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1	<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>	1	<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
2
3	<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/xorg-config.xml,v 1.22 2007/06/09 12:40:12 jkt Exp $ -->
4
5	<!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd">	2	<!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd">
		3	<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/xorg-config.xml,v 1.45 2011/03/23 09:03:51 nightmorph Exp $ -->
6		4
7	<guide link="/doc/en/xorg-config.xml">	5	<guide>
8
9	<title>The X Server Configuration HOWTO</title>	6	<title>The X Server Configuration HOWTO</title>
10		7
11	<author title="Author">	8	<author title="Author">
12	<mail link="swift@gentoo.org">Sven Vermeulen</mail>	9	<mail link="swift"/>
		10	</author>
		11	<author title="Author">
		12	<mail link="nightmorph"/>
13	</author>	13	</author>
14		14
15	<abstract>	15	<abstract>
16	Xorg is the X Window server which allows users to have a graphical	16	Xorg is the X Window server which allows users to have a graphical
17	environment at their fingertips. This HOWTO explains what Xorg is, how to	17	environment at their fingertips. This HOWTO explains what Xorg is, how to
18	install it and what the various configuration options are.	18	install it and what the various configuration options are.
19	</abstract>	19	</abstract>
20		20
21	<!-- The content of this document is licensed under the CC-BY-SA license -->	21	<!-- The content of this document is licensed under the CC-BY-SA license -->
22	<!-- See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5 -->	22	<!-- See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5 -->
23	<license/>	23	<license/>
24		24
25	<version>1.16</version>	25	<version>7</version>
26	<date>2007-06-09</date>	26	<date>2011-03-23</date>
27		27
28	<chapter>	28	<chapter>
29	<title>What is the X Window Server?</title>	29	<title>What is the X Window Server?</title>
30	<section>	30	<section>
31	<title>Graphical vs Command-Line</title>	31	<title>Graphical vs Command-Line</title>
32	<body>	32	<body>
33		33
34	<p>	34	<p>
35	The average user may be frightened at the thought of having to type in commands.	35	The average user may be frightened at the thought of having to type in commands.
36	Why wouldn't he be able to point and click his way through the freedom provided	36	Why wouldn't he be able to point and click his way through the freedom provided
37	by Gentoo (and Linux in general)? Well, big smile, of course you are able to	37	by Gentoo (and Linux in general)? Well, of course you are able to
38	do this :-) Linux offers a wide variety of flashy user interfaces and	38	do this! Linux offers a wide variety of flashy user interfaces and
39	environments which you can install on top of your existing installation.	39	environments which you can install on top of your existing installation.
40	</p>	40	</p>
41		41
42	<p>	42	<p>
43	This is one of the biggest surprises new users come across: a graphical user	43	This is one of the biggest surprises new users come across: a graphical user
…		…
53	commonly abbreviated as <e>X11</e> or just <e>X</e>. It is used on Unix, Linux	53	commonly abbreviated as <e>X11</e> or just <e>X</e>. It is used on Unix, Linux
54	and Unix-like operating systems throughout the world.	54	and Unix-like operating systems throughout the world.
55	</p>	55	</p>
56		56
57	<p>	57	<p>
58	The application that provides Linux users with the ability to run graphical	58	The application that provides Linux users with the ability to run graphical
59	user interfaces and that uses the X11 standard is Xorg-X11, a fork of	59	user interfaces and that uses the X11 standard is Xorg-X11, a fork of
60	the XFree86 project. XFree86 has decided to use a license that might not be	60	the XFree86 project. XFree86 has decided to use a license that might not be
61	compatible with the GPL license; the use of Xorg is therefore recommended.	61	compatible with the GPL license; the use of Xorg is therefore recommended.
62	The official Portage tree does not provide an XFree86 package anymore.	62	The official Portage tree does not provide an XFree86 package anymore.
63	</p>	63	</p>
64		64
65	</body>	65	</body>
66	</section>	66	</section>
…		…
69	<body>	69	<body>
70		70
71	<p>	71	<p>
72	The <uri link="http://www.x.org">X.org</uri> project created and	72	The <uri link="http://www.x.org">X.org</uri> project created and
73	maintains a freely redistributable, open-source implementation of the X11	73	maintains a freely redistributable, open-source implementation of the X11
74	system. It is an open source X11-based desktop infrastructure.	74	system. It is an open source X11-based desktop infrastructure.
75	</p>	75	</p>
76		76
77	<p>	77	<p>
78	Xorg provides an interface between your hardware and the graphical software	78	Xorg provides an interface between your hardware and the graphical software
79	you want to run. Besides that, Xorg is also fully network-aware, meaning you	79	you want to run. Besides that, Xorg is also fully network-aware, meaning you
80	are able to run an application on one system while viewing it on a different	80	are able to run an application on one system while viewing it on a different
81	one.	81	one.
82	</p>	82	</p>
83		83
84	</body>	84	</body>
85	</section>	85	</section>
86	</chapter>	86	</chapter>
87		87
88	<chapter>	88	<chapter>
89	<title>Installing Xorg</title>	89	<title>Installing Xorg</title>
90	<section>	90	<section>
91	<title>Using emerge</title>	91	<body>
		92
		93	<p>
		94	Before you can install Xorg, you need to prepare your system for it. First,
		95	we'll set up the kernel to support input devices and video cards. Then we'll
		96	prepare <path>/etc/make.conf</path> so that the right drivers and Xorg packages
		97	are built and installed.
