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linux-unix130.linux.and.unix.ebooks130 linux and unix ebookslinuxLearning Linux - Collection of 12 E

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<P>You will notice that each section in the Xconfig or XF86Config file starts with the keyword section followed by the name of the section. The section is terminated with the keyword EndSection. This keyword makes it easier to find the sections you want to work with. Comments in the file all start with a pound sign.



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<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FF0000"><B>Pathnames</B></FONT></CENTER></H4>



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<P>In most cases, the pathnames provided in the configuration files don't need changing unless you installed XFree86 in a directory other than the default value. The paths used by XFree86 for screen fonts and other files are given in a section of the configuration file that looks like the following:



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<FONT COLOR="#000080">Section &quot;Files&quot;



# The location of the RGB database. Note, this is the name of the



# file minus the extension (like &quot;.txt&quot; or &quot;.db&quot;). There is normally



# no need to change the default.



RgbPath &quot;/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb&quot;



# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (which are concatenated together),



# as well as specifying multiple comma-separated entries in one FontPath



# command (or a combination of both methods)



FontPath &quot;/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/&quot;



FontPath &quot;/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/&quot;



FontPath &quot;/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/&quot;



FontPath &quot;/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/&quot;



FontPath &quot;/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/&quot;



EndSection</FONT></PRE>



<P>The preceding code defines the search paths for the screen fonts and RGB database. If you installed XFree86 into the default directories or let the installation routines proceed with default values, you should not have to change anything here.



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<P>Note that the directories referenced in this XF86Config file follow the formal naming conventions for X, using /usr/X11R6. Because this directory is linked to /usr/X11, /usr/X386, and potentially other directories in most installations, the link can be followed to the target file. Verify that the directories point to the screen fonts by changing into each directory in turn and examining the files it contains. If the directory doesn't exist or is empty, XFree86 won't be able to load the fonts properly and will crash or generate error messages. If you add new fonts to your XFree86 installation, they should go in one of the font directories specified in the XF86Config file.



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<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FF0000"><B>Keyboard Settings</B></FONT></CENTER></H4>



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<P>In most installations, the keyboard setting defaults to a U.S. 101-key keyboard with standard key mappings. This setting is valid for most computer systems. Tweaking this file will help simplify your life, though, so don't completely ignore the keyboard section. The following code shows the keyboard section from the XF86Config file:



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<FONT COLOR="#000080">Section &quot;Keyboard&quot;



 Protocol &quot;Standard&quot;



# when using XQUEUE, comment out the above line, and uncomment the



# following line



# Protocol &quot;Xqueue&quot;



 AutoRepeat 500 5



# Let the server do the NumLock processing. This should only be required



# when using pre-R6 clients



# ServerNumLock



# Specifiy which keyboard LEDs can be user-controlled (eg, with xset(1))



# Xleds 1 2 3



# To set the LeftAlt to Meta, RightAlt key to ModeShift, 



# RightCtl key to Compose, and ScrollLock key to ModeLock:



# LeftAlt Meta



# RightAlt ModeShift



# RightCtl Compose



# ScrollLock ModeLock



EndSection</FONT></PRE>



<P>Leave the Protocol set as standard. The Xqueue line is commented out, and should remain that way unless you implement an Xqueue for XFree86. The AutoRepeat setting tells XFree86 how long to wait for a key to be pressed before generating multiple keystrokes (for example, if you hold the x key down for more than a certain number of milliseconds, multiple x's start to appear).



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<P>ServerNumLock controls whether the NumLock key is on or off when XFree86 starts up. The ServerNumLock option is commented out by default in most sample configuration files. If you are running XFree86 version 2.x (or earlier), it is a good idea to uncomment the line. This helps tailor your keyboard for better operation under XFree86. With XFree86 version 3.x, you can leave it commented out as the server will handle the NumLock behavior.



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<P>In theory, you can use the Xleds setting to permit programming of the LED buttons on most keyboards (for Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock). Leave it commented as the LEDs are not used for much user feedback.



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<P>The rest of the section control show the Alt, Ctrl, and Shift key behave. Some UNIX applications expect special keystrokes called meta keys, composed of a special key held down and another key pressed (like Ctrl-C in DOS or UNIX). These entries let you control which keys are interpreted as Alt, Meta, Control, and ModeLock. Most installations will have no problem with all these lines commented out as the number of Linux applications that need special keystrokes is very small (and those are in limited distribution).



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<P>You can use XFree86 to translate keystrokes to international characters automatically. In most cases, the keyboard layout is read by XFree86 from the kernel, although you can override this setting. The X11 standards only allow four key tables to be modifies, much less than Linux.



