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704 lines
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<TITLE>Linux Installation Primer2 LG #33</TITLE>
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<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000FF" VLINK="#A000A0"
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ALINK="#FF0000">
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<!--endcut ============================================================-->
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<H4>
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"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
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</H4>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<!--===================================================================-->
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<center>
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<H1><font color="maroon">Linux Installation Primer: X Configuration</font></H1>
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<H4>By <a href="mailto:rjenkins@unicom.net">Ron Jenkins</a></H4>
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</center>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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Copyright ® 1998 by Ron Jenkins. This work is provided on an "as is"
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basis. The author provides no
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warranty whatsoever, either express or implied, regarding the work,
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including warranties with respect to its
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merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.
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<P>The author welcomes corrections and suggestions. He can be reached by
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electronic mail at
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rjenkins@unicom.net.
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<P> <HR> <P> <center>
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<H3><font color="maroon">Part Two: X configuration</font></H3> </center>
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Welcome to the second installment of the series. In this installment,
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you will configure your X server,
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choose a Window Manager (WM,) and learn a few things about how the
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X system works. Don't worry, it's
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not as hard as you've heard, and can even be a great deal of fun, so
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LET'S GET GRAPHICAL!
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<P>In this installment, I will cover the following topics:
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<ol>
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<li>A brief introduction to the X windowing system
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<li>Supported Hardware
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<li>Unsupported Hardware
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<li>Gathering Information about your hardware
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<li>Safety concerns and precautions
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<li>Starting the configuration program
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<li>Configuration of the mouse under X
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<li>Configuration of your video card
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<li>Configuration of your monitor
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<li>Testing your configuration
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<li>Customization tips and tricks
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<li>Troubleshooting your configuration
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<li>Resources for further information
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</ol>
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<P>While the steps needed to configure the X system are fairly standardized,
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due to some differences and
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peculiarities between the Slackware 3.5 and RedHat 5.1 versions of
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Linux, where necessary, I will
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distinguish between the steps to be taken to accomplish a given task
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on each distribution.
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<H4><font color="maroon">A brief introduction to the X windowing system</font></H4>
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This document will cover the configuration of the X windowing system,
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XFree86 version 3.3.2-2. This is
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the version that ships with both RedHat 5.1 and Slackware 3.5. If you
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are using a different version of
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XFree86, your mileage may vary, although many of the steps will remain
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the same.
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<P>Unlike Windows based systems, the X windowing system is composed primarily
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of two separate and
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distinct components, the X Server, and the Window Manager.
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<P>The X Server is the interface between the hardware and the Window Manager.
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This is somewhat
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analogous, although not entirely, to the "video driver" in Windows.
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In addition to servicing hardware
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requests, it also performs several other important functions, such
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as managing all X connections to the
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machine, both local and remote.
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<P>One of the advantages of a Unix or Linux system is the fact that it
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was built from the ground up to be a
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multi-user system.
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<P>This gives a Unix or Linux system the ability to service, or "host"
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many users, both locally through the use
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of TTY connections or virtual terminals, or remotely through socket
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based communication using a variety
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of protocols.
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<P>For an overview of the concept of remote X sessions, see my article
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in the September Issue of the Linux
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Gazette.
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<P>It is important to note that the aforementioned X Server, as well as
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most of the functions it performs, occur
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in the background, and are functionally transparent to the end user.
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In short, it's a busy little beaver!
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<P>The second component of the X windowing system is the Window Manager.
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This is the element of the X
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system that comprises the portion of the Graphical User Interface that
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you interact with. The Window
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Manager is responsible for the look and feel of your desktop; as well
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the front-end interface to the
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commands and programs you run.
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<P>There are many Window Managers available for Linux, and each person
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will have their favorite. It will be
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up to you to decide which one best fits your needs and preferences.
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<P>Since both distributions default to FVWM95, I will confine myself to
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this Window Manager for the
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purposes of this introductory document. For further information on
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some of the many other Window
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Managers available, consult the resources section.
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<H4><font color="maroon">Supported Hardware</font></H4>
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<font color="navy">Video Cards:</font><BR>
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(The following information is excerpted from the Xfree86 3.3.2 documentation.)