		98	</p>
		99
92	<body>	100	</body>
		101	</section>
		102	<section>
		103	<title>Input driver support</title>
		104	<body>
93		105
94	<p>
95	Enough chitchat, let's get to business shall we? To install Xorg, you just
96	need to run <c>emerge xorg-x11</c>. Installing Xorg does take a while
97	though, so you might want to grab a snack while you are waiting.
98	</p>	106	<p>
99		107	By default, Xorg uses <c>evdev</c>, a generic input driver. You'll need to
		108	activate support for <c>evdev</c> by making a change to your kernel
		109	configuration. Read the <uri link="/doc/en/kernel-config.xml">Kernel
		110	Configuration Guide</uri> if you don't know how to setup your kernel.
100	<p>	111	</p>
101	Before installing Xorg you have to configure two important variables in the	112
102	<path>/etc/make.conf</path> file.	113	<pre caption="Enabling evdev in the kernel">
		114	Device Drivers --->
		115	Input device support --->
		116	<*> Event interface
		117	</pre>
		118
		119	</body>
		120	</section>
		121	<section>
		122	<title>Kernel modesetting</title>
		123	<body>
		124
103	</p>	125	<p>
104		126	Modern open-source video drivers rely on kernel modesetting (KMS). KMS provides
		127	an improved graphical boot with less flickering, faster user switching, a
		128	built-in framebuffer console, seamless switching from the console to Xorg, and
		129	other features. KMS conflicts with legacy framebuffer drivers, which must remain
		130	<b>disabled</b> in your kernel configuration.
105	<p>	131	</p>
		132
		133	<p>
		134	First, prepare your kernel for KMS. You need to do this step regardless of which
		135	Xorg video driver you're using.
		136	</p>
		137
		138	<pre caption="Configuring framebuffers">
		139	Device Drivers --->
		140	Graphics support --->
		141	Support for frame buffer devices --->
		142	<comment>(Disable all drivers, including VGA, Intel, nVidia, and ATI)</comment>
		143
		144	<comment>(Further down, enable basic console support. KMS uses this.)</comment>
		145	Console display driver support --->
		146	<*> Framebuffer Console Support
		147	</pre>
		148
		149	<p>
		150	Next, configure your kernel to use the proper KMS driver for your video card.
		151	Intel, nVidia, and AMD/ATI are the most common cards, so follow code listing for
		152	your card below.
		153	</p>
		154
		155	<p>
		156	For Intel cards:
		157	</p>
		158
		159	<pre caption="Intel settings">
		160	Device Drivers --->
		161	Graphics support --->
		162	/dev/agpgart (AGP Support) --->
		163	<*> Intel 440LX/BX/GX, I8xx and E7x05 chipset support
		164	Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support) --->
		165	<*> Intel 830M, 845G, 852GM, 855GM, 865G (i915 driver)
		166	i915 driver
		167	[*] Enable modesetting on intel by default
		168	</pre>
		169
		170	<p>
		171	For nVidia cards:
		172	</p>
		173
		174	<pre caption="nVidia settings">
		175	<comment>(Enable DRM)</comment>
		176	Device Drivers --->
		177	Graphics support --->
		178	<*> Direct Rendering Manager --->
		179
		180	<comment>(Nouveau is currently in the Staging drivers section)</comment>
		181	Device Drivers --->
		182	Staging drivers --->
		183	[ ] Exclude Staging drivers from being built
		184	<*> Nouveau (nVidia) cards
		185	</pre>
		186
		187	<p>
		188	For newer AMD/ATI cards (<uri link="/doc/en/ati-faq.xml">RadeonHD 2000 and
		189	up</uri>), you will need to emerge <c>radeon-ucode</c>. Once you have installed
		190	<c>radeon-ucode</c>, configure your kernel as shown:
		191	</p>
		192
		193	<pre caption="AMD/ATI settings">
		194	<comment>(Setup the kernel to use the radeon-ucode firmware)</comment>
		195	Device Drivers --->
		196	Generic Driver Options --->
		197	[*] Include in-kernel firmware blobs in kernel binary
		198	<comment># RadeonHD 2000, 3000, and 4000 series cards:</comment>
		199	(radeon/R600_rlc.bin radeon/R700_rlc.bin) External firmware blobs
		200	<comment># RadeonHD 5000, a.k.a Evergreen, and newer cards:</comment>
		201	(radeon/CEDAR_me.bin radeon/CEDAR_pfp.bin radeon/CEDAR_rlc.bin
		202	radeon/CYPRESS_me.bin radeon/CYPRESS_pfp.bin radeon/CYPRESS_rlc.bin
		203	radeon/JUNIPER_me.bin radeon/JUNIPER_pfp.bin radeon/JUNIPER_rlc.bin
		204	radeon/REDWOOD_me.bin radeon/REDWOOD_pfp.bin
		205	radeon/REDWOOD_rlc.bin) External firmware blobs
		206	<comment># Radeon HD 6200/6300 aka. Ontario/Zacate:</comment>
		207	(radeon/PALM_me.bin radeon/PALM_pfp.bin radeon/SUMO_rlc.bin) External
		208	firmware blobs
		209	<comment># Radeon HD 6400-6900 aka. Northern Islands:</comment>
		210	(radeon/BARTS_mc.bin radeon/BARTS_me.bin radeon/BARTS_pfp.bin
		211	radeon/BTC_rlc.bin radeon/CAICOS_mc.bin radeon/CAICOS_me.bin
		212	radeon/CAICOS_pfp.bin radeon/TURKS_mc.bin radeon/TURKS_me.bin
		213	radeon/TURKS_pfp.bin) External firmware blobs
		214	(/lib/firmware/) Firmware blobs root directory
		215
		216	<comment>(Enable Radeon KMS support)</comment>
		217	Device Drivers --->
		218	Graphics support --->
		219	<*> Direct Rendering Manager --->
		220	<*> ATI Radeon
		221	[*] Enable modesetting on radeon by default
		222	</pre>
		223
		224	<note>
		225	Old Radeon cards (X1900 series and older) don't need the <c>radeon-ucode</c>
		226	package or any firmware configuration. Just enable the Direct Rendering Manager
		227	and ATI Radeon modesetting.
