Re: X

[John Labovitz <johnl@meer.net>]

Kevin Puetz <puetzk@iastate.edu> said:
> odd@keff.dhs.org said:
> > First, I can find no X configuration tools. Secondly, I can=t find any
> > existing XF86Config files, for manual configuration in lack of X conf.
> > tool.s
> [...]
> Q for someone - why don't we have Xconfigurator (which might be
> redhat-centric?) or something similar?  It really helps... Maybe
> I'll alien it out of LinuxPPC and put the deb up - if there is any
> interest.

Xautoconfig is better -- there's no guessing needed, as long as you
are using the frame-buffer *and* you already have the right resolution
& depth set up (using fbdev or the kernel arguments).  it simply
reads the frame buffer device and the keyboard & mouse config files,
and writes an appropriate XF86Config.

just now, i have gotten accelerated ATI rage128 support working on my
mac g3.  i have been closely following robert shaw's linuppc pages at
<http://www.linuxppc.org/blueg3/>; he has recently posted both kernel
patches and pre-built binaries, as well as two accelerated X servers.

granted, robert has tailored his documentation for linuxppc, so
there's some playing & guessing in order to make it work on debian.

this is a bit of a brain dump, but here goes...

parts list (mostly available from
http://www.linuxppc.org/blueg3/g3_downloads.shtml):

    kernel, etc.

	ftp://ftp.linuxppc.org/install/BlueG3/kernels/v2.2.10/vmlinux-2.2.10-rev2.gz
	ftp://ftp.linuxppc.org/install/BlueG3/kernels/v2.2.10/System.map-2.2.10.gz
	ftp://ftp.linuxppc.org/install/BlueG3/kernels/v2.2.10/modules-2.2.10.tar.gz

	    these go in the normal places.  i use BootX, so the kernel
	    is on the mac partition; the System.map is in /boot; and
	    i untar'ed the modules in /lib/modules (seems to be only
	    ppp modules).

    keyboard/mouse configurations

	http://www.linuxppc.org/blueg3/files/keyboard-2.2.10
	http://www.linuxppc.org/blueg3/files/mouse-2.2.10

	    these should go in /etc/sysconfig (Xautoconfig uses these
	    to determine how to write an XF86Config file).

    xkb patches

	ftp://ftp.linuxppc.org/install/BlueG3/R5/xkb-macintosh.path.gz

	    (this may not have been strictly necessary; i can't remember.)

    X server

	ftp://ftp.linuxppc.org/install/BlueG3/Q3/XF68_FBDev-r128.gz

	    gunzip and install in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/.

	    then change /etc/X11/Xserver to point to the above server
	    rather than the old XF68_FBDev.

    Xautoconfig

	http://devel.linuxppc.org/~trini/Xautoconfig-0.3.tar.gz

	    simply run this as root, and it will write a new
	    /etc/X11/XF86Config that is hopefully correct.

	    i needed to patch this to refer to explicit FontPath's
	    rather than a font server.  patch is:

---CUT HERE---
diff -u Xautoconfig-0.2/Xautoconfig.c Xautoconfig-0.2.hacked/Xautoconfig.c
--- Xautoconfig-0.2/Xautoconfig.c	Wed Aug  4 14:44:52 1999
+++ Xautoconfig-0.2.hacked/Xautoconfig.c	Wed Dec 31 16:22:46 1969
@@ -176,7 +176,13 @@
 "# By default, LinuxPPC R5 and Hat 6.0 and later now use a font server\n"
 "# independent of the X server to render fonts.\n"
 "\n"
-"    FontPath   \"unix/:-1\"\n"
+"    FontPath	\"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/\"\n"
+"FontPath	\"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled\"\n"
+"FontPath	\"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled\"\n"
+"FontPath	\"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/\"\n"
+"FontPath	\"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/\"\n"
+"FontPath	\"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/\"\n"
+"FontPath	\"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/\"\n"
 "\n"
 "EndSection\n"
 "\n"
---CUT HERE---

after all the steps above, i got 640x480 to work.  i was able to get
1024x768 by mucking with fbdev (i had to move the sample fb.modes in
/usr/share/doc/fbdev/examples into /etc/fb.modes).

seems like only 8 bit depth works for now.

feel free to email if any of this is confusing.

john