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This documentation can be found in /var/X11R6/lib/docs/README.
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<P>
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At this time, XFree86 3.3.2 supports the following chipsets:
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<P>Ark Logic<BR>
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ARK1000PV, ARK1000VL, ARK2000PV, ARK2000MT
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<P>Alliance<BR>
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AP6422, AT24
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<P>ATI<BR>
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18800, 18800-1, 28800-2, 28800-4, 28800-5, 28800-6, 68800-3,
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68800-6, 68800AX, 68800LX, 88800GX-C, 88800GX-D, 88800GX-E,
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88800GX-F, 88800CX, 264CT, 264ET, 264VT, 264GT, 264VT-B, 264VT3,
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264GT-B, 264GT3 (this list includes the Mach8, Mach32, Mach64, 3D
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Rage, 3D Rage II and 3D Rage Pro)
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<P>Avance Logic<BR>
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ALG2101, ALG2228, ALG2301, ALG2302, ALG2308, ALG2401
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<P>Chips & Technologies<BR>
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65520, 65530, 65540, 65545, 65520, 65530, 65540, 65545, 65546,
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65548, 65550, 65554, 65555, 68554, 64200, 64300
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<P>Cirrus Logic<BR>
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CLGD5420, CLGD5422, CLGD5424, CLGD5426, CLGD5428, CLGD5429,
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CLGD5430, CLGD5434, CLGD5436, CLGD5440, CLGD5446, CLGD5462,
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CLGD5464, CLGD5465, CLGD5480, CLGD6205, CLGD6215, CLGD6225,
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CLGD6235, CLGD6410, CLGD6412, CLGD6420, CLGD6440, CLGD7541(*),
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CLGD7543(*), CLGD7548(*), CLGD7555(*)
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<P>Digital Equipment Corporation<BR>
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TGA
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<P>Compaq<BR>
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AVGA
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<P>Genoa<BR>
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GVGA
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<P>IBM<BR>
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8514/A (and true clones), XGA-2
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<P>IIT<BR>
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AGX-014, AGX-015, AGX-016
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<P>Matrox<BR>
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MGA2064W (Millennium), MGA1064SG (Mystique and Mystique 220),
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MGA2164W (Millennium II PCI and AGP)
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<P>MX<BR>
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MX68000(*), MX680010(*)
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<P>NCR<BR>
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77C22(*), 77C22E(*), 77C22E+(*)
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<P>Number Nine<BR>
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I128 (series I and II), Revolution 3D (T2R)
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<P>NVidia/SGS Thomson<BR>
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NV1, STG2000, RIVA128
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<P>OAK<BR>
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OTI067, OTI077, OTI087
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<P>RealTek<BR>
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RTG3106(*)
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<P>S3<BR>
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86C911, 86C924, 86C801, 86C805, 86C805i, 86C928, 86C864, 86C964,
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86C732, 86C764, 86C765, 86C767, 86C775, 86C785, 86C868, 86C968,
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86C325, 86C357, 86C375, 86C375, 86C385, 86C988, 86CM65, 86C260
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<P>SiS<BR>
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86C201, 86C202, 86C205
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<P>Tseng<BR>
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ET3000, ET4000AX, ET4000/W32, ET4000/W32i, ET4000/W32p, ET6000,
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ET6100
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<P>Trident<BR>
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TVGA8800CS, TVGA8900B, TVGA8900C, TVGA8900CL, TVGA9000, TVGA9000i,
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TVGA9100B, TVGA9200CXR, Cyber9320(*), TVGA9400CXi, TVGA9420,
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TGUI9420DGi, TGUI9430DGi, TGUI9440AGi, TGUI9660XGi, TGUI9680, Pro-
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Vidia 9682, ProVidia 9685(*), Cyber 9382, Cyber 9385, Cyber 9388,
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3DImage975(PCI), 3DImage985(AGP), Cyber 9397, Cyber 9520
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<P>Video 7/Headland Technologies<BR>
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HT216-32(*)
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<P>Weitek<BR>
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P9000
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<P>Western Digital/Paradise<BR>
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PVGA1
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<P>Western Digital<BR>
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WD90C00, WD90C10, WD90C11, WD90C24, WD90C24A, WD90C30, WD90C31,
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WD90C33
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<P>(*) Note, chips marked in this way have either limited support or the
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drivers
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for them are not actively maintained.
