PPC: Configuration of XFree86

Support knowledgebase (poeml_manual_x_conf)
Applies to

SuSE Linux PowerPC: Version 7.0
XFree86: Version 4.0.1

Configuration of XFree86

In general, you can just follow the instructions in chapter 8 of the printed manual where you should at first see over table 8.1. Please note however that for machines with the graphic chips

there is a deviating procedure described in this article that you should follow.

Unfortunately, last-minute changes in XFree86 version 4 could not be implemented in SaX2 in time which makes a manual approach necessary. Thereby, the use of the configuration tool SaX2 as described in the manual is not required.

Please follow the instructions below:

If you have a PowerMacintosh it is useful to start MacOS, open the control panel "Monitors" and look up which resolutions at which color depths and which screen refresh rates the graphic chip can handle. Otherwise you should be able to learn the appropriate values from the manual of your computer.

You will find some sample configurations for the computers with the graphic chips mentioned above on the CD 1 in the directory unsorted:

XF86Config.cirrus
XF86Config.g4
XF86Config.ibook
XF86Config.powerbook_firewire
XF86Config.powerbook_g3
XF86Config.valkyrie
XF86Config.wallstreet
XF86Config.generic

We will now copy the respective file (e.g. XF86Config.ibook) to /etc/X11/ and rename it to XF86Config. This can be done with the following commands:

(If you are not logged in as root, please enter
su -
first and press Enter followed by your password.)

  mount /cdrom
  cp /cdrom/unsorted/XF86Config.ibook /etc/X11/XF86Config
if you want to configure an iBook. Then you have to edit it e.g. like this (using the editor vi)
  vi /etc/X11/XF86Config
Instructions for the use of the editor vi can be found in chapter 19.15 of the printed manual. If you at any time want to abort editing you can always leave the vi by pressing the Esc key followed by the keys :q! and the Enter key. All changes to the file will then be discarded. You can also undo single changes by pressing u repeatedly (being in the command mode that you can reach by pressing the esc key).

Alternatively, you could also use any other editor - like joe (get help with Ctrl-K H) or the filemanager mc.

Okay, now the following steps have to be taken:

  1. choose the key map (language)
  2. choose the type of the keyboard (PC or Macintosh)
  3. choose the resolution
  4. choose the color depth
  5. switch from XFree86 version 3.3.6 to 4
  6. reboot

Right, here you go. At first navigate to the following section in /etc/X11/XF86Config:

  Section "InputDevice"
    Driver        "keyboard"
    Identifier    "Keyboard[0]"
    Option        "Protocol"      "Standard"
    Option        "XkbLayout"     "us"
  #  Option       "XkbModel"      "powerpcps2"
  #  Option       "XkbModel"      "macintosh"
    Option        "XkbRules"      "xfree86"
    Option        "XkbVariant"    "nodeadkeys"
  EndSection
  1. Choosing the key map:
    Look for the parameter XkbLayout. If you want to use a German key map, you would have to exchange "us" with "de". Within the editor vi this can be achieved by navigating to "us", pressing the delete key to delete us, enter i (in vithis means: insert mode), enter de and press the Esc key to change back to the command mode of vi.

  2. Choosing the type of the keyboard (PC or Macintosh):
    If you are using a Macintosh keyboard you have to delete the #-character at the beginning of the line with "macintosh". The line would then look like this:

    Option "XkbModel" "macintosh"

    If you use a PC-type keyboard you have to remove the #-character in the line containing "powerpcps2".

  3. Choosing the resolution:
    Now please go ahead to the section "Modes" which could, for instance, look like this:
        Section "Modes"
          Identifier    "Modes[0]"
        
          ModeLine "512x384-70" 21.16 512 528 608 672 384 405 407 449 +vsync
          ModeLine "640x480-60" 25.18 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525
          ModeLine "640x480-72" 31.20 640 664 704 832 480 489 492 520
          ModeLine "640x480-75" 31.50 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500
          ModeLine "640x480-85" 36.00 640 696 752 832 480 481 484 509
          ModeLine "640x480-90f" 39.91 640 672 712 832 480 497 500 533
          ModeLine "640x480-100" 44.90 640 656 691 848 480 487 498 530
          ModeLine "640x480-120" 55.00 640 672 732 864 480 488 494 530
          ModeLine "640x870-75" 57.28 640 672 752 832 870 873 876 918
          ModeLine "800x600-56" 36.00 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync
          ModeLine "800x600-60" 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
          ModeLine "800x600-72" 50.00 800 856 976 1040 600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync
          ModeLine "800x600-75" 49.50 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync
          ModeLine "800x600-85" 56.25 800 832 896 1048 600 601 604 631 +hsync +vsync
          ModeLine "800x600-90" 56.64 800 816 880 1000 600 600 603 632 +hsync +vsync
          ModeLine "800x600-100" 67.50 800 840 920 1056 600 603 607 639 +hsync +vsync
          ModeLine "800x600-120" 81.00 800 816 904 1064 600 602 605 635
          ModeLine "832x624-75" 57.28 832 864 928 1152 624 625 628 667
          ModeLine "1024x768-60" 65.00 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806
          ModeLine "1024x768-70" 75.00 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806
          ModeLine "1024x768-75" 78.75 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync
        
        EndSection
      

    Let's say you have figured out that your graphic chip supports a resolution of 1024x768 pixel at a screen refresh rate of 75 Hz. In this case the last line would be appropriate for you. The relevant bit is what is enclosed by quotation marks ("1024x768-75"). Please keep that in mind for a second.

    The next section looks as follows:

      Section "Screen"
        DefaultDepth  8
        SubSection "Display"
          Depth       8
          Modes       "834x624-75"
        EndSubSection
        Device        "Device[0]"
        Identifier    "Screen[0]"
        Monitor       "Monitor[0]"
      EndSection
      

    Here you change the value of Modes the value that you chose above. In our example that would finally make the respective line look like this:

          Modes       "1024x768-75"
          

  4. Choosing the color depth:
    In the same section it is determined which color depth (number of colors) XFree86 will use when it is started. The default value is 8 which allows displaying up to 256 colors. Other possible values are 15, 16, 24, and 32, depending on your hardware. Change the value of both DefaultDepth and Depth to a suitable value.

    If you are done with your changes you can save the file (when using the vi) with the following command (you might want to ensure that you are in the vi command mode by pressing the Esc key first):

      :wq
      

    followed by pressing the Enter key (wq meaning write & quit). Now we can finish the configuration by entering the commands:

      switch2xf86-4
      ln -sf /usr/X11R6/bin/XFree86 /var/X11R6/bin/X
      
    while taking good care of upper/lower case letters. This will switch XFree86 from version 3.3.6 to version 4.

  5. Now you have to reboot your computer to reinitialize the framebuffer:
      reboot
      

From now on, you can either start X with

startx

or login at the graphical login prompt if you computer is configured to start in runlevel 3 (graphical login).

In case anything does not work as expected you can kill XFree86 with the key combination Alt-Ctrl-Backspace and double-check your settings in XF86Config.


Keywords: PPC, POWERMAC, APPLE, MACINTOSH, XFREE86, CONFIGURATION, MANUAL

Categories: Power Macintosh

SDB-poeml_manual_x_conf, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 11. Okt 2000
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 07. Nov 2000 by poeml (sdb_gen 1.40.0)