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Date:      Thu, 11 Oct 2001 11:49:46 -0500
From:      "Andrew Thorpe" <athorpe@erac.com>
To:        <freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org>
Subject:   RE: XFree86 Config Problems
Message-ID:  <000001c15274$bc75b840$2014c90a@w3099044>
In-Reply-To: <20011011182647.MSPL306.mta05.onebox.com@onebox.com>

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Chris,

Don't worry about the name thing, you didn't know. Anyways, I don't remember
what the error message said. I could find out but not right now. I do
remember though, that it was something to the effect of the fact that the
default parameters that I entered were not what the system expected to find
in the config file. EX: In the default setting depth, I replaced 8 bit with
24 bit and in the default resolutions, I replaced "640x480, 800x600,
1024x768" to read "800x600" and then "800x600, 640x480, 1024x768". By the
way, I just realized that I have misinformed you. The problem is not that
the X server defaults to 800x600, the problem is that it defaults to 640x480
(800x600 would be ideal). Sorry for the confusion. Also, I read that once
the X server is loaded, you can change the resolution by pressing (Alt?)and
+ or - accordingly. I tried this and it did not seem to work. I can get
decent color depth, but I cannot get resolution better than 640x480.

-Andrew

-----Original Message-----
From: Christopher T. Jewett [mailto:ctjewett@onebox.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2001 1:27 PM
To: athorpe@erac.com
Subject: RE: XFree86 Config Problems


Just a quick apology on the name bit.  I should have checked how you
signed your name.  ;-)

> When I ran xf86cfg I tried numerous times to select my own
> defaultresolutions and desired resolutions. The server would keep
crashing,
> or it would hang. So, after a while, I let FreeBSD probe my card for
> desired
> resolutions and tried choosing resolutions off of that. Still, the
> server
> would crash out or hang. Plus the color depth was only like 8 bit.

By any chance did you happen to catch the error message when it crashes
out?  It will crash out if it doesn't recognize a command in the XF86Config
file.  (Hopefully they'll change this in a future version so it just
ignores unreconized commands.)  Did you see that you could actually change
your default resolution any place?  Apparently modes doesn't work, even
though it SHOULD.  :-p

> After several failed attempts with that. I backed up the config file
> and
> tried to manually edit default color depths and resolutions, still
> no luck.
> I finally let FreeBSD pick a default resolution and depth for me (xf86cfg)
> and then I read the FreeBSD Handbook (4.3) section on X windows and
> started
> to pass the depth parameters I wanted as an argument to startx (it
> was
> something like 'startx -24b', I don't exactly remember the actual command,
> but it is also in the man page for startx). Now by passing the argument
> to
> the command, I can get the X server to run in a different color depth,
> but
> it still defaults to 600x800 resolution. I have not yet found information
> that allows me to pass the resolution as an argument. I think I can
> make
> this process easier, by just aliasing 'startx' to 'startx -24b'. But
> this
> still does not solve my resolution problem. I find this odd, because
> my
> video card and monitor run fine through the X server under Linux.

As I said before, I don't seem to have any trouble with the bit-depth.
 A quick "DefaultDepth    24" seemed to fix that in a jiffy.  Also, it
should be noted that I've had a successful install with Linux and also
XFree86 3.3.6 under FreeBSD 4.2 and 4.3.  I really don't understand why
the problems with XF86-4.  :-(