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<P>All of the above are supported in both 256 color, and some are supported
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in
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mono and 16-color modes, and some are supported an higher color depths.
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<P>Refer to the chipset-specific README files (currently for TGA, Matrox,
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Mach32,
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Mach64, NVidia, Oak, P9000, S3 (except ViRGE), S3 ViRGE, SiS, Video7,
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Western
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Digital, Tseng (W32), Tseng (all), AGX/XGA, ARK, ATI (SVGA server),
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Chips and
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Technologies, Cirrus, Trident) for more information about using those
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chipsets.
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<P>The monochrome server also supports generic VGA cards, using 64k of
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video mem-
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ory in a single bank, the Hercules monochrome card, the Hyundai HGC1280,
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Sigma LaserView, Visa and Apollo monochrome cards.
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<P>The VGA16 server supports memory banking with the ET4000, Trident, ATI,
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NCR,
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OAK and Cirrus 6420 chipsets allowing virtual display sizes up to about
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1600x1200 (with 1MB of video memory). For other chipsets the display
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size is
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limited to approximately 800x600.
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<P>Notes: The Diamond SpeedStar 24 (and possibly some SpeedStar+) boards
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are NOT
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supported, even though they use the ET4000.
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<P>The Weitek 9100 and 9130 chipsets are not supported (these are used
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on the Dia-
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mond Viper Pro and Viper SE boards). Most other Diamond boards will
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work with
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this release of XFree86. Diamond is actively supporting The XFree86
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Project,
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Inc.
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<P>3DLabs GLINT, Permedia and Permedia 2 support could unfortunately not
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be
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included in XFree86 3.3.2 since there are open issues regarding the
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documentation and whether or not they were provided to us under NDA.
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<BR>(End excerpt from Xfree86 documentation.)
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<P><font color="navy">Monitors</font>:<BR>
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Hypothetically, any monitor you have the documentation for, that is
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capable of at least VGA or SVGA
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resolution, SHOULD be compatible. However, the following monitors are
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explicitly supported:
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<P><font color="navy">Slackware 3.5</font>:<BR>
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Standard VGA, 640x480 @ 60Hz
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Super VGA, 800x600 @ 56Hz
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<BR>8514 Compatible, 1024x768 @ 87 Hz interlaced (no 800x600)
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<BR>Super VGA, 1024x768 @ 87 Hz interlaced, 800x600 @ 56 Hz
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<BR>Extended Super VGA, 800x600 @ 60 Hz, 640x480 @ 72Hz
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<BR>Non-Interlaced SVGA 1024x768 @ 60 Hz, 800x600 @ 72 Hz
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<BR>High Frequency SVGA, 1024x768 @ 70 Hz
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<BR>Multi-Frequency that can do 1280x1024 @ 60 Hz
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<BR>Multi-Frequency that can do 1280x1024 @ 74 Hz
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<BR>Multi-Frequency that can do 1280x1024 @ 76 Hz
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<P>NOTE: There is also an option to explicitly specify the Horizontal and
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Vertical Sync rates for your monitor
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if you have them available.
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<P><font color="navy">Red Hat 5.1</font>:
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<BR>Custom Mode (see above description for information about standard modes,
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as well as suggestions for
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<BR>acquiring information for your monitor if the documentation is not
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available.
