Configuring XFree86 to use your mouse, keyboard, monitor, and video
card correctly used to be something of a black art, requiring
extensive hand-hacking of a complex configuration file. No more; the
3.2 release has made the process nearly trivial. All you do is
fire up the program XF86Setup.
This program depends on the fact that all new PC hardware these days ships with EGA/VGA capable monitors. It invokes the SVGA16 server and uses it to bring up X in a lowest-common-denominator 640x480 mode. Then it runs an interactive program that walks you through a series of five configuration panels -- mouse, keyboard, (video) card, monitor, and `other' (miscellaneous server options). The whole process is quite painless.
One minor point to keep in mind is that, if you're like most people using current PC, your keyboard is actually what XF86Setup calls `Generic 102-key PC (intl)' rather than the default `Generic 101-key PC'. If you pick the default (101) the key cluster on the extreme right of your keyboard (numeric keypad and friends) may stop working.
If you're not sure of your monitor type, you can try the listed ones in succession. Work your way from top down (upper choices involve lower dot-clock speeds and are less demanding on the hardware). Back off if you get hash or a seriously distorted picture. Minor distortions (picture slightly too large, slightly too small, or slightly off-center) are no problem; you'll get a chance to correct those immediately by fine-tuning the mode.
And, when the program brings up xvidtune to allow you to tweak
your video mode, don't let the initial warning box make you nervous. Modern
multisync monitors (unlike their fixed-frequency predecessors) are not
easy to damage this way.
Occasionally, something will not be quite right when you initially fire up the
X server. This is almost always caused by a problem in your configuration
file. Usually, the monitor timing values are off, or the video card
dot clocks set incorrectly. Minor problems can be fixed with xvidtune;
a really garbled screen usually means you need to go back into
XF86Setup and choose a less capable monitor type.
If your display seems to roll, or the edges are fuzzy, this is a clear
indication that the monitor timing values or dot clocks are
wrong. Also be sure that you are correctly specifying your video card
chipset, as well as other options for the Device section of
XF86Config. Be absolutely certain that you are using the
right X server and that /usr/X11R6/bin/X is a symbolic link
to this server.
If all else fails, try to start X ``bare''; that is, use a command such as:
X > /tmp/x.out 2>&1
ctrl-alt-backspace
key combination) and examine the contents of /tmp/x.out. The X server
will report any warnings or errors---for example, if your video card doesn't
have a dot clock corresponding to a mode supported by your monitor.
Remember that you can use ctrl-alt-numeric + and
ctrl-alt-numeric - to switch between the video modes
listed on the Modes line of the Screen section of
XF86Config. If the highest resolution mode doesn't look right,
try switching to lower resolutions. This will let you know, at least,
that those parts of your X configuration are working correctly.
Also, check the vertical and horizontal size/hold knobs on your monitor. In many cases it is necessary to adjust these when starting up X. For example, if the display seems to be shifted slightly to one side, you can usually correct this using the monitor controls.
The USENET newsgroup comp.windows.x.i386unix is devoted to
discussions about XFree86, as is comp.os.linux.x.
It might be a good idea to watch that newsgroup
for postings relating to your video configuration---you might run across
someone with the same problems as your own.
You will need to hand-hack your X configuration to get optimal performance if your monitor can support 1600x1200 -- the highest canned resolution XF86Setup supports is 1280x1024.
If you want to hand-hack your video configuration for this or any other reason, go see the Hitchiker's Guide to XFree86 Video Timing, http://ww.ccil.org/~esr/xconfig/video-modes.html. (This is the up-to-date HTML version of XFree86's `Videomodes.doc' file.)