xorg.conf

[jo...@wexfordpress.com]

On my newest computer the xorg.conf that comes with slack 13.37 won't
work. I just want to restore the
facility for changing screen resolution with a hotkey sequence. I can
sort of fake it using xrandr but that is clumsy.

Is there a newer xorg.conf that works with 13,37?

John Culleton

[root]

You can run without an xorg.conf, see how that works.
You can use xorgsetup to generate a new xorg.conf.

[Dan C]

oh. jesus. help. me.


--
"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me".
"Bother!" said Pooh, as he found Earl in his honey pot.
Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/
Thanks, Obama: http://brandybuck.site40.net/pics/politica/thanks.jpg

[Robby Workman]

Do you read *anything* that comes with the distribution? You know,
like that CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT file I referenced in another followup?
What about the other files? On that note, do you read anything that's
posted here other than direct followups to you, or do you just hop in
whenever you have a problem?

-RW

[Loki Harfagr]

Wed, 09 May 2012 02:00:29 +0000, Robby Workman did cat :

especially he already had had, several times, answers to this question
posted here as direct fu2 his own posts (and problems solved -- at least
partially since his own answers to details requests are known as MIA,
prolly good reason that now answers to his new iterations on same questions
would be known as AWOL ;-)

[jo...@wexfordpress.com]

On May 8, 6:17 pm, root <NoEM...@home.org> wrote:

It doesn't work. Also the xorg.conf-vesa shipped with the system won't
work. won't work. I will try xorgsetup.

John C.

[jo...@wexfordpress.com]

On May 9, 2:40 am, Loki Harfagr <l...@thedarkdesign.free.fr.INVALID>
wrote:

> Wed, 09 May 2012 02:00:29 +0000, Robby Workman did cat :
>

> > On 2012-05-08, j...@wexfordpress.com <j...@wexfordpress.com> wrote:
> >> On my newest computer the xorg.conf that comes with slack 13.37 won't
> >> work. I just want to restore the
> >> facility for changing screen resolution with a hotkey sequence. I can
> >> sort of fake it using xrandr but that is clumsy.
>
> >> Is there a newer xorg.conf that works with 13,37?
>
> > Do you read *anything* that comes with the distribution?  You know,
> > like that CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT file I referenced in another followup?
> > What about the other files?  On that note, do you read anything that's
> > posted here other than direct followups to you,
>
> especially he already had had, several times, answers to this question
> posted here as direct fu2 his own posts (and problems solved -- at least
> partially since his own answers to details requests are known as MIA,
> prolly good reason that now answers to his new iterations on same questions
> would be known as AWOL ;-

Not quite the same question. I have new hardware. My Nvidia card
cannot be used.

The xorgsetup program generates a working xorg.conf but there is only
one screen resolution. When i add a Modes line with various
resolutions then it stops working. The modes were taken from the
output of xrandr...

I will scan previous posts for xorg.conf.

If there are misspellings on this post it is because the type is too
small for me to see. So the question of resolution is not trivial.

John C.

[jo...@wexfordpress.com]

On May 9, 9:35 am, "j...@wexfordpress.com" <j...@wexfordpress.com>
wrote:

Ok here is the final verdict. The recreated xorg.conf works but does
not allow switching resolutions.
I put it in /etc/x11/xorg.conf.d with the same result. I created a 66-
virtues.conf file but that did not help.

xrandr does work but is clumsy. So I will build a front end to it in
perhaps Tcl/Tk with radio button selections. Apparently xrandr is the
only workable game in town.

Thanks as usual to all who responded.

John C.