		228	</note>
		229
		230	<p>
		231	Now that you're done setting up KMS, continue with preparing
		232	<path>/etc/make.conf</path> in the next section.
		233	</p>
		234
		235	</body>
		236	</section>
		237	<section>
		238	<title>make.conf configuration</title>
		239	<body>
		240
		241	<p>
		242	Now that your kernel is prepared, you have to configure two important variables
		243	in the <path>/etc/make.conf</path> file before you can install Xorg.
		244	</p>
		245
		246	<p>
106	The first one is <c>VIDEO_CARDS</c>. This is used to set the video drivers that	247	The first variable is <c>VIDEO_CARDS</c>. This is used to set the video drivers
107	you intend to use and is usually based on the kind and brand of card you have.	248	that you intend to use and is usually based on the kind of video card you have.
108	The most common settings are <c>nvidia</c> for Nvidia cards or <c>fglrx</c> for	249	The most common settings are <c>nouveau</c> for nVidia cards or <c>radeon</c>
109	ATI Radeon cards. Those are the proprietary drivers from Nvidia and ATI	250	for ATI cards. Both have actively developed, well-supported open-source
110	respectively. If you would like to use the open source versions, use <c>nv</c>	251	drivers.
111	rather than <c>nvidia</c> in the variable, but bear in mind that using this	252	</p>
112	driver means no 3d acceleration at all. The free <c>radeon</c> driver for ATI	253
113	cards supports full 3D acceleration on older Radeons but doesn't work at all	254	<note>
114	with the newer ones. <c>VIDEO_CARDS</c> may contain more than one driver, in	255	You may also try the proprietary drivers from nVidia and AMD/ATI, <c>nvidia</c>
115	this case list of them should be separated with spaces.	256	and <c>fglrx</c> respectively. However, setting up the proprietary drivers is
		257	beyond the scope of this guide. Please read the <uri
		258	link="/doc/en/nvidia-guide.xml">Gentoo Linux nVidia Guide</uri> and <uri
		259	link="/doc/en/ati-faq.xml">Gentoo Linux ATI FAQ</uri>. If you don't know which
		260	drivers you should choose, refer to these guides for more information.
		261	</note>
		262
116	</p>	263	<p>
		264	The <c>intel</c> driver may be used for desktops or laptops with common Intel
		265	integrated graphics chipsets.
		266	</p>
		267
		268	<note>
		269	<c>VIDEO_CARDS</c> may contain more than one driver, each separated with a
		270	space.
		271	</note>
117		272
118	<p>	273	<p>
119	The second variable is <c>INPUT_DEVICES</c> and is used to determine which	274	The second variable is <c>INPUT_DEVICES</c> and is used to determine which
120	drivers are to be built for input devices. In most cases setting it to	275	drivers are to be built for input devices. In most cases setting it to
121	<c>keyboard mouse</c> should work just fine.	276	<c>evdev</c> should work just fine. If you use alternative input
		277	devices, such as a Synaptics touchpad for a laptop, be sure to add it to
		278	<c>INPUT_DEVICES</c>.
122	</p>	279	</p>
123		280
124	<p>	281	<p>
125	Now you should decide which drivers you will use and add necessary settings to	282	Now you should decide which drivers you will use and add necessary settings to
126	the <path>/etc/make.conf</path> file:	283	the <path>/etc/make.conf</path> file:
127	</p>	284	</p>
128		285
129	<pre caption="Sample make.conf entries">	286	<pre caption="Sample make.conf entries">
130	<comment>(For mouse and keyboard support)</comment>	287	<comment>(For mouse, keyboard, and Synaptics touchpad support)</comment>
131	INPUT_DEVICES="keyboard mouse"	288	INPUT_DEVICES="evdev synaptics"
132	<comment>(For Nvidia cards)</comment>	289	<comment>(For nVidia cards)</comment>
133	VIDEO_CARDS="nvidia"	290	VIDEO_CARDS="nouveau"
134	<comment>(OR, for ATI Radeon cards)</comment>	291	<comment>(For AMD/ATI cards)</comment>
135	VIDEO_CARDS="fglrx"	292	VIDEO_CARDS="radeon"
136	</pre>	293	</pre>
137		294
138	<p>
139	More instructions on how to configure Nvidia and ATI cards can be found in
140	<uri link="/doc/en/nvidia-guide.xml">Gentoo Linux nVidia Guide</uri> and in
141	<uri link="/doc/en/ati-faq.xml">Gentoo Linux ATI FAQ</uri>. If you don't know
142	which drivers you should choose, refer to these guides for more information.
