE, comment out the above line, and uncomment the
|
|
# following line
|
|
# Option "Protocol" "Xqueue"
|
|
|
|
# Specify which keyboard LEDs can be user-controlled (eg, with xset(1))
|
|
# Option "Xleds" "1 2 3"
|
|
|
|
# To disable the XKEYBOARD extension, uncomment XkbDisable.
|
|
# Option "XkbDisable"
|
|
|
|
# To customize the XKB settings to suit your keyboard, modify the
|
|
# lines below (which are the defaults). For example, for a non-U.S.
|
|
# keyboard, you will probably want to use:
|
|
# Option "XkbModel" "pc102"
|
|
# If you have a US Microsoft Natural keyboard, you can use:
|
|
# Option "XkbModel" "microsoft"
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
Section "InputDevice"
|
|
Identifier "Mouse0"
|
|
Driver "mouse"
|
|
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
|
|
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
|
|
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "off"
|
|
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
Section "Monitor"
|
|
Identifier "Sylvania F74"
|
|
VendorName "Unknown"
|
|
ModelName "Unknown"
|
|
HorizSync 30 - 70
|
|
VertRefresh 55 - 120
|
|
Option "dpms"
|
|
# Modelines go here if necessary. Use xvidtune to get proper values.
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
Section "Device"
|
|
Identifier "ATI Rage 128"
|
|
Driver "r128"
|
|
BoardName "Unknown"
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
Section "Device"
|
|
Identifier "Linux Frame Buffer"
|
|
Driver "fbdev"
|
|
BoardName "Unknown"
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
Section "Screen"
|
|
Identifier "Screen0"
|
|
Device "ATI Rage 128"
|
|
Monitor "Sylvania F74"
|
|
DefaultDepth 24
|
|
Subsection "Display"
|
|
Depth 24
|
|
Modes "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600"
|
|
EndSubSection
|
|
Subsection "Display"
|
|
Depth 16
|
|
Modes "1600x1200" "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600"
|
|
EndSubSection
|
|
Subsection "Display"
|
|
Depth 8
|
|
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
|
|
EndSubSection
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
Section "DRI"
|
|
Mode 0666
|
|
EndSection
|
|
|
|
</PRE
|
|
></FONT
|
|
></TD
|
|
></TR
|
|
></TABLE
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> Yours may look quite different. This is just one possible configuration with
|
|
gratuitous comments from Red Hat (and me), and is for a fairly ordinary set
|
|
up. There is nothing exotic here like multiple screens or displays.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> It is beyond the scope of this document to explain this in detail. See the
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config</TT
|
|
> man page. Also, consider visiting
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://xfree86.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
>xfree86.org</A
|
|
>
|
|
and look for specific options that might apply to your card or other
|
|
hardware.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> Just one quick note on the <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Screen"</SPAN
|
|
> section above. Notice there are
|
|
three sub-sections, identified as <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Display"</SPAN
|
|
>. Each sub-section
|
|
has a different <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Depth"</SPAN
|
|
> specified, (a.k.a. ColorDepth). The
|
|
<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Modes"</SPAN
|
|
> also vary somewhat according to the respective
|
|
<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Depth"</SPAN
|
|
> setting. The active <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Display"</SPAN
|
|
> sub-section
|
|
that will be used, is determined by the <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"DefaultDepth"</SPAN
|
|
> setting
|
|
(unless over-ridden by command line options). The default in this example is
|
|
defined as <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"24"</SPAN
|
|
>, so the first sub-section will be used. Also,
|
|
the highest <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Mode"</SPAN
|
|
> listed in this sub-section will be the default
|
|
mode (resolution), which here is the first one listed. The first listed mode
|
|
also determines the viewable screen area, which can be smaller than the mode
|
|
(resolution) itself. In which case, you would have a virtual desktop that is
|
|
larger than the viewable screen. To have the viewable screen, and resolution
|
|
match, have the largest value as the first value listed for each
|
|
<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Mode"</SPAN
|
|
>.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> Another note on the <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Modes"</SPAN
|
|
> here: what you see is the result of
|
|
my choices during Red Hat's <B
|
|
CLASS="command"
|
|
>Xconfigurator's</B
|
|
> configuration. These
|
|
are standard resolutions, but do not have to be! This is only limited by what
|
|
your hardware can support. And you don't have to use standard width x height
|
|
ratios either. Something like <TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>1355x1112</TT
|
|
> is a valid setting (if
|
|
your hardware supports it and it floats your boat!).