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<BR>Acer Acerview 11D, 33D/33DL, 34T/34TL
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<BR>AOC-15
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<BR>Apollo 1280x1024 @ 68Hz
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<BR>Apollo 1280x1024 @ 70Hz
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<BR>Axion CL-1566
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<BR>CTX-1561
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<BR>Chuntex CTX CPS-1560/LR
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<BR>Compudyne KD-1500N
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<BR>CrystalScan 1572FS
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<BR>DEC PCXBV-KA/KB
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<BR>Dell VS17
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<BR>EIZO FlexScan 9080i, T660
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<BR>ELSA GDM-17E40
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<BR>ESCOM MONO-LCD-screen
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<BR>Gateway 2000 CrystalScan 1776LE
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<BR>Generic Monitor
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<BR>Generic Multisync
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<BR>HP 1280x1024 @ 72Hz
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<BR>Highscreen LE 1024
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<BR>Hitachi SuperScan 20S
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<BR>Hyundai DeluxScan 14S, 15B, 15G, 15G+, 15 Pro, 17MB/17MS, 17B, 17B+,
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17 Pro, hcm-421E
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<BR>IBM 8507
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<BR>IDEK Vision Master
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<BR>Impression 7 Plus 7728D
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<BR>Lite-On CM1414E
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<BR>MAG DJ717, DX1495, DX1595, DX1795, Impression 17, MX15F
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<BR>MegaImage 17
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<BR>NEC MultiSync 2V, 3D, 3V, 3FGe, 3FGx, 4D, 4FG, 4FGe, 5FG, 5FGe, 5FGp,
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6FG, 6FGp,
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<BR>A500, A700, C400, C500, E500, E700, E1100, M500, M700, P750, P1150,
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XE15, XE17,
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<BR>XE21, XP15, XP17, XP21, XV14, XV15, XV17, XV15+, XV17+
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<BR>Nanao F340i-W, F550i, F550i-W
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<BR>Nokia 445X, 447B
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<BR>Optiquest Q41, Q51, Q53, Q71, Q100, V641, V655, V773, V775, V95, V115,
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V115T
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<BR>Philips 7BM749, 1764DC
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<BR>Princeton Graphics Systems Ultra 17
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<BR>Quantex TE1564M Super View 1280
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<BR>Relisys RE1564
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<BR>Sampo alphascan-17
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<BR>Samsung SyncMaster 15GLe, 15GLi, 15M, 17GLi, 17GLsi, 3, 3Ne, 500b/500Mb,
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500s/500Ms,
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<BR>500p/500Mp, 700b/700Mb, 700p/700Mp, 700s/700Ms
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<BR>Samtron SC-428PS/PSL, SC-428PT/PTL, 5E/5ME, 5B/5MB, SC-528TXL, SC-528UXL,
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SC-
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<BR>MDL, 7E/7ME/7B/7MB, SC-728FXL, SC-726GXL
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<BR>Sony CPD-1430, CPD-15SX, CPD-100SF, CPD-200SF, CPD-300SF, CPD-100VS,
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CPD-
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<BR>120VS, CPD-220VS
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<BR>Sony Multiscan 100sf, 100sx, 200sf, 200sx, 15sf, 15sfII, 17se, 17seII
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<BR>TARGA TM 1710 D
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<BR>Tatung CM14UHE, CM14UHR, CMUHS
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<BR>TAXAN 875
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<BR>Unisys-19
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<BR>ViewSonic 15ES, 15GA, 15GS, 17, 17PS, 17GA, 5e, 6, 7, E641, E655, EA771,
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G653, G771, G773,
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<BR>GT770, GT775, P775, PT770, PT775, P810, P815, PT813, VP140
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<BR>Mice (listed in order of appearance in the selection list, horizontally,
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from left to right.)
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<BR>Microsoft Standard mouse
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<BR>MouseSystems
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<BR>MMSeries
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<BR>Logitech
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<BR>MouseMan
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<BR>MMHitTab
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<BR>GlidePoint
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<BR>Intellimouse
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<BR>ThinkingMouse
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<BR>BusMouse
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<BR>PS/2
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<BR>Auto
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<BR>IMPS/2
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<BR>ThinkingMousePS/2
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<BR>MouseManPS/2
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<BR>GlidePointPS/2
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<BR>NetMousePS/2
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<BR>NetScrollPS/2
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<H4><font color="maroon">Unsupported Hardware</font></H4>
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If X does not directly support your video card and/or monitor, all
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may not be lost. Try choosing one of the
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"generic" cards and monitors that most closely resembles your hardware.
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The SVGA server is a good
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place to start if you have an unsupported card. Another possible option
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is the VGA16 server. Almost any
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card will run (at reduced performance) with one of these two servers.
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<P>Another possible option is to consider purchasing a "commercial" X server.
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Two possible choices are:
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<BR>MetroX http://www.metrolink.com/
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<BR>XInside http://www.xinside.com/
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<P>These commercial servers often support a wider range of cards and monitors,
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due to the willingness of the
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developer of the X server software to abide by Non Disclosure Agreements
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required by some card
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manufacturers. In plain English, some card manufacturers refuse to
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work with the open source community.
