Re: [Setup-tool-hackers] New tool for configuring X

[Arturo Espinosa Aldama <arturo mezcal dyndns org>]

Be warned: I'm reading old mail.

On 28 Feb 2001, Tambet Ingo wrote:

> Hello,
>
> So,
>
> what exactly this tool is about? What should it do? for XFree 3.x or
> 4.x? both?

Both, I suppose. Starting with version 3, I suppose.

> I will try SaX (SuSe X configurator) later today when I have installed
> suse (it's for X3.6 and suse file locations, it's easier to install suse
> to other hdd than modify everything just to look what it does). I have
> read the source code for it and it seems VERY unproffesional (it's NOT
> made by Keith Packard :) ). For example it uses C++ out of blue (no
> objects, just couple of LOOONG functions). Actually it uses C++ and C
> only for parsing config files, build new Modelines from data (which
> should be much easier in perl) and access X extensions (xf86vmode). All
> gui is written in generated tcl/tk. What it seems to be able to do is:

I've looked at the screenshots and it looks nice, but not great.

> 1.) Detect Videocard (XServer actually) by running nested xservers. That
> means You have to have all required X servers installed (not sure yet
> how it works with XFree 4.0.x).

You can try with -probeonly with the SVGA server. The SVGA server supports
all accelerated servers, but without acceleration. That's probably enough.
Then you would have to create a table of which cards map to which X
servers.

> 2.) xvidtune functionality. You can move the picture on Your screen and
> make it bigger/smaller etc etc... The problem with xvidtne itself is
> that it doesn't modify your XF86Config. It just modifies running
> parameters of current session. That's why sax is better. But: xvidtune
> gives huge warning on run, that it can damage your monitor and/or video
> card... How serious is that? I've played with it a lot and never heard
> of anyone damaging their hardware...

The problem is that if you have wrong syncs and you abuse the settings,
your monitor can literally burn. xvidtune doesn't let you go beyond the
frequencies you provide in the XF86Config, but if those are wrong, you
could get toasted.

> 3.) Generate new Modelines (resolutions). Do we even need that with
> XFree 4.0.x? But, as I remembered, you have to restart X to get the
> settings in effect.

The best possibility for fine tunning is always to create your own
modelines. That's what xvidtune does: it lets you set your modes
perfectly, and then dumps the modes to stderr or stdout or something, so
that you put it in you XF86Config.

> We can do such thing easily, only problems would be doing it for both
> major versions of XFrees... What should we improve (add)? I haven't seen
> it running yet, but it doesn't impress me at all :)

Both X versions do the same stuff, but fortunately you have the backends
to take care of seeing which X version you are running and doing the
corresponding configuration. I suppose that the API is almost the same for
calling functions such as the ones xvidtune has to call. Also, check
XFree86Setup's code: it has nice routines for setting up the mouse.

Greetings,
Arturo



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