X Window Configuration with XFree86

5.2 X Window Configuration with XFree86

There are four methods for configuring XFree86 on your machine: Xconfigurator, XF86Setup, xf86config, or by hand. Xconfigurator, XF86Setup, and xf86config are functional equivalents and should work equally well. If you are unsure of anything in this process, a good source of additional documentation is:

http://www.xfree86.org

Xconfigurator is a full-screen menu driven program that walks you through setting up your X server. XF86Setup is a graphical setup program distributed with XFree86 which requires the VGA 16-color server in order to run. xf86config is a line oriented program distributed with XFree86. It isn't as easy to use as Xconfigurator, but it is included for completeness. If these utilities fail to provide a working XF86config file, you may have an unsupported card or you may need to write the config file by hand. Usually the former is the case, so check and make sure your card is supported before attempting to write the config file yourself. If your card is not supported by XFree86 you may wish to consider using a commercial X server, such as the Metro-X server which accompanies Official Red Hat Linux/Intel. If you have questions about whether or not your video card is supported you can check out http://www.xfree86.org for information on XFree86 and http://www.metrolink.com for information on Metro-X.

5.2.1 The X Server

The X Server Provided you selected the proper video card at install time, you should have the proper X server installed. When later running Xconfigurator or xf86config, you need to make sure you select the same video card or the autoprobe will fail.

If you think you installed the wrong X server for your video card, you will have to install the correct one before it can be configured. For instance, if the CD is mounted on /mnt/cdrom, and you need to install the S3 server, enter the following commands:

cd /mnt/cdrom/RedHat/RPMS rpm -ivh XFree86-S3-3.1.2-1.i386.rpm ln -sf ../../usr/X11R6/bin/XF86_S3 /etc/X11/X

This will install the S3 server and make the proper symbolic link.

5.2.2 Xconfigurator

Xconfigurator To configure X Windows you must first select your video card. Scroll down the list of supported cards until you locate the card in your machine. Section 5.2.2.1 may help you determine the video server that matches your hardware. If your card is not listed it may not be supported by XFree86. In this case you can try the last card entry on the list (Unlisted Card) or a commercial X Windows server, such as Metro X. The next step is to select your monitor. If your monitor is not listed you can select one of the generic monitor entries or ``Custom'' and enter your own parameters. Custom monitor configuration is recommended only for those who have a sound understanding of the inner workings of CRT displays. The average user should probably use one of the generic selections from the list. After selecting a monitor you need to tell Xconfigurator how much video memory you have. Move the highlight to the appropriate list entry and then press [Enter] or [F12] to continue. For the next step it is recommended that you select the default (No Clockchip Setting) entry, but experienced users may want to select a specific clockchip.

5.2.2.1 Selecting your Server

Selecting your Server If you are unsure what chip-set you have, the best way to find out is usually to look at the card. Figure 19 lists which chip-sets and boards require which servers. Pick the one that best matches your hardware.

Server	Chipset
VGA16	All VGA boards with 256K (16 color only)
SVGA	Trident 8900 & 9400, Cirrus Logic, C & T, ET4000, Others
Mach8	ATI boards using the Mach8 chip-set
Mach32	ATI boards using the Mach32 chip-set
Mach64	ATI boards using the Mach64 chip-set
8514	IBM 8514/A Boards and true clones
S3	#9 Boards, most Diamonds, some Orchids, Others
AGX	All XGA graphics boards
P9000	Diamond Viper (but not the 9100) and Others
W32	All ET4000/W32 cards, but not standard ET4000's

Figure 19:X Servers

5.2.2.2 Finishing Up

Finishing Up

If later you want to increase your refresh rate for your monitor, you can edit the config file by hand or you can run Xconfigurator again and pick a monitor from our list that more closely matches the specs of your monitor.

The final configuration step consists of selecting the video modes that you want to include in your XF86config file. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor up and down the list under each color depth (8, 16 and 24 bit). Use the [Spacebar] to select individual resolutions and the [Tab] key to move between color depth fields. When you have selected the video modes you want to use move the cursor to the ``OK'' button and press [Enter], or use the [F12] shortcut. An information screen will give you the most current information on selecting video modes, starting and stopping the X server.