iB::Topic::Changing /etc/X11/XF86Config

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Topic: Changing /etc/X11/XF86Config, Making manual changes to XF86Config

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Rapidweather Offline

Group: Members
Posts: 375
Joined: Jan. 2004

Posted: Jan. 28 2004,00:40

Your X Window System Configuration File:
/etc/X11/XF86Config
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Ever since I started with Redhat 6.1, I have made quite a sport of tweaking my XF86Config by hand. Sure, some of the later distributions, such as Mandrake, have wizards to help generate a nice XF86Config.
---
I may have to do that in Damn Small Linux. Anyone have any experience with changing the XF86Config by hand in DSL?
---
It has occurred to me that the required X config at the start of
DSL is in fact creating a XF86Config, based on your answers to the questions asked. Once up and running, however, you can restore, from USB or floppy, exit the window manager, and then when you "startx" again, you are using your own XF86Config.
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Of course, you can do no harm if you are using the live CD, or if you have copied the /knoppix directory on the CD to your hard drive, and boot from that as I do, with a boot floppy. You start out new every time, then have to restore, to get your own settings.
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I'll get back in here if I can do all that with some success. I am
mainly trying to get a different mouse setup, like this:
------------
Section 'Pointer"
Protocol "Microsoft"
Device "/dev/ttyS1"
------------
My mouse is set up like that in Mandrake, on this hard drive,
and I am having some problems in DSL with getting the XF86Config to do that in Damn Small Linux. :;):

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Rapidweather Offline

Group: Members
Posts: 375
Joined: Jan. 2004

Posted: Jan. 28 2004,02:26

When I try and edit the XF86Config file, I cannot save it, as this is a read-only file system. Apparently, I would have to do a hard drive install of Damn Small Linux, to get free of that restriction.
----
I wanted to change the "Pointer" section.
There is mouseconfig, that can be run fullscreen if you exit your window manager
and:
#mouseconfig
There are plenty of choices there, but the output cannot be written to DSL, again,
read only file system.
----
The only way around this is to wait for the next edition of DSL, and see if more
choices are presented for mouse setup. I suppose the choices were limited to
avoid so much startup questions, the first choice being USB mouse, which on modern computers is the one being used.

cbagger01

Group: Members
Posts: 4264
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: Jan. 28 2004,05:05

Your changes to the XF86Config file will be ignored.

DSL uses a special Xwindows server called KDrive or TinyX. This server is different from the normal XFree86 servers and does not use the XF86Config file for mouse or resolutions settings.

The config text file that you want to change is called "xsetup". It is created by the XWindows setup program and the file is located in /home/root or in /home/damnsmall depending on the version of DSL that is installed.

Edit this config file, then save your changes. If you are already running XWindows, press CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE to exit back to the text console. Then type "startx" and XWindows will restart with your new settings.

Here are some links that explain the syntax of the command line:

http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xkdrive.1.html

http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xvesa.1.html

Good Luck.

Rapidweather Offline

Group: Members
Posts: 375
Joined: Jan. 2004

Posted: Jan. 29 2004,05:21

I found the xsetup file in /ramdisk/opt, but have not been able to get much in the way of changes made to it.

Compared to the very-big XF86Config, the xsetup file is only one line, and does not have a lot of choices. I'll have to dig around on Google, and see what I can find.

3 replies since Jan. 28 2004,00:40

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