143	</p>	295	<p>
		296	If the suggested settings don't work for you, you should run <c>emerge -pv
		297	xorg-drivers</c>, check all the options available and choose those which apply to
		298	your system. This example is for a system with a keyboard, mouse, Synaptics
		299	touchpad, and a Radeon video card.
		300	</p>
		301
		302	<pre caption="Displaying all the driver options available">
		303	# <i>emerge -pv xorg-drivers</i>
		304
		305	These are the packages that would be merged, in order:
		306
		307	Calculating dependencies... done!
		308	[ebuild R ] x11-base/xorg-drivers-1.9 INPUT_DEVICES="evdev synaptics
		309	-acecad -aiptek -elographics% -fpit% -joystick -keyboard -mouse -penmount -tslib
		310	-virtualbox -vmmouse -void -wacom"
		311	VIDEO_CARDS="radeon -apm -ark -ast -chips -cirrus -dummy -epson -fbdev -fglrx
		312	(-geode) -glint -i128 (-i740) (-impact) -intel -mach64 -mga -neomagic (-newport)
		313	-nouveau -nv -nvidia -r128 -rendition -s3 -s3virge -savage -siliconmotion -sis
		314	-sisusb (-sunbw2) (-suncg14) (-suncg3) (-suncg6) (-sunffb) (-sunleo) (-suntcx)
		315	-tdfx -tga -trident -tseng -v4l -vesa -via -virtualbox -vmware (-voodoo) (-xgi)"
		316	0 kB
		317	</pre>
		318
		319	<p>
		320	After setting all the necessary variables you can install the Xorg package.
		321	</p>
		322
		323	<pre caption="Installing Xorg">
		324	<comment>(Make sure udev is in your USE flags)</comment>
		325	# <i>echo "x11-base/xorg-server udev" >> /etc/portage/package.use</i>
		326	<comment>(Install Xorg)</comment>
		327	# <i>emerge xorg-server</i>
		328	</pre>
144		329
145	<note>	330	<note>
146	If the suggested settings don't work for you, you should run <c>emerge -pv	331	You could install the <c>xorg-x11</c> metapackage instead of the more
147	xorg-x11</c>, check all the options available and choose those which	332	lightweight <c>xorg-server</c>. Functionally, <c>xorg-x11</c> and
148	apply to your system. In different versions of Xorg and on different	333	<c>xorg-server</c> are the same. However, <c>xorg-x11</c> brings in many more
149	architectures displaying these variables can be done with <c>emerge -pv	334	packages that you probably don't need, such as a huge assortment of fonts in
150	xorg-server</c> command rather than the one above. The example is for x86	335	many different languages. They're not necessary for a working desktop.
151	architecture and xorg-x11-7.0.
152	</note>	336	</note>
153		337
154	<pre caption="Displaying all the driver options available">
155	# <i>emerge -pv xorg-x11</i>
156
157	These are the packages that would be merged, in order:
158
159	Calculating dependencies... done!
160	[ebuild R ] x11-base/xorg-x11-7.0-r1 USE="-3dfx" INPUT_DEVICES="keyboard
161	mouse -acecad -aiptek -calcomp -citron -digitaledge -dmc -dynapro -elo2300
162	-elographics -evdev -fpit -hyperpen -jamstudio -joystick -magellan -magictouch
163	-microtouch -mutouch -palmax -penmount -spaceorb -summa -synaptics -tek4957
164	-ur98 -vmmouse -void -wacom" VIDEO_CARDS="nvidia -apm -ark -chips -cirrus
165	-cyrix -dummy -fbdev -fglrx -glint -i128 -i740 -i810 -imstt -mach64 -mga
166	-neomagic -nsc -nv -r128 -radeon -rendition -s3 -s3virge -savage -siliconmotion
167	-sis -sisusb -tdfx -tga -trident -tseng -v4l -vesa -vga -via -vmware -voodoo" 0
168	kB
169	</pre>
170
171	<p>
172	After setting all the necessary variables you can install the Xorg package.
173	</p>	338	<p>
174
175	<pre caption="Installing Xorg">
176	# <i>emerge xorg-x11</i>
177	</pre>
178
179	<p>
180	When the installation is finished, you might need to re-initialise some	339	When the installation is finished, you will need to re-initialise some
181	environment variables before you continue. Just run <c>env-update</c> followed	340	environment variables before you continue:
182	by <c>source /etc/profile</c> and you're all set.
183	</p>	341	</p>
184		342
185	<pre caption="Re-initialising the environment variables">	343	<pre caption="Re-initialising the environment variables">
186	# <i>env-update</i>	344	# <i>env-update</i>
187	# <i>source /etc/profile</i>	345	# <i>source /etc/profile</i>
188	</pre>	346	</pre>
189		347
190	</body>	348	</body>
191	</section>	349	</section>
192	</chapter>	350	</chapter>
		351
193	<chapter>	352	<chapter>
194	<title>Configuring Xorg</title>	353	<title>Configuring Xorg</title>
195	<section>	354	<section>
196	<title>The xorg.conf File</title>
197	<body>
198
199	<p>
200	The configuration file of Xorg is called <path>xorg.conf</path> and it
201	resides in <path>/etc/X11</path>. The Xorg-X11 package provides an example
202	configuration as <path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf.example</path> which you can use to
203	create your own configuration. It is heavily commented, but if you are in need
204	of more documentation regarding the syntax, don't hesitate to read the man page:
205	</p>
206
207	<pre caption="Reading the xorg.conf man page">
208	# <i>man 5 xorg.conf</i>
209	</pre>
210
211	<p>
212	Happy reading for those of you willing to. We surely don't so we'll continue
213	with checking out how we can create the file automatically.