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> The X server will reject any <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Modes"</SPAN
|
|
> it thinks are invalid. You
|
|
can cycle through valid modes to change screen resolution with
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>Ctrl-Alt-+</TT
|
|
> and <TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>Ctrl-Alt--</TT
|
|
> (that's the
|
|
keypad plus and minus keys).
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> In versions prior to v4.x, you would also see many <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Modeline"</SPAN
|
|
>
|
|
statements that attempted to define the monitor's capabilities. These
|
|
statements would look something like:
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> <TABLE
|
|
BORDER="0"
|
|
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
|
|
WIDTH="100%"
|
|
><TR
|
|
><TD
|
|
><FONT
|
|
COLOR="#000000"
|
|
><PRE
|
|
CLASS="screen"
|
|
>
|
|
# 1024x768 @ 100Hz, 80.21 kHz hsync
|
|
Modeline "1024x768" 115.5 1024 1056 1248 1440 768 771 781 802 -HSync -VSync
|
|
|
|
</PRE
|
|
></FONT
|
|
></TD
|
|
></TR
|
|
></TABLE
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> Explicit <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Modeline"</SPAN
|
|
> definitions are not required as of 4.x ;-)
|
|
This sometimes required hand editing to get optimal values in earlier versions of
|
|
|
|
XFree86, though is generally not necessary with v4.x.
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO/index.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
>The XFree86 Video
|
|
Timings HOWTO
|
|
</A
|
|
>
|
|
has a nice, but rather technical, explanation of this.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> If whatever configuration utility you are using, does not automatically
|
|
recognize your video card or monitor specifications correctly, you are
|
|
unlikely to get an optimal configuration. In such cases, you may have to
|
|
manually supply the correct values. This should be available from your
|
|
owner's manual (you kept that, right?). Or, check the manufacturer's web site.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> Again, hand editing of this file is generally unnecessary. Should you decide
|
|
this is indeed necessary, be careful. One small error may cause
|
|
<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
|
>X</SPAN
|
|
> to fail. Any changes to this file will require
|
|
restarting <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
|
>X</SPAN
|
|
> for the changes to take
|
|
effect.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> Using somebody else's <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config</TT
|
|
> file, is generally a
|
|
bad idea since they are unlikely to have identical hardware.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="sect2"
|
|
><H2
|
|
CLASS="sect2"
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="AEN301"
|
|
></A
|
|
>2.3. xvidtune and Monitor Tuning</H2
|
|
><P
|
|
> You probably want to get the most out of your hardware. If
|
|
<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
|
>X</SPAN
|
|
> isn't configured optimally, consider re-running
|
|
your vendor's <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
|
>X</SPAN
|
|
> configuration utility and try to
|
|
get better results. It is highly unlikely that you could hurt anything by
|
|
experimenting. Most modern monitors now have safeguards that prevent a
|
|
meltdown ;-)
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> If you over-do it though <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
|
>X</SPAN
|
|
> may not be able to
|
|
start. For this reason, I prefer to use the <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"startx"</SPAN
|
|
> way of
|
|
starting <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
|
>X</SPAN
|
|
> (see below) while
|
|
<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"experimenting"</SPAN
|
|
>. This way if <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="application"
|
|
>X</SPAN
|
|
>
|
|
crashes, the display manager (GUI login) will not loop and cause you severe
|
|
headaches. <B
|
|
CLASS="command"
|
|
>startx</B
|
|
> just gracefully goes back to a text
|
|
console screen, where an error message may be visible.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> Another way of tweaking monitor related settings is with XFree86's
|
|
<B
|
|
CLASS="command"
|
|
>xvidtune</B
|
|
> program. This is run interactively and can be
|
|
used to adjust various settings (see man page). The simple dialog box has
|
|
sliders and buttons that allow user input and adjustment. The top part has
|
|
horizontal monitor settings on the left, and vertical settings on the right.