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Something to consider the next time you get ready to purchase a video
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card.
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<P>Likewise, the generic VGA or SVGA monitors will usually at least get
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you up and running. However, as I
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have mentioned previously, DO NOT EXCEED THE CAPABILTIES OF YOUR CARD
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OR MONITOR!
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Otherwise, you may initiate what is called in the electronics world
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"a smoke test." This is a bad thing, and
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makes your house smell, as well as setting off your smoke detector.
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<H4><font color="maroon">Gathering Information about your hardware</font></H4>
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It is imperative that you know as much as you can about your video
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card and monitor. (You did keep those
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manuals and documentation didn't you?)
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<P>If you do not have the documentation available, check the various docs
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in the /var/X11R6/lib/docs area, or
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search the Internet. Another possible option is to go directly to the
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manufacturer's website if available, and
|
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acquire the specifications there. A final option on some monitors,
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the synch rates is sometimes listed on
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the back along with the model number and other information.
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<P>Make sure, if at all possible, that your card and monitor are on the
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supported hardware list. This will save
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you a lot of grief and give you the best chance of success, as well
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as enabling you to take full advantage of
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the accelerated features of your video card.
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<P>At a bare minimum, you should have the following information available:
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Manufacturer, make and model of your video card: e.g. Matrox Millenium
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Amount of RAM resident on the video card: e.g. 8MB
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<P>Manufacturer, make and model of your monitor: e.g. Viewsonic 15E
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Horizontal synch rate of your monitor: e.g. 31.5-82.0
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Vertical synch rate of your monitor: e.g. 40-100
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<P>A special note on mice:
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If at all possible, try to get a three-button mouse. X uses the middle
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button for some special functions.
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While it is possible to configure a two-button mouse to behave as a
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three-button mouse using an emulator
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that requires you to depress both buttons simultaneously to emulate
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the middle button, this feature is flaky
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at best on many mice and sometimes hard to master.
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<P>Note for PS/2 mice users:
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It has been reported that some users experience problems with the behavior
|
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of a PS/2 mouse under X. This
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is almost always due to the fact that the general-purpose mouse (gpm)
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program is being loaded at boot
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|
time, and for some reason, freaks out X.
|
|
<P>Some have suggested adding a variety of switches or other parameters
|
|
to the start up file that are purported
|
|
to correct this problem. However, I have had limited success with these
|
|
methods. Sometimes they will
|
|
correct the problem, other times they will not.
|
|
<P>What does work all the time is to comment out the start up of gpm at
|
|
boot time.
|
|
<P>On a Slackware machine, cd to /etc/rc.d/rc.local and place a pound sign
|
|
(#) in front of the lines that look
|
|
similar to the following:
|
|
<PRE>
|
|
# echo starting gpm
|
|
# gpm /dev/mouse
|
|
</PRE>
|
|
<P>Should you find the need to use gpm while in text mode, simply type
|
|
gpm <return> and start it manually.
|
|
<P>On a RedHat machine, from the command prompt, simply type setup
|
|
<return>
|
|
<P>You will be presented with a dialog box prompting you to select a configuration
|
|
tool. Select ntsysv then
|
|
<BR>tab to the run button and press return.
|
|
<P>Scroll down the dialog box until you see an entry for gpm. Highlight
|
|
this entry and depress the spacebar to
|
|
remove the asterix (*), then exit.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Safety concerns and precautions</font></H4>
|
|
Although the X windowing system offers infinite flexibility and configurability,
|
|
it is very picky about what
|
|
hardware it will and will not run on.
|
|
<P>Just as Unix or Linux will not run on marginal hardware that may work
|
|
with Windows, it may or may not
|
|
run on marginal or clone-type video cards and monitors.
|
|
<P>While it is possible to "hand tune" X to work with just about any video
|
|
card and monitor, to do so is NOT
|
|
RECOMMENDED. Diddling around with your clock settings, choosing a card
|
|
or monitor "similar" to
|
|
your equipment, or just picking horizontal and vertical synch rates
|
|
at random can damage or destroy your
|
|
video card or monitor. DON'T DO IT!