214	</p>
215
216	</body>	355	<body>
217	</section>	356
		357	<p>
		358	The X server is designed to work out-of-the-box, with no need to manually edit
		359	Xorg's configuration files. It should detect and configure devices such as
		360	displays, keyboards, and mice.
		361	</p>
		362
		363	<p>
		364	You should first try <uri link="#using_startx">starting X</uri> without editing
		365	any configuration files. If Xorg won't start, or there's some other problem,
		366	then you'll need to manually configure Xorg as shown in the next section.
		367	</p>
		368
		369	</body>
218	<section>	370	</section>
219	<title>Default: Automatic Generation of xorg.conf</title>
220	<body>
221
222	<p>
223	Xorg itself is able to guess most parameters for you. In most cases, you
224	will only have to change some lines to get the resolution you want up and
225	running. If you are interested in more in-depth tweaking, be sure to check the
226	resources at the end of this chapter. But first, let us generate a (hopefully
227	working) Xorg configuration file.
228	</p>
229
230	<pre caption="Generating an xorg.conf file">
231	# <i>Xorg -configure</i>
232	</pre>
233
234	<p>
235	Be sure to read the last lines printed on your screen when Xorg has finished
236	probing your hardware. If it tells you it failed at some point, you're forced to
237	manually write an <path>xorg.conf</path> file. Assuming that it didn't fail, it
238	will have told you that it has written <path>/root/xorg.conf.new</path> ready
239	for you to test. So let's test :)
240	</p>
241
242	<pre caption="Testing the xorg.conf.new file">
243	# <i>X -config /root/xorg.conf.new</i>
244	</pre>
245
246	<p>
247	If all goes well, you should see a simple black and white pattern. Verify if
248	your mouse works correctly and if the resolution is good. If you received errors
249	about "/dev/mouse", try changing your mouse device to <c>/dev/input/mice</c> in
250	the "InputDevice" section of <path>xorg.conf</path>. You might not be able to
251	deduce the exact resolution, but you should be able to see if it's too low. You
252	can exit any time by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Backspace.
253	</p>
254
255	</body>
256	</section>	371	<section>
257	<section>	372	<title>The xorg.conf.d directory</title>
258	<title>Alternative: Semi-Automatic Generation of xorg.conf</title>
259	<body>
260
261	<p>
262	Xorg provides a tool called <c>xorgconfig</c> which will ask you for various
263	information regarding your system (graphical adapter, keyboard, ...). Based on
264	your input it will create a <path>xorg.conf</path> file.
265	</p>
266
267	<pre caption="Semi-Automatic Generation of xorg.conf">
268	# <i>xorgconfig</i>
269	</pre>
270
271	<p>
272	Another tool, also provided by Xorg, is <c>xorgcfg</c>, which will first
273	attempt to run <c>Xorg -configure</c> and then start the X server for more
274	final tweaking.
275	</p>
276
277	<pre caption="Using xorgcfg">
278	# <i>xorgcfg</i>
279	<comment>(In case X crashes or the configuration fails, try:)</comment>
280	# <i>xorgcfg -textmode</i>
281	</pre>
282
283	</body>	373	<body>
284	</section>
285	<section>
286	<title>Copying over xorg.conf</title>
287	<body>
288		374
289	<p>	375	<note>
290	Let us copy over the <path>xorg.conf.new</path> to	376	Configuring files in <path>xorg.conf.d</path> should be seen as a "last resort"
291	<path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf</path> now, so we won't have to continuously run	377	option. It really desirable to run without any special configuration if
292	<c>X -config</c> -- typing just <c>X</c> or <c>startx</c> is far more easy :)	378	possible. If you still can't get a working configuration, then read on.
		379	</note>
		380
293	</p>	381	<p>
294		382	The configuration files of Xorg are stored in
295	<pre caption="Copying over xorg.conf">	383	<path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/</path>. Each file is given a unique name and ends in
296	# <i>cp /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf</i>	384	<path>.conf</path>. If the filenames start with a number, then Xorg will read
		385	the files in numeric order. <path>10-evdev.conf</path> will be read before
		386	<path>20-synaptics.conf</path>, and so on. You don't <e>have</e> to give them
		387	numbers, but it may help you organize them.
297	</pre>	388	</p>
		389
		390	<note>
		391	Xorg provides example configurations in
		392	<path>/usr/share/doc/xorg-server-${version}/xorg.conf.example.bz2</path>. You
		393	can use these to create your own configuration files in
		394	<path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/</path>. The examples are heavily commented, but if
		395	you are in need of more documentation regarding the syntax, read <c>man
		396	xorg.conf</c>. Other examples can be found in the <uri
		397	link="#resources">Resources</uri> chapter at the end of this guide.