|
|
The buttons just below the sliders can be used to adjust each.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> This is sometimes used to adjust the viewable screen area, such as to center
|
|
it, or increase its size to fill the monitor's viewport. When
|
|
<B
|
|
CLASS="command"
|
|
>xvidtune</B
|
|
> is launched, it defaults to the current settings.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> The bottom left corner has buttons that can <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Apply"</SPAN
|
|
> new
|
|
settings, <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Test"</SPAN
|
|
> new settings, or <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Show"</SPAN
|
|
> current
|
|
settings (i.e. dump to screen), among other things. Any changes made here are
|
|
not saved. If new settings are <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Applied"</SPAN
|
|
>, it is just for
|
|
the current session. Example output of <B
|
|
CLASS="command"
|
|
>xvidtune</B
|
|
>
|
|
<SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Show"</SPAN
|
|
>:
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> <TABLE
|
|
BORDER="0"
|
|
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
|
|
WIDTH="100%"
|
|
><TR
|
|
><TD
|
|
><FONT
|
|
COLOR="#000000"
|
|
><PRE
|
|
CLASS="screen"
|
|
>
|
|
Vendor: Unknown, Model: Unknown
|
|
Num hsync: 1, Num vsync: 1
|
|
hsync range 0: 30.00 - 70.00
|
|
vsync range 0: 55.00 - 120.00
|
|
"1400x1050" 122.00 1400 1488 1640 1880 1050 1052 1064 1082 +hsync +vsync
|
|
|
|
</PRE
|
|
></FONT
|
|
></TD
|
|
></TR
|
|
></TABLE
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> The last line is the <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Modeline"</SPAN
|
|
> being used to drive the current
|
|
screen. See <A
|
|
HREF="http://tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO/index.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
>The XFree86 Video
|
|
Timings HOWTO
|
|
</A
|
|
>,
|
|
for more on <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Modelines"</SPAN
|
|
>.
|
|
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> You can test modifications, and apply them to the current session.
|
|
For changes to be made permanent, they will have to be added manually to
|
|
the <SPAN
|
|
CLASS="QUOTE"
|
|
>"Monitor"</SPAN
|
|
> section of <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config</TT
|
|
> (or
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>XF86Config-4</TT
|
|
> for v.4.x) with a text editor.
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
> <B
|
|
CLASS="command"
|
|
>xvidtune</B
|
|
> will dutifully warn of you of the hazards of
|
|
playing with the monitor settings. It is unlikely you can hurt anything
|
|
with modern monitors. But it is best used to make minor adjustments. Use at
|
|
your own risk!
|
|
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="NAVFOOTER"
|
|
><HR
|
|
ALIGN="LEFT"
|
|
WIDTH="100%"><TABLE
|
|
SUMMARY="Footer navigation table"
|
|
WIDTH="100%"
|
|
BORDER="0"
|
|
CELLPADDING="0"
|
|
CELLSPACING="0"
|
|
><TR
|
|
><TD
|
|
WIDTH="33%"
|
|
ALIGN="left"
|
|
VALIGN="top"
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="intro.html"
|
|
ACCESSKEY="P"
|
|
>Prev</A
|
|
></TD
|
|
><TD
|
|
WIDTH="34%"
|
|
ALIGN="center"
|
|
VALIGN="top"
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="index.html"
|
|
ACCESSKEY="H"
|
|
>Home</A
|
|
></TD
|
|
><TD
|
|
WIDTH="33%"
|
|
ALIGN="right"
|
|
VALIGN="top"
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="runningx.html"
|
|
ACCESSKEY="N"
|
|
>Next</A
|
|
></TD
|
|
></TR
|
|
><TR
|
|
><TD
|
|
WIDTH="33%"
|
|
ALIGN="left"
|
|
VALIGN="top"
|
|
>Introduction</TD
|
|
><TD
|
|
WIDTH="34%"
|
|
ALIGN="center"
|
|
VALIGN="top"
|
|
> </TD
|
|
><TD
|
|
WIDTH="33%"
|
|
ALIGN="right"
|
|
VALIGN="top"
|
|
>Running X</TD
|
|
></TR
|
|
></TABLE
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></BODY
|
|
></HTML
|
|
> |