Chris

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Christopher T. Jewett [mailto:ctjewett@onebox.com]
> Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2001 12:43 PM
> To: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: XFree86 Config Problems
>
>
> Doubt it is at all helpful, but my monitor is also a Sony Trinitron
> Based
> monitor.  It's a Dell P780.
>
> Andy:  Did you just use the Modes "<resolution desired>" Screen Subsection
> to change your resolution?  At least yours is crashing out.  That seems
> like progress compared to mine completely ignoring the Modes setting
> (Which I have set to 1024x768, yet it still displays in 640x480.)
>
> Thanks!
>
> Chris
>
>
> ---- "Andrew Thorpe" <athorpe@erac.com> wrote:
> > I too have a problem similar to Christopher's. I can run X from any
> > user
> > account; however, I can not change the default parameters to the
> X
> > server.
> > If I pass along the depth parameters as an argument to startx, it
> runs
> > fine
> > at that color depth. However, my default resolution is always 600x800
> > and
> > everytime I try to change the configuration file to default to a
> different
> > resolution, the X server crashes out. I used xf86cfg to configure
> my
> > script,
> > and vi to edit it. I have a Diamond Speedstar A50 card with a Sony
> > Trinitron
> > CVS(? I am not sure about the letters, I am at work and cannot
check)-100
> > monitor. Both of these are selectable devices in the configuration
> > setup.
> >
> > -Andrew
> >
> > >Huh?  I take it wrapper is somehow supposed to help with unprivilidged
> > >users booting X from the startx script, but why is it not installed
> > when
> > >you install X 4.1.0 if it's required for runtime unprivilidged user
> > access?
> > > Also, this still fails to help why my resolution is still defaulting
> > >to 640x480, dispite changes to my XF86Config file that should display
> > >in 1024x768.
> > >
> > >Also, if you read my note, you'll see that I checked Xfree86.org
> already,
> > >and in fact, the very documents you pointed me to really aren't
> all
> > that
> > >helpful.  Directly quoting the installation notes is the text:
> > >
> > >"The next step is to configure the X server. That is covered in
> detail
> > >in an as-yet unwritten document :-(. In the meantime, there are
> three
> > >ways to create a basic X server configuration file for XFree86 4.1.0.
> > >One is to run the xf86config utility. Another is to run the xf86cfg
> > utility.
> > >The third option is to use the new -configure X server option:
> XFree86
> > >-configure"
> > >
> > >Doesn't seem exactly helpful, since I already used the -configure
> > way,
> > >as it was recommended in the FreeBSD documentation and worked like
> > a
> > >charm, does it?  Any further assistance you could provide would
> be
> > helpful,
> > >even if just explaining further in detail how Wrapper is supposed
> > to
> > >magically fix my unprivilidged user problem.
> > >
> > >Thanks again!
> > >
> > >Chris
> >
> > ---- Scott Corey <scott@bsdprophet.org> wrote:
> > > install wrapper in /usr/ports/x11 dir.
> > >
> > > This program runs an X server after sanity-checking the environment
> > > and any options passed to it.  It is meant to enhance security
> on
> > > multi-user systems running XFree86 4, where the ability to use
> a
> > > startx script is needed.  If you have XFree86 3, do not install
> > > this:  you do not need it and it will not work.  If you have no
> > > untrusted users or always run the X server from xdm, you do not
> > > need this (in the latter case, just take the suid bit off your
> X
> > > server).
> > >
> > > Next time you might try looking at xfree86 home page since they
> are
> > > the
> > > ones responsible for the programs content.
> > >
> > > http://www.xfree86.org/4.1.0/index.html
> > > or
> > > http://www.xfree86.org/4.1.0/Install.html
> > >
> > >  >I'm trying to run XFree86 4.1.0 on FreeBSD 4.4 with KDE 2.2.2.
> >  X
> > > seems
> > >  >to run correctly under user "root" (which I'm only using for
> > configuration
> > >  >purposes), but for some reason, I can't get it to display the
> screen
> > >  >in the 1024x768.  I used XFree86 -configure to setup my XF86Config
> > > file
> > >  >(Which worked like a charm, configuring my NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX/400
> > > and
> > >  >Monitor settings to the perfect HSYNC and VSYNC settings), and
> > went
> > > back
> > >  >in using vi to add DefaultDepth so that it would display in 24-bit
> > > color.
> > >  > I also tried adding only "1024x768" to Modes in the 24-bit Color
> > >
> > > Subsection
> > >  >under Display, but that didn't seem to help.  I really wish they
> > > would
> > >  >implement the GUI based setup utility that was in XFree86 3.3.6,
> > > but
> > >  >they still haven't done that yet.
> > >
> > > Yes they have it's xf86cfg.
> > >
> > >  >Also, for some reason, when I try to start X under my unpriviliged
> > > user
> > >  >it fails to load saying something about "<name.domain.domain>
> 0
> > not
> > > in
> > >  >XAuthority function 'add' or 'list'".  I've tried adding the
> correct
> > >  >settings to my .XAuthority file, but it still doesn't seem to
> want
> > > to
> > >  >load.
> > >
> > >
> > >  >I'm hopelessly confused about the screen resolution issue, and
> > the
> > > other
> > >  >issue with unpriviliged users not being able to boot X is just
> > really
> > >  >irritating too.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I could really
> > > use
> > >  >the help.  I've read just about all the useless documentation
> on
> > > this
> > >  >issue as I could find (on Xfree86.org and FreeBSD.org and
> > Daemonnews.com's
> > >  >newbie help.)
> > >
> > >  >Very Frustrated,
> > >  >Chris
> > >
> >
> >
> > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
> > with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
> >
> >
>
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