		398	</note>
298		399
299	</body>	400	</body>
300	</section>	401	</section>
301	<section id="using_startx">	402	<section id="using_startx">
302	<title>Using startx</title>	403	<title>Using startx</title>
303	<body>	404	<body>
304		405
305	<p>	406	<p>
306	Now try <c>startx</c> to start up your X server. <c>startx</c> is a script	407	Now try <c>startx</c> to start up your X server. <c>startx</c> is a script
307	that executes an <e>X session</e>, that is, it starts the X servers and some	408	that executes an <e>X session</e>; that is, it starts the X server and some
308	graphical applications on top of it. It decides which applications to run	409	graphical applications on top of it. It decides which applications to run
309	using the following logic:	410	using the following logic:
310	</p>	411	</p>
311		412
312	<ul>	413	<ul>
313	<li>	414	<li>
…		…
315	execute the commands listed there.	416	execute the commands listed there.
316	</li>	417	</li>
317	<li>	418	<li>
318	Otherwise, it will read the value of the XSESSION variable and will execute	419	Otherwise, it will read the value of the XSESSION variable and will execute
319	one of the sessions available in <path>/etc/X11/Sessions/</path>	420	one of the sessions available in <path>/etc/X11/Sessions/</path>
320	accordingly (you can set the value of XSESSION in <path>/etc/rc.conf</path>	421	accordingly. You can set the value of XSESSION in
321	to make it a default for all the users on the system).	422	<path>/etc/env.d/90xsession</path> to make it a default for all the users
322	</li>	423	on the system. For example, as root, run <c>echo XSESSION="Xfce4" >
323	<li>	424	/etc/env.d/90xsession</c>. This will create the <path>90xsession</path> file
324	If all of the above fail, it will fall back to a simple window manager,	425	and set the default X session to <uri
325	usually <c>twm</c>.	426	link="/doc/en/xfce-config.xml">Xfce</uri>. Remember to run <c>env-update</c>
		427	after changing <path>90xsession</path>.
326	</li>	428	</li>
327	</ul>	429	</ul>
328		430
329	<pre caption="Starting X">	431	<pre caption="Starting X">
330	# <i>startx</i>	432	$ <i>startx</i>
331	</pre>	433	</pre>
332		434
		435	<p>
		436	If you haven't yet installed a window manager, all you'll see is a black screen.
		437	Since this can also be a sign that something's wrong, you may want to emerge
		438	<c>twm</c> and <c>xterm</c> <e>only to test X</e>.
333	<p>	439	</p>
334	If you see an ugly, loathsome, repulsive, deformed window manager, that's	440
335	<c>twm</c>. To finish the twm session, type in <c>exit</c> or Ctrl-D in the	441	<p>
336	upcoming xterms. You can also kill the X session using the Ctrl-Alt-Backspace	442	Once those two programs are installed, run <c>startx</c> again. A few
337	combination. This will however make X exit disgracefully -- something that you	443	<c>xterm</c> windows should appear, making it easier to verify that X is working
338	might not always want. It doesn't hurt though :)	444	correctly. Once you're satisfied with the results, run <c>emerge --unmerge twm
		445	xterm</c> as root to get rid of the testing packages. You won't need them once
		446	you've setup a proper desktop environment.
339	</p>	447	</p>
340		448
341	</body>	449	</body>
342	</section>	450	</section>
343	</chapter>	451	</chapter>
		452
344	<chapter>	453	<chapter>
345	<title>Tweaking xorg.conf</title>	454	<title>Tweaking X settings</title>
346	<section>	455	<section>
347	<title>Setting your Resolution</title>	456	<title>Setting your Resolution</title>
348	<body>	457	<body>
349		458
350	<p>	459	<p>
351	If you feel that the screen resolution is wrong, you will need to check two	460	If you feel that the screen resolution is wrong, you will need to check two
352	sections in your configuration. First of all, you have the <e>Screen</e> section	461	sections in your <path>xorg.conf.d</path> configuration. First of all, you have
353	which lists the resolutions, if any that your X server will run at. By	462	the <e>Screen</e> section which lists the resolutions that your X server will
354	default, this section might not list any resolutions at all. If this is the	463	run at. This section might not list any resolutions at all. If this is the case,
355	case, Xorg will estimate the resolutions based on the information in the	464	Xorg will estimate the resolutions based on the information in the second
356	second section, <e>Monitor</e>.	465	section, <e>Monitor</e>.
357	</p>
358
359	<p>	466	</p>
360	What happens is that Xorg checks the settings of <c>HorizSync</c> and	467
361	<c>VertRefresh</c> in the <e>Monitor</e> section to compute valid resolutions.
362	For now, leave these settings as-is. Only when the changes to the <e>Screen</e>
363	section (which we will describe in a minute) don't work, then you will need to
364	look up the specs for your monitor and fill in the correct values. You can also
365	use a tool that searches for your monitor's specs, such as
366	<c>sys-apps/ddcxinfo-knoppix</c>.
367	</p>	468	<p>
368
369	<warn>
370	Do <b>not</b> "just" change the values of these two monitor related variables
371	without consulting the technical specifications of your monitor. Setting
372	incorrect values lead to out-of-sync errors at best and smoked up screens at
373	worst.
374	</warn>
375
376	<p>
377	Now let us change the resolutions. In the next example from	469	Now let us change the resolution. In the next example from
378	<path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf</path> we add the <c>Modes</c> lines and the	470	<path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-monitor.conf</path> we add the
379	<c>DefaultDepth</c> so that our X server starts with 24 bits at 1024x768 by	471	<c>PreferredMode</c> line so that our X server starts at 1440x900 by default.
