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Date:      Tue, 16 Dec 1997 19:26:11 -0500
From:      Geoffrey Robinson <grobin@accessv.com>
To:        Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>
Cc:        questions@freeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: X-Windows desktop is larger than my screen.
Message-ID:  <34971C23.B9B0D28@accessv.com>
References:  <3.0.3.32.19971216100149.007d0100@jcwells.deskmail.washington.edu> <3496FDA7.CEC3CE06@accessv.com> <19971217091755.40614@lemis.com>

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Greg Lehey wrote:
> 
> On Tue, Dec 16, 1997 at 05:16:07PM -0500, Geoffrey Robinson wrote:
> > Jason Wells wrote:
> >>
> >> At 23:14 12/15/97 -0500, Geoffrey Robinson wrote:
> >>> When I run X-windows the desktop is a few lines longer than my screen,
> >>> so the bottom portion is cut off and inaccessible with the mouse. I've
> >>> run XF86Config several times and tried a number of different settings
> >>> but it doesn't make any difference. How can I change the
> >>> resolution/desktop size?
> >>>
> >>> If its of any importance my video hardware consists of a Mach64 video
> >>> card with 1meg RAM and a DAEWOO CMC-1501BA monitor. That's all I know.
> >>
> >> Everyone heretofore has talked about window managers. Window managers can
> >> provide the virtual desktop, which is a desktop larger than your physical
> >> screen.
> >>
> >> You can fix the problem you have without learning about window managers by
> >> editing you /etc/XF86Config file. In subsection display, option virtual,
> >> there is a an (x,y) value which sets the size of the virtual display. Just
> >> change this to whatever you are using. For example, mine says 1024, 768.
> >>
> >> See man XF86Config
> >
> > There is no virtual line in my XF86Config. Should I add it?
> >
> > BTW: I can't seem to set it to 800X600. The resolution appears the same
> > weather or not I set the monitor to 800X600 or 640X480 in XF86Setup.
> 
> Your /etc/XF86config file should contain a number of Screen sections,
> usually at the end.  I'm removing the contents of the ones that don't
> apply.  They should look something like:
> 
> # The Colour SVGA server
> 
> Section "Screen"
>     Driver      "svga"
>     Device      "Generic VGA"
>     Monitor     "Eizo 9500"
>     Subsection "Display"
>         Depth       8
>         Modes       "640x480" "800x600" "1024x768" "1280x1024"
>         ViewPort    0 0
>         Virtual     1280 1024
>     EndSubsection
> EndSection
> 
> # The 16-color VGA server
> 
> Section "Screen"
>     Driver      "vga16"
> ...
> EndSection
> 
> # The Mono server
> 
> Section "Screen"
>     Driver      "vga2"
> ...
> EndSection
> 
> # The accelerated servers (S3, Mach32, Mach8, 8514, P9000, AGX, W32, Mach64)
> 
> Section "Screen"
>     Driver      "accel"
>     Device      "ATI Graphics Ultra Pro"
>     Monitor     "Eizo 9500"
>     Subsection "Display"
>         Depth       8
>         Modes       "1024x768"  "800x600" "640x480" # "1280x1024"
>         ViewPort    0 0
>     EndSubsection
>     Subsection "Display"
>         Depth       16
>         Modes       "640x480" "800x600" "1024x768"
>         ViewPort    0 0
>     EndSubsection
>     Subsection "Display"
>         Depth       24
>         Modes       "640x480" "800x600"
>         ViewPort    0 0
>     EndSubsection
>     Subsection "Display"
>         Depth       32
>         Modes       "640x480" "800x600"
>         ViewPort    0 0
>     EndSubsection
> EndSection


In my /etc/XF86Config for the accel driver, in fact for all of the
screen sections, all of the modes listed "640x480" only. I added
"800x600" to each one plus the ViewPort line but it didn't make any
difference. 


> Which one do you choose?  You don't, your link /usr/X11R6/bin/X does
> it for you.  If it's pointing to /usr/X11R6/bin/Xaccel, it'll look at
> the "accel" driver.  If it's pointing to /usr/X11R6/bin/Xsvga, it'll
> look at the "svga" driver.  Normally it will choose 8 bits per pixel,
> unless you change the config file or start with a -bpp <depth> flag.


Mine points to /usr/X11R6/bin/XF86_Mach64. Dose that mean it will go to
the accel driver?


> Next, it will take the first entry in the Mode line associated with
> the driver and depth.  In this example, the svga driver will come up
> with 640x480, and the accel driver will come up with 1024x768.  If you
> want to change, press Ctrl-Alt-Keypad + or Ctrl-Alt-Keypad - (the +
> and - signs on the keypad to the right of the keyboard proper.  The +
> and - signs on the keyboard won't work here).  This will scroll
> through the list of available resolutions.  If the display screws up,
> go back.  You could damage your monitor if you leave the display in
> that state.


Ctrl-Alt-keypad+ and Ctrl-Alt-keypad- have no effect. 

 
> > In fact, I'm not even sure I'm running the right X-Windows. Somebody
> > told me that it looks very similar to Win'95 and there is a picture of
> > it in the Walnut Creek CDROM catalog that doesn't resemble what I have
> > either. Am I using the wrong program?
> 
> The appearance of the desktop is created by the window manager, not
> the X server.  Take a look in your .xinitrc and tell me what you see.
> It looks as if you might be starting fvwm95.

There is no file called .xinitrc anywhere on my system.

-- 
Geoffrey Robinson
grobin@accessv.com
Oakville, Ontario, Canada.



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