[Grant]

On Wed, 9 May 2012 09:05:22 -0700 (PDT), "jo...@wexfordpress.com" <jo...@wexfordpress.com> wrote:

>On May 9, 9:35 am, "j...@wexfordpress.com" <j...@wexfordpress.com>
>wrote:
>> On May 9, 2:40 am, Loki Harfagr <l...@thedarkdesign.free.fr.INVALID>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > Wed, 09 May 2012 02:00:29 +0000, Robby Workman did cat :
>>
>> > > On 2012-05-08, j...@wexfordpress.com <j...@wexfordpress.com> wrote:
>> > >> On my newest computer the xorg.conf that comes with slack 13.37 won't
>> > >> work. I just want to restore the
>> > >> facility for changing screen resolution with a hotkey sequence. I can
>> > >> sort of fake it using xrandr but that is clumsy.
>>
>> > >> Is there a newer xorg.conf that works with 13,37?
>>
>> > > Do you read *anything* that comes with the distribution?  You know,
>> > > like that CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT file I referenced in another followup?
>> > > What about the other files?  On that note, do you read anything that's
>> > > posted here other than direct followups to you,
>>
>> > especially he already had had, several times, answers to this question
>> > posted here as direct fu2 his own posts (and problems solved -- at least
>> > partially since his own answers to details requests are known as MIA,
>> > prolly good reason that now answers to his new iterations on same questions
>> > would be known as AWOL ;-
>>
>> Not quite the same question.  I have new hardware. My Nvidia card
>> cannot be used.

Well, my old Core2Quad box has a "nVidia Corporation NV44 [GeForce 6200"
video card and with no nVidia driver, no xorg.conf, it happily does the
switching from 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768 on a 1024x768 LCD screen.

Uses the Ctrl-Alt-Keypad-, Ctrl-Alt-Keypad+ keys to switch resolutions,
works same as always. Lots of reported errors when dropping back from
XFCE to cli.

Custom kernel (of course ;-), just compiled 3.3.6 on slack64-13.37 with
all updates.

>>
>> The xorgsetup program generates a working xorg.conf but there is only
>> one screen resolution. When i add a Modes line with various
>> resolutions then it stops working. The modes were taken from the
>> output of xrandr...
>>
>> I will scan previous posts for xorg.conf.
>>
>> If there are misspellings on this post it is because the type is too
>> small for me to see. So the question of resolution is not trivial.

This is a difficult spot to be in. Why I gave it a go, surely the
kernel is not that bad at driving a screen? I don't run the slackware
stock kernel as odd things happen until I teach the kernel about my
specific hardware.

>>
>> John C.
>Ok here is the final verdict. The recreated xorg.conf works but does
>not allow switching resolutions.

With Ctrl-Alt-{=,-} keys? Works here, without xorg.conf, as advertised.

>I put it in /etc/x11/xorg.conf.d with the same result. I created a 66-
>virtues.conf file but that did not help.

What does the virtues.conf do?

>
>xrandr does work but is clumsy. So I will build a front end to it in
>perhaps Tcl/Tk with radio button selections. Apparently xrandr is the
>only workable game in town.

Dunno, it told me what was available, then I used the screen's menu
to confirm switched display resolution.

Grant.

[Loki Harfagr]

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:43:04 +1000, Grant did cat :

> On Wed, 9 May 2012 09:05:22 -0700 (PDT), "jo...@wexfordpress.com" <jo...@wexfordpress.com> wrote:
>
>>On May 9, 9:35 am, "j...@wexfordpress.com" <j...@wexfordpress.com>
>>wrote:
>>> On May 9, 2:40 am, Loki Harfagr <l...@thedarkdesign.free.fr.INVALID>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > Wed, 09 May 2012 02:00:29 +0000, Robby Workman did cat :
>>>
>>> > > On 2012-05-08, j...@wexfordpress.com <j...@wexfordpress.com> wrote:
>>> > >> On my newest computer the xorg.conf that comes with slack 13.37 won't
>>> > >> work. I just want to restore the
>>> > >> facility for changing screen resolution with a hotkey sequence. I can
>>> > >> sort of fake it using xrandr but that is clumsy.
>>>
>>> > >> Is there a newer xorg.conf that works with 13,37?
>>>
>>> > > Do you read *anything* that comes with the distribution?  You know,
>>> > > like that CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT file I referenced in another followup?
>>> > > What about the other files?  On that note, do you read anything that's
>>> > > posted here other than direct followups to you,
>>>
>>> > especially he already had had, several times, answers to this question
>>> > posted here as direct fu2 his own posts (and problems solved -- at least
>>> > partially since his own answers to details requests are known as MIA,
>>> > prolly good reason that now answers to his new iterations on same questions
>>> > would be known as AWOL ;-
>>>
>>> Not quite the same question.