380	default. Don't mind the given strings -- they are examples and will most likely	472	The <c>Option</c> in the <c>Device</c> section must match the name of your
381	differ from the settings on your system.	473	monitor (<c>DVI-0</c>), which can be obtained by running <c>xrandr</c>. You'll
		474	need to <c>emerge xrandr</c> just long enough to get this information. The
		475	argument after the monitor name (in the <c>Device</c> section) must match the
		476	<c>Identifier</c> in the <c>Monitor</c> section.
382	</p>	477	</p>
383		478
384	<pre caption="Changing the Screen section in /etc/X11/xorg.conf">	479	<pre caption="Changing the Monitor section">
		480	# <i>nano -w /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-monitor.conf</i>
		481
385	Section "Screen"	482	Section "Device"
386	Identifier "Default Screen"	483	Identifier "RadeonHD 4550"
387	Device "S3 Inc. ProSavage KN133 [Twister K]"	484	Option "Monitor-DVI-0" "DVI screen"
388	Monitor "Generic Monitor"
389	<i>DefaultDepth 24</i>
390	<comment># Skipping some text to improve readability</comment>
391	SubSection "Display"
392	Depth 24
393	<i>Modes "1024x768"</i>
394	EndSubSection
395	EndSection	485	EndSection
396	</pre>	486	Section "Monitor"
397		487	Identifier "DVI screen"
398	<p>	488	Option "PreferredMode" "1440x900"
399	Run X (<c>startx</c>) to discover it uses the resolution you want :)
400	</p>
401
402	</body>
403	</section>
404	<section>
405	<title>Configuring your Keyboard</title>
406	<body>
407
408	<p>
409	To setup X to use an international keyboard, search for the <e>InputDevice</e>
410	section that configures the keyboard and add the <c>XkbLayout</c> option to
411	point to the keyboard layout you want. As an example, we show you how to apply
412	for the Belgian layout. Just substitute the country-keycode with yours:
413	</p>
414
415	<pre caption="Changing the keyboard layout">
416	Section "InputDevice"
417	Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
418	Driver "keyboard"
419	Option "CoreKeyboard"
420	Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
421	Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
422	<i>Option "XkbLayout" "be"</i>
423	EndSection	489	EndSection
424	</pre>	490	</pre>
425		491
		492	<p>
		493	Run X (<c>startx</c>) to discover it uses the resolution you want.
		494	</p>
		495
426	</body>	496	</body>
427	</section>
428	<section>	497	</section>
429	<title>Configuring your Mouse</title>	498	<section>
		499	<title>Multiple monitors</title>
430	<body>	500	<body>
431		501
432	<p>
433	If your mouse isn't working, you will first need to find out if it is detected
434	by the kernel at all. Mice are (device-wise) seen as
435	<path>/dev/input/mouse0</path> (or <path>/dev/input/mice</path> if you want to
436	use several mice). In some cases <path>/dev/psaux</path> is used. In either
437	case you can check if the devices do represent
438	your mouse by checking the output of those files when you move your mouse. You
439	will usually see some junk on your screen. To end the session press
440	<c>Ctrl-C</c>.
441	</p>	502	<p>
442		503	You can configure more than one monitor in <path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/</path>.
443	<pre caption="Checking the device files">	504	All you have to do is give each monitor an identifer, then list its physical
444	# <i>cat /dev/input/mouse0</i>	505	position, such as "RightOf" or "Above" another monitor. The following example
445	<comment>(Don't forget to press Ctrl-C to end this)</comment>	506	shows how to configure a DVI and a VGA monitor, with the VGA monitor as the
446	</pre>	507	right-hand screen:
447
448	<p>	508	</p>
449	If your mouse isn't detected, verify if all the necessary modules are loaded.
450	</p>
451		509
452	<p>	510	<pre caption="Configuring multiple monitors">
453	If your mouse is detected, fill in the device in the appropriate	511	# <i>nano -w /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-monitor.conf</i>
454	<e>InputDevice</e> section. In the next example you'll see we also set two other
455	options: <c>Protocol</c> (which lists the mouse protocol to be used -- most
456	users will use PS/2 or IMPS/2) and <c>ZAxisMapping</c> (which allows for the
457	mousewheel (if applicable) to be used).
458	</p>
459		512
460	<pre caption="Changing the mouse settings in Xorg">
461	Section "InputDevice"	513	Section "Device"
462	Identifier "TouchPad Mouse"	514	Identifier "RadeonHD 4550"
463	Driver "mouse"	515	Option "Monitor-DVI-0" "DVI screen"
464	Option "CorePointer"	516	Option "Monitor-VGA-0" "VGA screen"
465	<i>Option "Device" "/dev/input/mouse0"</i>
466	<i>Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"</i>
467	<i>Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"</i>
468	EndSection	517	EndSection
		518	Section "Monitor"
		519	Identifier "DVI screen"
		520	EndSection
		521	Section "Monitor"
		522	Identifier "VGA screen"
		523	Option "RightOf" "DVI screen"
		524	EndSection
469	</pre>	525	</pre>
470		526
		527	</body>
		528	</section>
		529	<section>
		530	<title>Configuring your keyboard</title>
		531	<body>
		532
		533	<p>
		534	To setup X to use an international keyboard, you just have to create the
		535	appropriate config file in <path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/</path>. This example
		536	features a Czech keyboard layout:
471	<p>	537	</p>
		538
		539	<pre caption="Using an international keyboard">
		540	# <i>nano -w /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-keyboard.conf</i>
		541
		542	Section "InputClass"
		543	Identifier "keyboard-all"
		544	Driver "evdev"
		545	Option "XkbLayout" "us,cz"
		546	Option "XkbModel" "logitech_g15"
		547	Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
		548	Option "XkbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle,grp:switch,grp_led:scroll,compose:rwin,terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
		549	Option "XkbVariant" ",qwerty"
		550	MatchIsKeyboard "on"
		551	EndSection
		552	</pre>
		553
		554	<p>
		555	The "terminate" command (<c>terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp</c>) lets you kill the X
		556	session by using the Ctrl-Alt-Backspace key combination. This will, however,
		557	make X exit disgracefully -- something that you might not always want. It can be
		558	useful when programs have frozen your display entirely, or when you're
		559	configuring and tweaking your Xorg environment. Be careful when killing your
		560	desktop with this key combination -- most programs really don't like it when you
		561	end them this way, and you may lose some (or all) of what you were working on.
