XFree86 Jonathan Billings SCS Facilities

XFree86 ● What is XFree86? ● XFree86 files ● Structure of X configuration file, XF86Config ● Helper programs

What is XFree86? ● From the XFree86 website: –a freely redistributable open-source implementation of the X Window System. XFree86 runs primarily on UNIX® and UNIX-like operating systems such as Linux, all of the BSD variants, Sun Solaris x86, Mac OS X (via Darwin), as well as other platforms like OS/2 and Cygwin. –XFree86, provides a client/server interface between display hardware (the mouse, keyboard, and video displays) and the desktop environment while also providing both the windowing infrastructure and a standardized application interface (API). XFree86 is platform- independent, network-transparent and extensible. –In short, XFree86 is an open source X11-based desktop infrastructure. ●

What is XFree86? ● For linux, XFree86 provides the graphical user environment ● All X programs are clients that connect to the X server ● Window decorations provided by window manager –Gnome, KDE, fvwm, twm, etc. etc. etc. –Outside the topic of this presentation Still one of the most difficult service to configure on a linux system. –XFree86 4.x makes life easier –You still need to know a lot about your hardware

XFree86 files ● Files /usr/X11R6/bin/XFree86 /etc/X11/X /etc/X11/XF86Config and /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 $HOME/.xinitrc /var/log/XFree86.0.log ● Directories /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/ /usr/X11R6/bin/ /etc/X11/

Structure of XFree86 configuration file, XF86Config ● Described in the 'XF86Config' man page ● Also documention here: ● Only XFree86 4.x described

Structure of XFree86 configuration file, XF86Config

XF86Config, Files section ● FontPath “path” –Sets the search path for fonts –“path”: /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/ unix/:7100 ● RGBPath “path” –sets the path name for the RGB color database ● ModulePath “path” –Sets the search path for loadable X server modules

XF86Config, InputDevice section ● Describes the various input devices, usually the keyboard and mouse ● Example: Section "InputDevice" Identifier "Mouse0" Driver "mouse" Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2" Option "Device" "/dev/psaux" Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no" EndSection

XF86Config, InputDevice section ● Describes the various input devices, usually the keyboard and mouse ● Another Example: Section "InputDevice" Identifier "DevInputMice" Driver "mouse" Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2" Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice" Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no" EndSection

XF86Config, Device Section ● Devices section describes the video devices to be used ● There can be more than one of these sections –Describe multiple devices Hardware driver and framebuffer driver ● Example: Section "Device" Identifier "Videocard0" Driver "nv" VendorName "Videocard vendor" BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX (generic)" EndSection

XF86Config, Monitor Section ● Descibes the monitor(s) connected to the system ● Example: Section "Monitor" Identifier "Hitachi CM771" VendorName "Hitachi" ModelName "CM771" HorizSync VertRefresh DisplaySize Option "dpms" EndSection

XF86Config, Screen Section Section "Screen" Identifier "Screen0" Device "Videocard0" Monitor "Hitachi CM771" DefaultDepth 24 Subsection "Display" Depth 24 Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" EndSubSection EndSection ● Screen section defines one “screen” ● A “screen” is a binding of: A graphics device from the Device section A monitor from the Monitor section ● Example:

XF86Config, Serverlayout section ● Represents binding of –One or more “screens” from the Screen section –One or more “input devices” from the InputDevice sections –If multiple displays, also specifies the relative layout of the screens ● Example: Section "ServerLayout" Identifier "Default Layout" Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0 InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer" InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard" InputDevice "DevInputMice" "SendCoreEvents" EndSection

Helper programs ● Redhat 7.1 –Xconfigurator ● Redhat 9 –redhat-config-xfree86 ● XFree86 –xf86config: text based configuration tool –xf86cfg: graphical configuration tool –XFree86 –configure: probes hardware and creates a ~/XF86Config.new –/var/log/XFree86.0.log: hardware information

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