Hey, thanks to Grant reply I spot your post which didn't appear on
my main ISP newsserver nor in EternalSeptember's.

>>> I have new hardware. My Nvidia card
>>> cannot be used.

what do you mean exacty there? You have or you had an NV card and
you can't use it on your new hardware?
Note that if you're actually using an NVidia card you may have to face
some complexity levels depending on which card generation and model,
which Xorg server version, which driver (nv/nouveau/NVidia) and a
bunch of versatile parms you'll find the various temporary meaning in
the docs (usually locatable around /usr/doc/NVIDIA-GLX-*/)

Note that for instance the NVidia GT240 I used just froze since Xorg update
*in -current and I had to upgrade the hardaware (GT440) as only the plain nv
driver would work with the previous adn I occasionaly can use som accel.)

(Note that the standard 'nv' driver *should* work with any nvidia card/xorg combo)

with some NVidia cards you may have some luck with the Xorg way
(like the 66-virtues.conf you know) or with xrandr, but some cards/xorg combos
might invalidate one and the other way and left you only with the 'nvidia-settings' tool

>
> Well, my old Core2Quad box has a "nVidia Corporation NV44 [GeForce 6200"
> video card and with no nVidia driver, no xorg.conf, it happily does the
> switching from 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768 on a 1024x768 LCD screen.
>
> Uses the Ctrl-Alt-Keypad-, Ctrl-Alt-Keypad+ keys to switch resolutions,
> works same as always. Lots of reported errors when dropping back from
> XFCE to cli.
>
> Custom kernel (of course ;-), just compiled 3.3.6 on slack64-13.37 with
> all updates.
>>>
>>> The xorgsetup program generates a working xorg.conf but there is only
>>> one screen resolution. When i add a Modes line with various
>>> resolutions then it stops working. The modes were taken from the
>>> output of xrandr...
>>>
>>> I will scan previous posts for xorg.conf.
>>>
>>> If there are misspellings on this post it is because the type is too
>>> small for me to see. So the question of resolution is not trivial.
>
> This is a difficult spot to be in. Why I gave it a go, surely the
> kernel is not that bad at driving a screen? I don't run the slackware
> stock kernel as odd things happen until I teach the kernel about my
> specific hardware.
>>>
>>> John C.
>>Ok here is the final verdict. The recreated xorg.conf works but does
>>not allow switching resolutions.

probably correct with the 13.37, the options have to be listed
in the xorg.conf.d/ (hence the 66-virtues.conf example)

>
> With Ctrl-Alt-{=,-} keys? Works here, without xorg.conf, as advertised.
>
>>I put it in /etc/x11/xorg.conf.d with the same result. I created a 66-
>>virtues.conf file but that did not help.
>
> What does the virtues.conf do?

it just defines a few resolutions for Xorg, the "xorg.conf.d way" :-)
note that the res. put in it *MUST* be among the ones listed by xrandr.

----------------
$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/66-virtues.conf.DISABLED

###
### made for tests after a Q. from John Wexford on aols
### works like a charm but I don't need it so it is disabled ATM ;-)
### Note that depending on cards *and* drivers the results can be
### quite versatile.
### Note that the only possible values are the ones given by 'xrandr'
### Note that NVidia cards will behave properly mostly only when
### using the NVidia tools (eg nvidia-settings)
###
Section "Screen"
### Option "ConnectedMonitor" "DFP"
### Identifier "seventhcircle"
Identifier "boogaloo"
### Identifier "dessertstrynge"
SubSection "Display"
Modes "1920x1080" "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "640x480"
### Virtual 2880 1080
### Virtual 3840 1080
Virtual 1920 1080
EndSubSection
EndSection
----------------

>>
>>xrandr does work but is clumsy. So I will build a front end to it in
>>perhaps Tcl/Tk with radio button selections. Apparently xrandr is the
>>only workable game in town.

that's the way I'd use if it would work with my GT440+Xorg1.12.1+NVidia-drivers
but it doesn't so my only possible tool (AFAIK) is the nvidia-settings.

