Xorg Problems

[Warren Block]

On Sat, 21 Aug 2010, Fred Boatwright wrote:

> .xinitrc
> xrdb
> xsetroot -solid gray &
> xterm -geometry +0-100 &
> xconsole -geometry -0+0 -fn 5x7 &
> #exec olvwm   #complained about a missing font
> exec fvwm

Before trying a different window manager, try good old twm.

> xorg.conf
> Section "ServerLayout"
> 	Identifier     "X.org Configured"
> 	Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
> 	InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
> 	InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
> EndSection

If you're running hal, those InputDevice sections aren't needed.

> Section "InputDevice"
> 	Identifier  "Keyboard0"
> 	Driver      "kbd"
> EndSection
>
> Section "InputDevice"
> 	Identifier  "Mouse0"
> 	Driver      "mouse"
> 	Option	    "Protocol" "auto"
> 	Option	    "Device" "/dev/sysmouse"
> 	Option	    "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
> EndSection

These InputDevice definitions are also unnecessary with hal.

> Section "Monitor"
> 	Identifier   "Monitor0"
> 	VendorName   "HP"
> 	ModelName    "2009"
> 	ModeLine     "1600x900" 108.0 1600 1624 1704 1800 900 901 904 1000
> 	Option       "DPMS"
> EndSection

Modelines are... well, avoid them unless they are required.

> Section "Device"
>        ### Available Driver options are:-
>        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
>        ### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
>        ### [arg]: arg optional
>        #Option     "ShadowFB"           	# [<bool>]
>        #Option     "DefaultRefresh"     	# [<bool>]
>        #Option     "ModeSetClearScreen" 	# [<bool>]
> 	Identifier  "Card0"
> 	Driver      "vesa"
> 	VendorName  "nVidia Corporation"
> 	BoardName   "NV44 [GeForce 6200 A-LE]"
> 	BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
> EndSection

The nVidia driver should produce better results than vesa.

> Section "Screen"
> 	Identifier "Screen0"
> 	Device     "Card0"
> 	Monitor    "Monitor0"
> 	DefaultDepth  24
> 	SubSection "Display"
> 		Viewport   0 0
> 		Depth     24
> 		Modes     "1600x900"
> 	EndSubSection
> EndSection

Finally, starting with a more common resolution like 1024x768 may help. 
Get it working first, then polish one thing at a time so you can tell 
what works.

> Is there is somewhere I can park the log file that you would have access
> to?  I don't know of any way to provide a link to it here.

http://pastebin.com/ is popular.

> The log file says: (--) using VT number 9.  This does not exist in
> /etc/ttys and I didn't find anywhere in the Handbook chapter that says
> it needs to be added.

xorg creates it automatically.  It's the alt-F9 to switch from console 
to X.

> The log file generated by Xorg -configure appears to have everything
> there is to know about the monitor being used.  These values were
> manually put in the xorg.conf file.  However, the log file says:
> (II) VESA(0): Not using mode "1600x900" (no mode of this name)
> However, the xorg.conf test did work.

vesa may not be able to handle that resolution.  1024x768 is a safe 
starting value.