--- Begin Message ---
- To: submit@bugs.debian.org
- Subject: xserver-xfree86: proposed debconf overhaul
- From: Eduard Bloch <edi@gmx.de>
- Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:08:02 +0200
- Message-id: <20030827110802.GA1833@zombie.inka.de>
Package: xserver-xfree86
Severity: wishlist
Okay, here is what I would change in xserver-xfree86.config.
- xserver-xfree86/config/device/use_fbdev:
check for existance of /proc/fb before asking the question about
framebuffer support.
- If it does not exist, do not ask the question and set use_fbdev to
false.
- If it does exist, read it, and if
- the contents matches "nvidia", do
not ask the question and set use_fbdev to false.
- otherwise set default to false but ask the question
- To the video card section: I suggest setting SWCursor option
by-default, since some drivers show broken mouse pointer on certain
video cards.
- on every arch except of sun and sgi set the default of
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/rules to xfree86. This is
just guessing but should be okay for the majority of the users.
- get the first part /(\w\w)_../ of LC_CTYPE or LANG and set the
default for xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/layout
- based on this setting, guess the layout most typical for the target
country and set as it as default, then ask the question
- based on the layout, set a default for
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/variant and ask the
question.
I suggest to ask people on debian-i18n to send some data about the
settings that majority of the users in their country uses. For
example, in de it is popular to set the "nodeadkeys" option. Russians
may want to set a second keymap in "layout", to "us,ru" and a
"grp:grp:alt_shift_toggle" (or some other toggle) option to rotate
the keymaps. We should just ask them on -i18n, code this settings
into one mapping table and insert them
- ask a question about advanced keyboard options with defaults from the
typical configuration selection mentioned above
- the mouse config is mostly okay, I just wish to see a final sentence
in every description:
"If unsure, choose to emulate the 3rd mouse button."
"If unsure, enable the Zaxismapping."
- For mouse autodetection: if gpm is running (test -e
/var/run/gpm.pid), then open /etc/gpm.conf and source it,
if $repeat_type exists, set
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/mouse/port to /dev/gpmdata
and xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/mouse/protocol to the
$repeat_type value (eg. mapped from the gpm syntax to X syntax).
Now the most interessting part, the monitor settings. Following this
algorithm:
- ask about tft/lcd with the existing debconf question
- ask about the monitor identifier (and preset with "Generic Monitor"
or the name provided by parse-edid)
Throw away the current question about simple/medium/advanced setup and
proceed so:
- ask:
Template: xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/screen-size
Type: select
_Choices: Up to 14 inches (355 mm), 15 inches (380 mm), 17 inches (430 mm), 18 inches (480 mm), 19 inches (480 mm), 20 inches (510 mm), 21 inches (530 mm)
Default: 17 inches (430 mm)
_Description: Please choose your approximate monitor size.
Your answer should be as precise as possible. If you monitor has better
or lower quality than the average monitors in its class, you can
refine its settings later.
Template: xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/resolution-class
Type: select
_Choices: VGA (640x480), SVGA (800x600), XGA (1024x768), XGA+ (1152x864), SXGA (1280x1024), SXGA+ (1400x1050), UXGA (1600x1200), W-UXGA (1920x1200)
Default: XGA (1024x768)
_Description: Please choose your resolution class
The resolution class of you monitor is normaly described in the manual
of the display.
If your display does not fit in any of this categories, choose just anything
and you can refine the settings later.
- If the monitor type is LCD, we can calculate all we need.
However, user may need to tune some things, eg. on non-4:3
displays. Later.
Now, we need a data table to choose the frequency values for an average
monitor of the given type and insert this settings in the following
template:
Template: xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/general-info
Type: boolean
Default: true
_Description: Is the choosed data correct?
Setup has now choosed following settings that should work for an
average monitor of the type you have choosen:
Brand name: ${identifier}
Type: {tft_or_lcd}
Screen ratio: 4:3
General Screen Size: ${screen-size} diagonal (Width: {ratio-calculation($screen-size)}, Height: {ratio-calculation($screen-size)})
Best resolution: ${ (type==tft) : ${value from resolution-class} : ${value from data table for the res-class} }
Pixel resolution: ${ (x-value-of(best-resolution) - unvisible-bordersize-on-CRTs ) / $width }
Horizontal frequency range: ${value from data table or edid)
Refresh rate range: ${value from data table or edid)
Best mode: ${width}x${height}-{rate-from-edid or VESA table or minimum for TFTs}
.
If the data looks acceptable for your monitor, answer with Yes,
otherwise choose No to customize some settings.
### comment: this is just for info and not really important since X will recalculate it as needed if we set DisplaySize correctly ###
- If yes, accept the data, if No, use gets a debconf question with a
list of things that he wants to change:
ratio/size-diagonal/size-horizontal/size-vertical/best-mode. Selecting
something shows the text input question where he can enter the
values manually. After each change, the other settings are
recalculated and the general-info question is shown, untill it is done.
So, this is what I imagine as "New World" configuration.
Some imaginary templates:
Template: xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/ratio
Type: text
Default: 4:3
_Description: Width:Height screen ratio
Please specify the ratio of your screen in the format WIDTH:HEIGHT. For
most monitors 4:3 is the default value. For some extra-weight monitors,
it may be 16:9 or 5:4. If you don't know the exact number enter the
known natural resolution of the monitor, eg. 1280:800 for an WXGA
(1280x800) model.
Template: xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/size-horizontal
Type: text
Default: {from the selection before}
_Description: The maximal real width of the screen
Please specify the width of your screen which you can measure with a
tape measure or from the manual of your monitor. If the size is given
in milimeters, add "mm" to the number. On CRT monitors, please
increment by 0.7 inch (or 18mm) because of the invisible size.
Mfg,
Eduard.
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