Learning Red Hat Linux, Second Edition

Manually Configuring X

Generally, you won’t need to manually configure X. The installation procedure and Xconfigurator generally configure X automatically. However, automatic configuration sometimes fails. In that case, it’s handy to know how to configure X manually.

This section explains a typical X configuration file, /etc/X11/XF86Config, of the sort created by Xconfigurator. You can use the information in this section to tweak your X configuration. However, it’s not recommended that you do so; if possible, you should use Xconfigurator to generate your system’s X configuration file. The real value of this section is in helping you understand how X works.

The X configuration file, like almost all Linux configuration files, is a text file and can be viewed or edited by using a text editor. The typical file has seven main sections:

Files

This section identifies files that specify colors and specify or contain fonts.

ServerFlags

This section specifies flags that control X server operation.

Keyboard

This section specifies the keyboard.

Pointer

This section specifies the mouse or other pointing device. Unlike Windows, X cannot be used without a pointing device.

Monitor

This section specifies the monitor.

Device

This section specifies the video adapter.

Screen

This section specifies the X display, by referencing monitor and device specifications and providing additional specifications.

Several of the sections can appear multiple times in the X configuration file. For example, a system with multiple ...