Re: A few questions about settings
-- Wathen, Metherion <mwathen@bsadesign.com> wrote
(on Friday, 18 October 2002, 10:23 AM -0500):
> 2.) How do I find out what resolution mode X is running in (i.e. 640x480,
> 800x600, etc.)?
I'm sure there are other ways, but if you look in your
/etc/X11/XF86Config file, you'll see an area towards the bottom that
starts with 'Section "Screen"', and contains information like the
following:
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "Velocity128"
Monitor "Relisys"
DefaultDepth 24
The "DefaultDepth" setting corresponds to a subsection below this. In
the example I give here, it corresponds to:
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
The "Modes" setting tells me that my default resolution is 1024x768, but
that I can use 800x600 or 640x480 (which can be achieved by hitting
C-Keypad+ or C-Keypad- from within X). My guess, from your comments, is
that your default is probably 640x480; simply put the resolution you
desire as the first in the list.
> 3.) How do find out where programs are installed?
> I ran "dpkg --list" to find out what was on the system, I want to use these
> programs as my defaults.
Most programs are installed in /bin, /usr/bin, /usr/X11/bin, or
/usr/local/bin. To find out where a specific program and all its files
are installed when that program was installed via apt, dpkg, or dselect,
use 'dpgk -L <packagename>'. (If you want to know where the executable
program is, i.e. the binary, try 'dpkg -L <packagename> | grep bin'.) As
it is, any program installed via the debian packaging system will have
an executable in your path, so just typing the name of the executable
*should* start it for you.
> 4.) What is the difference between a window manager and a desktop
> environment? Don't they do the same thing?
No, they are *not* the same. A window manager manages windows: it
controls window decorations, window placement (to an extent), creation
and destruction of windows, window sizing, workspaces, etc. A desktop
environment is another layer on top of the window manager, and can
provide such things as a panel (the taskbar/start menu/etc.), icons, a
consistent application look-and-feel, etc. It is possible to use *only*
a window manager, but it is *not* possible to use a desktop environment
without a window manager.
Popular window managers include blackbox, afterstep, windowmaker,
enlightenment, twm, pwm, sawmill, waimea, and more. Each of these can
run with or without a desktop environment.
Popular desktop environments include gnome, kde, and rox. Each of these
can run on top of another window manager (although not all window
managers are completely compatible with each desktop environment).
> Isnt there a "start bar" or "start menu" thing for Gnome? How do I activate
> it?
Run "panel" from your .xinitrc or after starting your window manager.
You need to make sure you have a basic gnome installation, however.
--
Matthew Weier O'Phinney
matthew@weierophinney.net
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