Re: Successful install but disoriented about X configuration

[Taro Fukunaga <tarozax@earthlink.net>]

Garry Roseman wrote:
> I lurked here for a while and read about Debian until I finally made 
> the decision to replace Linuxppc 2000 with Debian GNU/Linux (Potato). 
> I first put it on my PowerMac 7600/ Powerlogix G3 system while the 
> PowerComputing 150 continues to run Linuxppc 2000 (for a little while).
>
> The Debian install is wonderful!  I was able to install by booting 
> from the floppy, mounting the root from floppy, and finding the 
> drivers and base system where I had downloaded them on a hard drive. 
> All further installation was done via dselect/ppp and went smoothly. I 
> got Midnight Commander and lynx running and gcc installed.
>
> (I'm using BootX for dual booting since this is an Old World ROM 
> machine and quik is not as convenient -- BootX is very easy to set up 
> and use.  Besides I'm not weaned from MacOS yet for email and a few 
> programs such as Adobe Acrobat.)
>
> Today I installed the X-Windows packages, s.a. xfonts*, xserver*, xdm, 
> xterm, blackbox, but I am feeling completely disoriented about 
> configuration.  I don't know what command(s) to rely on for setting up 
> my X server.  The Debian book says to run x86config --- I don't have 
> an x86config command?!
>
> I tried to check the FAQ-O-Matic for help but it seems to be AWOL.
>
> Someone please give me the big picture on what I should do next to get 
> X running.  My PCI graphics board is the ATI Xclaim 3D Plus (ATI Rage 
> LT Pro graphics accelerator with 8M of memory).
>
> (I only need X to run lyx!  Otherwise I'd be quite happy to live with 
> a Linux console.  I don't want to install a desktop manager right now 
> but will eventually use KDE.)
>
> Thanks for giving me a shove in the right direction...
I am running debian 2.2 on my PowerCenter 120, upgraded to a 300MHz G3. 
I have an ATI XClaim 3D card. Someone on the list suggested that I put 
the following in /etc/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config:

Section "Screen"
  ...
  Subsection "Display"
      Depth 16
      Modes "default"
  EndSubSection
...

Basically you need to configure X by hand by editing this file.

BTW there is an acrobat like program called xpdf that I use alot. Its 
pretty basic, but fast and does the job.

Good luck,

-- Taro