		562	</p>
		563
		564	</body>
		565	</section>
		566	<section>
		567	<title>Finishing up</title>
		568	<body>
		569
		570	<p>
472	Run <c>startx</c> and be happy about the result :) Congratulations, you now	571	Run <c>startx</c> and be happy about the result. Congratulations, you now
473	(hopefully) have a working Xorg on your system. The next step is to remove this	572	(hopefully) have a working Xorg on your system. The next step is to install a
474	ugly lightweight window manager and use a high-feature one (or even a desktop	573	useful window manager or desktop environment such as KDE, GNOME, or Xfce, but
475	environment) such as KDE or GNOME, but that's not part of this guide :)	574	that's not part of this guide. Information on installing these desktop
		575	environments can be found in our <uri link="/doc/en/?catid=desktop">Gentoo
		576	Desktop Documentation Resources</uri>.
476	</p>	577	</p>
477		578
478	</body>	579	</body>
479	</section>	580	</section>
480	</chapter>	581	</chapter>
481	<chapter>	582
		583	<chapter id="resources">
482	<title>Resources</title>	584	<title>Resources</title>
483	<section>	585	<section>
484	<title>Creating and Tweaking xorg.conf</title>	586	<title>Creating and editing config files</title>
485	<body>	587	<body>
486		588
487	<p>
488	First of all, <c>man 5 xorg.conf</c> provides a quick yet complete reference
489	about the syntaxis used by the configuration file. Be sure to have it open on a
490	terminal near you when you edit your configuration file!
491	</p>	589	<p>
492		590	First of all, <c>man xorg.conf</c> and <c>man evdev</c> provide quick yet
		591	complete references about the syntax used by these configuration files. Be sure
		592	to have them open on a terminal when you edit your configuration files!
493	<p>	593	</p>
494	A second point of resources on your system is the	594
495	<path>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/doc</path> directory with various <path>README</path>'s
496	for individual graphical chipsets.
497	</p>	595	<p>
498		596	There are also many online resources on editing config files in
		597	<path>/etc/X11/</path>. We only list few of them here; be sure to <uri
		598	link="http://www.google.com">Google</uri> for more.
499	<p>	599	</p>
500	There are also many online resources on editing <path>xorg.conf</path>. We only
501	list few of them here, be sure to <uri link="http://www.google.com">Google</uri>
502	for more :) As <path>xorg.conf</path> and <path>XF86Config</path> (the
503	configuration file for the XFree86 project) use the
504	same syntaxis for most configuration options and more information about
505	<path>XF86Config</path> is available, we'll list those resources as well.
506	</p>
507
508	<ul>
509	<li>
510	<uri link="http://tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree-Local-multi-user-HOWTO/">The XFree
511	Local Multi-User HOWTO</uri>
512	</li>
513	<li>
514	<uri
515	link="http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/edu/os-dw-linuxxwin-i.html">An
516	Introduction to XFree 4.x</uri> by Chris Houser
517	</li>
518	</ul>
519		600
520	</body>	601	</body>
521	</section>	602	</section>
522	<section>	603	<section>
523	<title>Other resources</title>	604	<title>Other resources</title>
524	<body>	605	<body>
525		606
526	<p>	607	<p>
527	If you want to update your system from the old monolithic Xorg to the newer,	608	More information about installing and configuring various graphical desktop
528	modular Xorg 7, you should refer to the <uri	609	environments and applications can be found in the <uri
529	link="/proj/en/desktop/x/x11/modular-x-howto.xml">Migrating to Modular X	610	link="/doc/en/?catid=desktop">Gentoo Desktop Documentation Resources</uri>
530	HOWTO</uri>.	611	section of our documentation.
531	</p>
532
533	<p>	612	</p>
534	More information about configuring different packages to work in X environment	613
535	can be found in the <uri link="/doc/en/?catid=desktop">Gentoo Desktop	614	<p>
536	Documentation Resources</uri> section of our documentation.	615	If you're upgrading to <c>xorg-server</c> 1.9 from an earlier version, then be
		616	sure to read the <uri
		617	link="/proj/en/desktop/x/x11/xorg-server-1.9-upgrade-guide.xml">migration
		618	guide</uri>.
		619	</p>
		620
		621	<p>
		622	X.org provides many <uri link="http://www.x.org/wiki/FAQ">FAQs</uri> on their
		623	website, in addition to their other documentation.
537	</p>	624	</p>
538		625
539	</body>	626	</body>
540	</section>	627	</section>
541	</chapter>	628	</chapter>

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