>
> Dunno, it told me what was available, then I used the screen's menu
> to confirm switched display resolution.
>
> Grant.
>>
>>Thanks as usual to all who responded.
>>
>>John C.

Good luck !-D)

[Aaron W. Hsu]

John Culleton wrote:

> If there are misspellings on this post it is because the type is too
> small for me to see. So the question of resolution is not trivial.

Okay, so, the same response as I wrote before applies now, too. Apparently,
you are changing screen resolution so that you can see the type. This is
called an accessibility issue, and it is one that desktop environments have
been working hard to address for a long time. The nicest solution is not to
change your screen resolution, which is just a hack to get screen
magnification. It creates problems like you are seeing, it is clunky, and
it does not provide the best magnifcation, because it results in the loss of
resolution, which is not the same thing as increased magnification.

There are a number of solutions for accessibility that deal specifically
with making things easier to read. This is something that I do for myself,
though I do it to reduce eyestrain, since I can still read the small type,
but it causes too much eyestrain for the amount of time that I spend on the
computer per day, despite regular breaks. Additionally, I change the colors
of a number of applications to better suite my lighting environment.

All of this is very easy to do in a modern desktop setup, such as Gnome or
KDE. In KDE, it took me five minutes to setup nearly all my fonts to larger
and clearer fonts.

Why don't you check out the appearence settings in KDE and the program KMag
for those cases where you really need to zoom in even more? The fonts will
be clearer than with a lower resolution and easier to read than with a lower
resolution, and images will be sharper and clearer as well.

The change in paradigm is worth it.

Yours truly,

Aaron W. Hsu

--
Aaron W. Hsu | arc...@sacrideo.us | http://www.sacrideo.us
Programming is just another word for the lost art of thinking.

[barnabyh]

On Tue, 15 May 2012 16:31:28 -0400, Aaron W. Hsu wrote:

> John Culleton wrote:
>
>> If there are misspellings on this post it is because the type is too
>> small for me to see. So the question of resolution is not trivial.
>

You could also try Arandr.

>
> There are a number of solutions for accessibility that deal specifically
> with making things easier to read.

Alternatively, you may want to give Vinux a try, at vinuxproject.org. VI,
for visual impairment. There's even a virtual edition for VMware player
so you can keep running Slackware, but it's a bit harder to find, you
gotta dig, it's to the left on the downloads page.

>
> The change in paradigm is worth it.
>
> Yours truly,
>
> Aaron W. Hsu

regards,

Barnabyh

[jo...@wexfordpress.com]

To recap, I want both zoom and panning. The Trinity GUI (basically KDE
3.5 for KDE 4 equipped systems) has an icon which provides zooming but
not panning.
An inquiry to the creator of Trinity did not yield a positive result.
So I have a couple 1 liner scripts that I can call to give me two oft-
uses zoom levels, e.g.,
xrandr --output HDMI1 --mode 640x480 --fb 1920x1080 --panning
1920x1080
and
xrandr --output HDMI1 --mode 800x600 --fb 1920x1080 --panning
1920x1080
So that solves my immediate needs. As time permits I will further
generalize and automate the process with two goals:
1. Choose any of the available screen densities while retaining
panning capabilty.
2. Use xrandr itself to dynamically determine the available densities
and the screen name (HDMI1 or VGA1).

This second step will give me a routine that is usable by others with
different hardware.

There are two changes to Slackware that are IMO retrograde: The loss
of zoom and pan via xorg.conf and the slow and awkward KDE4 with
Akonadi mucking thing up. Trinity solves the latter problem
and my own scripts with progressive improvement will solve the
former.

Neither of these problems are attributable to Slackware as such.
Complaints to the KDE folk and the X11 folk fall on deaf ears.

A further note: When I ordered a replacement for my expired Systemax
computer I ordered a replacement under the Sys brand name. I did not
note that the cheapest model came in a
skinny case that will not accommodate the full height Nividia card.
So lesson learned. The micro case is a true desktop box but it has
effectively no expansion capability.

Thanks to all who offered helpful replies.

John Culleton