|
|
<P>The optimal configuration, and the only one I can recommend, is to make
|
|
sure your video card and monitor
|
|
are explicitly listed and supported by X before trying to configure
|
|
and run it. While I do offer some
|
|
suggestions for people with unsupported hardware, there is no guarantee
|
|
these suggestions will work, nor
|
|
do I offer any assurance that they won't damage your equipment. Proceed
|
|
at your own risk.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Starting the configuration program</font></H4>
|
|
Before you can actually use X, you must generate a configuration file
|
|
that tells X about your video card,
|
|
monitor, mouse, and some default preference information required to
|
|
initialize the X environment and get it
|
|
up and running. All of the following configuration steps will need
|
|
to be done as root initially, then if
|
|
necessary, you can create your own unique X configuration for each
|
|
of your respective users.
|
|
<P>The method and program used to accomplish this task will depend on which
|
|
flavor of Linux you are using.
|
|
<P>NOTE: The instructions listed below assume you are using Xfree86 3.3.2-2.
|
|
If you are using one of the
|
|
commercial X servers, such as MetroX or XInside, your configuration
|
|
methods may be different. Please
|
|
consult the documentation that comes with your commercial product.
|
|
<P><font color="navy">Slackware 3.5</font>:<BR>
|
|
The X configuration program for Slackware 3.5 is called XF86Setup.
|
|
To start the program, at the
|
|
command prompt, simply type:
|
|
<P>XF86Setup <return>
|
|
<P>You will be presented with a dialog box prompting you to switch to graphics
|
|
mode. Select OK.
|
|
<P>After a moment, you will enter the XF86Setup screen. Along the top of
|
|
the screen will be a series of
|
|
buttons to configure the various components of the X windowing system.
|
|
They will appear in a horizontal
|
|
row in the following order:
|
|
<P>Mouse Keyboard Card Monitor Modeselection Other
|
|
<P><font color="navy">RedHat 5.1</font>:<BR>
|
|
The X configuration program for RedHat Linux is called Xconfigurator.
|
|
To start the program, at the
|
|
command prompt, simply type:
|
|
<P>Xconfigurator <return>
|
|
<P>Press return to get past the welcome screen, then skip to the video
|
|
card section.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Configuration of the mouse under X</font></H4>
|
|
<P><font color="navy">Slackware 3.5</font>:<BR>
|
|
This should already have been taken care of during installation. If
|
|
you have something other than a three-button mouse, be sure to select the Emulate3Buttons option for maximum
|
|
functionality under X.
|
|
<P>The next option, Keyboard, should be already configured properly. Under
|
|
normal circumstances, no
|
|
adjustments should be required here.
|
|
<P><font color="navy">RedHat 5.1</font>:<BR>
|
|
This should already have been taken care of for you during installation.
|
|
If not, break out of the
|
|
Xconfigurator and run mouseconfig, then start over.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Configuration of your video card</font></H4>
|
|
<P><font color="navy">Slackware 3.5</font>:<BR>
|
|
Select the card option from the menu at the top of your screen. Scroll
|
|
down and select the appropriate
|
|
video card for your system.
|
|
<P>If necessary, you may also need to select the Detailed setup button
|
|
to configure Chipset, RamDac,
|
|
ClockChip, Device options, and the amount of video RAM on your card.
|
|
Usually these options will be
|
|
probed automatically. I only mention this so you can "tweak" the card
|
|
if you are feeling brave.
|
|
<P><font color="navy">RedHat 5.1</font>:<BR>
|
|
The setup program will now autoprobe for your type and model of video
|
|
card. On the plus side, this can
|
|
simplify things, IF it properly identifies your card. On the minus
|
|
side, if it does not, it does not offer you
|
|
an alternative to manually choose the card. If your card is not properly
|
|
identified, see the unsupported card
|
|
section for some general suggestions on some things to try.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Configuration of your monitor</font></H4>
|
|
<P><font color="navy">Slackware 3.5</font>:<BR>
|
|
If you have the documentation available, you may enter the Horizontal
|
|
and Vertical Synch rates manually
|
|
in the input boxes, or alternately, you may choose one of the preset
|
|
configurations in the scroll box.
