Re: Configuration problems with Intel 82865G plus PS2 and USB mouse

[Ian Shields <ishields@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks. The instructions at http://www.xfree86.org/4.5.0/Install3.html#5
say

>>>
The next step is to get the XFree86
server running. The recommended way to do this is to run:

    XFree86 -autoconfig

This will work well in many cases, and
if it suits your needs you can make it the default by simply moving/renaming
any existing XF86Config file so that the XFree86 server does not find it.
If it doesn't, or if you want to make changes to the auto-detected configuration,
try the xf86cfg or xf86config utilities or try running:

    XFree86 -configure
>>>

I (mis)understood the bit about "simply
moving/renaming any existing XF86Config file" to imply that the autoconfig
step would generate a new XF86Config file. Does running "XFree86 -autoconfig"
create any files or shoudl users just try running "startx" instead?

A suggestion: I guess it's not obvious
that the gray screen with a crosshatch pattern and an X on it and no active
keys or buttons or hints to the user is the expected output from "XFree86
-autoconfig". It might be good to update the instructions or put some
hint on the display itself.

BTW, when running xf86cfg, the image
of the numeric pad that contains the instructions for using it as a mouse
surrogate has 'below' misspelled as 'bellow'. 

Thanks again for the help.

Ian Shields Ph.D.
Linux  Technologist, ISV & Developer Relations
IBM Corp
Research Triangle Park, NC
ishields@xxxxxxxxxx



xfree86-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 01/25/2006 03:06:10
PM:

> On Tue, Jan 24, 2006 at 04:43:10PM -0500, Ian Shields wrote:
> >I'm trying to install 4.5.0 on a fairly minimal system and I cannot
get 
> >most of the configuration tools to work, or I'm expecting more
than I'm 
> >seeing. System is an IBM Thinkcenter with a 3.0GHz Pentium 4.
Graphics is 
> >onboard Intel 82865G (aka i910). This configuration has no problem
being 
> >detected by any complete installation of Linux which includes
X.org or 
> >XFree86 and all the live systems I've used run fine on it.
> > 
> >I see similar results using either a Ubuntu 5.1 (Breezy Badger)
installed 
> >as server, or Red Hat EL4 Workstation installed as minimal. On
the Ubuntu 
> >system, the XFree86 4.5.0 install seems to run fine, using the
recommended 
> >Binary distribution name is 'Linux-ix86-glibc23' form sh Xinstall.sh
> >-check. I install everything except the rstart links and I don't
rebuild 
> >the DRM modules (since the minimal system doesn't have a either
compiler 
> >or kernel source).
> >
> >Now I attempt to run 
> >XFree86 -autoconfig
> >I get a gray screen with a crosshatch pattern and an X on it.
Mouse will 
> >move the X, but nothing else on screen. Pressing ctrl-alt-backspace
kills 
> >X and the only apparent error on the console is
> >(EE) open /defv/fb0: No such file or directory
> >There is no XF86Config file in /etc/X11 or anywhere on the /filesystem.
> >However, running 'startx' will bring up an X server.
> 
> This is all as it should be.  With no config file, XFree86 4.5.0
will
> generate a built-in automatic configuration (as with -autoconfig).
 I
> don't understand what the problem is.  The point of automatic
configuration
> is to eliminate the need for an XF86Config file for the vast majority
> of situations.
> 
> XFree86 4.5.0 also allows some mixing of static (XF86Config) and automatic
> configuration.  See the -appendauto option in the XFree86(1)
man page.
> 
> The goal I'm working towards with XFree86 configuration is completely
> optional static preference data, which is changeable by the user at
> run-time.  This will obsolete the traditional XF86Config file.
> 
> David
> -- 
> David Dawes                
                    X-Oz
Technologies
> www.XFree86.org/~dawes              
           www.x-oz.com