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<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FF0000"><B>Mouse Definition</B></FONT></CENTER></H4>



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<P>XFree86 uses the mouse heavily, so you must specify the type of mouse on the system and how it is connected. XFree86 supports most popular mouse types, and any types not directly supported can usually be used in emulation of one of the more popular types like Microsoft or Logitech. The mouse section of the XF86Config file is labeled as Pointer (from pointing device) and looks like the following:



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<FONT COLOR="#000080">Section &quot;Pointer&quot;



 Protocol &quot;Microsoft&quot;



 Device &quot;/dev/mouse&quot;



# When using XQUEUE, comment out the above two lines, and uncomment



# the following line.



# Protocol &quot;Xqueue&quot;



# Baudrate and SampleRate are only for some Logitech mice



# BaudRate 9600



# SampleRate 150



# Emulate3Buttons is an option for 2-button Microsoft mice



# Emulate3Buttons



# ChordMiddle is an option for some 3-button Logitech mice



# ChordMiddle



EndSection</FONT></PRE>



<P>The Protocol section is the name of the mouse or the emulation to use. The names of supported mouse types are listed in the Xconfig or XF86Config man page, so if you use a mouse from a vendor other than Microsoft or Logitech, check the man page or other supplied documentation to find the name of the protocol to specify. Another method of identifying the type of mouse is to watch the startup messages when Linux boots&#151;it will often identify the type of mouse. Microsoft mice inevitably use the Microsoft protocol. Many Logitech mice are Microsoft compatible, but newer versions use the MouseMan protocol. Because Dexxa and many other mice vendors emulate the Microsoft mouse, you can use the Microsoft protocol with them as well.



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<P>The Device entry specifies the port the mouse is attached to, using Linux device terminology. In most cases, the entry /dev/mouse is sufficient, as the Linux installation procedure will have configured the mouse already. If you are using a mouse configured on the PS/2 port of IBM PS/2 models, use the PS/2 device driver and not a serial port device driver. Valid device drivers are listed in the man page or the documentation files accompanying XFree86, but most versions support the following devices:



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<TABLE  BORDERCOLOR=#000040 BORDER=1 CELLSPACING=2 WIDTH="100%" CELLPADDING=2 >



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



/dev/mouse



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



Linux default mouse driver</FONT>



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



/dev/inportbm



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



Microsoft bus mouse only</FONT>



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



/dev/logibm



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



Logitech bus mouse only</FONT>



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



/dev/psaux



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<TD VALIGN=top  BGCOLOR=#80FFFF ><FONT COLOR=#000080>



PS/2 port mouse</FONT>



</TABLE><P>A bus mouse requires a specific IRQ to be set in both XFree86 and the kernel. Make sure the IRQ is the same in both places.



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<P>As with the keyboard, there is an option for Xqueue users. Because most XFree86 installations don't use Xqueue, leave this line commented out. The baud rate and sampling rate lines, as the comment indicates, are for some older Logitech mice. Most mice will not need these lines, so keep them commented out. If your mouse does not work without these settings, try 9600 baud, followed by 1200 baud if that doesn't work. Some earlier versions of XFree86 liked to have a baud rate specified, but try it without an entry first.



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<P>The Emulate3Buttons option is useful if you have a two-button mouse. When active, Emulate3Buttons allows you to simulate the press of a middle button by pressing both the left and right mouse buttons simultaneously. Many Linux (and UNIX) applications make use of three buttons on the mouse, so this option is useful for Microsoft and compatible mice owners.



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<P>Finally, the ChordMiddle option is used with some Logitech mouse models. If you use the Logitech driver, try the mouse under XFree86 without this option turned on. If the mouse doesn't behave properly, try uncommenting this line. Most Logitech mice don't need ChordMiddle turned on. although some models won't recognize the middle button properly without it.



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<FONT SIZE=4 COLOR="#FF0000"><B>Monitor Model</B></FONT></CENTER></H4>



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<P>Setting the monitor properly is an important step in configuring XFree86, and one that is easy to mess up. If some of the settings are incorrect, damage can occur to the monitor, so take care! Patience and common sense will help, although the monitor's operations manual is a much better source of information. If you are unsure about any settings, select the most basic level until you can get more information. For example, if you're not sure whether your monitor supports high resolutions, stick with VGA or SVGA until you can get confirmation.



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<P>The monitor section in the XF86Config file is broken into smaller subsections for convenience. The first section asks for information about the monitor type and model number, as shown in the following code:



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<FONT COLOR="#000080">Section &quot;Monitor&quot;



 Identifier &quot;Generic Monitor&quot;



 VendorName &quot;Unknown&quot;



 ModelName &quot;Unknown&quot;</FONT></PRE>



<P>The entries in this section are text strings only and have no real configuration value for XFree86. The only time they are used is when the text strings are echoed back to you when XFree86 starts up, or a utility displays configuration information. You can enter the proper values for these items to make XFree86 a little more friendly to work with.



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<P>The next subsection deals with the horizontal bandwidth of the monitor. This section is important, and you should try to find the actual values for your monitor. Some settings for specific brands are listed in the documentation accompanying XFree86, especially in the documents Monitors and VideoModes.doc. Check your distribution directories for any specification document files. If you can't find specific values for these settings, use the lowest setting as a default, un