|
|
<P>It is almost always safe to choose either the Standard VGA or Super
|
|
VGA option to start, then work up to
|
|
the specific settings and color resolution you desire (subject to the
|
|
limitations of your hardware.)
|
|
<P>Lastly, select the Modeselection option, and choose your desired screen
|
|
resolution and color depth. To
|
|
begin with, less is better. Start with 640x480 @ 8bpp to start, then
|
|
work your way up.
|
|
<P>When you are finished with your configuration, select done from the
|
|
bottom of the screen, and the setup
|
|
program will attempt to start X with the configuration you have selected.
|
|
If all goes well, you will be
|
|
prompted to write the configuration to your XF86Config file and exit.
|
|
If you have any problems, you will
|
|
be prompted to try again until you have your configuration setup properly.
|
|
<P><font color="navy">RedHat 5.1</font>:<BR>
|
|
At the Monitor Setup dialog screen, scroll down and choose the appropriate
|
|
monitor. If your monitor is not
|
|
listed, choose generic or custom. If you choose custom, have your vertical
|
|
sync rate and amount of video
|
|
RAM handy, you will need them.
|
|
<P>You will be presented with a dialog box that contains the same monitor
|
|
choices listed in the Slackware
|
|
section. After choosing a monitor, you will be prompted to select your
|
|
vertical sync rate. Finally, you will
|
|
be asked to specify the amount of video RAM present on your card.
|
|
<P>After exiting the Xconfigurator program, you are ready to test your
|
|
new configuration
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Testing your configuration</font></H4>
|
|
At the command prompt, simply type startx. If all went well, you should
|
|
shortly be on your way. If for any
|
|
reason X fails to start up, go back and run your configuration program
|
|
again, double-checking that you
|
|
have all the proper settings.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Customization tips and tricks</font></H4>
|
|
By default, both Slackware and RedHat install the FVWN95 Window Manager,
|
|
a Windows 95 look-alike.
|
|
This is probably a good start for users transitioning from a Windows
|
|
based environment, as it will be the
|
|
most familiar to you.
|
|
<P>Since X is infinitely configurable, and also stunningly cryptic at times,
|
|
an in depth discussion of all the
|
|
configuration options available under X is beyond the scope of this
|
|
document. However, what follows are
|
|
a few things you may be interested in.
|
|
<P>A few words about the X desktop:
|
|
<ol>
|
|
<li>X allows the use of something called a virtual desktop, which is
|
|
simply a fancy way of saying you can
|
|
have a virtual desktop resolution that is larger than the actual resolution
|
|
you have set your monitor to.
|
|
As an example, say you have your card resolution to 1024x768 @ 32 bit
|
|
color. X allows you to set
|
|
your virtual desktop to 1280x1024, which some people love, and some
|
|
people hate. If you want to
|
|
disable this behavior, locate your XF86Config file, scroll down to
|
|
the Screen sections, and look for a
|
|
line similar to the following: Virtual 1280 1024. To disable the virtual
|
|
screen, change this entry
|
|
to the default screen resolution you have chosen, 1024 768 in this
|
|
example. Similarly, to enable it,
|
|
simply change to the next higher resolution, 1280 1024 in this example.
|
|
<li>FVWN95, as well as the other popular Window Managers, offer a variety
|
|
of configuration options.
|
|
Experiment with them until you find the one you like best.
|
|
<li>Finally, depending on your distribution, you may or may not have
|
|
other Window Managers available
|
|
to you. Experiment with the different ones available on your system
|
|
until you find the one you like
|
|
best. My personal favorite is Afterstep, but you may find you can't
|
|
live without one of the others.
|
|
Choose the one you like best. Under FVWM95 on a Slackware box, choose
|
|
Exit Fvwm95 from the
|
|
Start menu, then choose the Window Manager you want to use from the
|
|
drop down box accessed by
|
|
moving your mouse to the right edge of the menu option, highlighting
|
|
the arrow (>) that resides there.
|
|
On a RedHat box, from the Start menu, choose Preferences/WM Style to
|
|
change to a different Window
|
|
Manager.
|
|
</ol>
|
|
<P>Stupid X Tricks:
|
|
<ol>
|
|
<li>To start an X session, simply type startx at the command prompt.
|
|
<li>If you have configured your X server for more than one screen resolution,
|
|
say 640x480, 800x600, and
|
|
1024x768, and you want to switch between the different resolutions,
|
|
simply depress Cntrl+Alt+(either
|
|
the plus (+) sign, or the minus (-) sign to switch to a higher or lower
|
|
resolution, respectively. Why
|
|
would you want to do this? I often do a great deal of Web Design on
|
|
my machine, and being able to
|
|
quickly see what a given page will look like at different resolutions
|
|
is quite handy.
|
|
<li>To terminate an X session, you can either exit the session using
|
|
the appropriate menu selection for
|
|
your respective Window Manager, or you may depress Cntrl+Alt+Backspace.
|
|
<li>You may also set up your personal user accounts (you're not always
|
|
working as root are you?) by
|
|
setting up an .xinitrc file in your home directory, if needed. Usually,
|
|
this is only necessary on a
|
|
Slackware box. On a RedHat box, I believe this is taken care of for
|
|
you. Check the documentation.
|
|
</ol>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Troubleshooting your configuration</font></H4>
|
|
Basically, there are only a few things that can go wrong with your
|
|
X installation. Either the X server will
|
|
refuse to start at all, the X server will start but you get a blank
|
|
screen, or the X server will start, but for one
|
|
reason or another, the screen will be improperly sized, flickering,
|
|
or unreadable.
|
|
<P>If the X server refuses to start at all, pay close attention to the
|
|
error messages that appear while the server
|
|
errors out. Most frequently, this is an improperly configured monitor
|
|
or card that causes the server to die.
|
|
Check your configuration.
|
|
<P>If the X server starts, but the screen exhibits an improper size, or
|
|
excessive flickering, you probably need to
|
|
adjust your horizontal or vertical sync rates.
|
|
<P>If the screen appears to be unreadable, due to excessive lines or smearing
|
|
of the pixels, check your card and
|
|
monitor configurations.
|
|
<P>Simply put, most problems can be traced back to an improper configuration
|
|
of the card, the monitor, or
|
|
both. This is why I strongly recommend making sure your hardware be
|
|
explicitly supported, or using one
|
|
of the "generic" configurations to start with.
|
|
<P>Beyond this, check the documentation for specific card set problems,
|
|
specific monitor problems, and other
|
|
general troubleshooting procedures.
|
|
<P>Another possible option is to troll the newsgroups for a similar problem,
|
|
or post a brief description of the
|
|
trouble you are having, and hopefully, someone with a similar problem
|
|
they have solved before will get
|
|
back to you.
|
|
<P>If all else fails, drop me e-mail and I'll be glad to try to help.
|
|
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<H4><font color="maroon">Resources for further information</font></H4>
|
|
<font color="navy">Xfree86 Resources</font>:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><A HREF="http://www.xfree86.org/">http://www.xfree86.org/</A>
|
|
<li><A HREF="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/">http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/</A>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<font color="navy">Window Managers</font>:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><A HREF="http://www.gaijin.com/X/">http://www.gaijin.com/X/</A>
|
|
<li><A HREF="http://www.afterstep.org/">http://www.afterstep.org/</A>
|
|
<li><A HREF="http://www.pconline.com/~erc/xwm.htm">
|
|
http://www.pconline.com/~erc/xwm.htm</A>
|
|
<li><A HREF="http://www.PliG.org/xwinman/">http://www.PliG.org/xwinman/</A>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
I had originally planned to include the configuration of your basic
|
|
networking setup into this installment as
|
|
well, but as you can see, this is a real porker as it is. So look for
|
|
the networking stuff in part three.
|
|
<P> <HR> <P>
|
|
<center><H4>Previous ``Linux Installation Primer'' Columns</H4></center>
|
|
<p>
|
|
<A HREF="../issue32/jenkins1.html">Linux Installation Primer #1, September
|
|
1998</A>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
<P> <hr> <P>
|
|
<center><H5>Copyright © 1998, Ron Jenkins <BR>
|
|
Published in Issue 33 of <i>Linux Gazette</i>, October 1998</H5></center>
|
|
|
|
<!--===================================================================-->
|
|
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