Annotation of wikisrc/guide/x.mdwn, revision 1.1
1.1 ! jdf 1: # X
! 2:
! 3: ## What is X?
! 4:
! 5: NetBSD uses the X Window System (often referred as X11) to provide a graphical
! 6: interface. In NetBSD 5.0, the amd64, i386, macppc, shark, sgimips, and sparc64
! 7: ports use X.Org and the rest use XFree86.
! 8:
! 9: Please note that the X Window System is a rather bare bones framework. It acts
! 10: as a base for modern desktop environments like GNOME or KDE, but they are not
! 11: part of the X Window System. NetBSD ships with the X Window System, but it does
! 12: not include these desktop environments; they must be added via pkgsrc.
! 13:
! 14: When you start using X you'll find many new terms which you may find confusing
! 15: at first. The basic elements are:
! 16:
! 17: * *Video hardware*, i.e., your video card.
! 18: * An *X server* running on top of the hardware. The X server provides a
! 19: standard way to display graphics (including fonts for text display) and get
! 20: mouse/keyboard/other input. X is network-transparent, which means that you
! 21: can run X clients on one machine, and the X server (i.e., the display, with
! 22: video hardware) on another machine.
! 23: * *X clients*. These are the programs you directly interact with. They run on
! 24: top of the X server. A web browser like Firefox is an example of an X client.
! 25: * A *window manager* running on top of the X server. The window manager is a
! 26: special X client that is allowed to control the placement of windows. It can
! 27: also *decorate* windows with standard *widgets* (usually these provide
! 28: actions like window motion, resizing, iconifying, window killing, etc.).
! 29: * A *desktop environment* such as GNOME or KDE. These are suites of integrated
! 30: software designed to give you a well-defined range of software and a more or
! 31: less common interface to each program. These typically include a window
! 32: manager, file manager, web browser, email client, multimedia player, text
! 33: editor, address book, help browser, etc. As you may have guessed, a desktop
! 34: environment is not needed to use X, but many users will want to install one.
! 35:
! 36:
! 37: ## Configuration
! 38:
! 39: In some cases, you may be able to start using X without any configuration at
! 40: all, and **startx** will work just fine. In many cases, however, some
! 41: configuration of the X server is required. Depending on the port you use, this
! 42: configuration file will be either `/etc/X11/xorg.conf` (for platforms using
! 43: X.org) or `/etc/X11/XF86Config` (for those using XFree86). The structure of the
! 44: configuration file is described formally in
! 45: [xorg.conf(5)](http://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?xorg.conf+5+NetBSD-5.0.1+i386)
! 46: or
! 47: [XF86Config(5)](http://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?XF86Config+5+NetBSD-5.0.1+i386).
! 48:
! 49: To generate an initial configuration file for your X server, run the command
! 50:
! 51: # X -configure
! 52:
! 53: This command should create a configuration file and place it in your home
! 54: directory. To test the generated configuration file, run, e.g.,
! 55:
! 56: # X -config ~/xorg.conf.new
! 57:
! 58: If this succeeds, you should see a crosshatched background and a cursor in the
! 59: shape of an X. Try moving the cursor around to verify that the mouse is
! 60: functional. To quit, press `Ctrl-Alt-Backspace`.
! 61:
! 62: If the above test was successful, move the file into place (as either
! 63: `/etc/X11/xorg.conf` or `/etc/X11/XF86Config`) and you are ready to go. The
! 64: following sections may be of interest or use, but are not required reading.
! 65:
! 66: ## The mouse
! 67:
! 68: PS/2 and USB mice will normally be autodetected, and a configuration entry like
! 69: the following will be generated:
! 70:
! 71: Section "InputDevice"
! 72: Identifier "Mouse0"
! 73: Driver "mouse"
! 74: Option "Protocol" "wsmouse"
! 75: Option "Device" "/dev/wsmouse"
! 76: Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
! 77: EndSection
! 78:
! 79: For a serial mouse on the first serial port, try something like:
! 80:
! 81: Section "InputDevice"
! 82: Identifier "Mouse0"
! 83: Driver "mouse"
! 84: Option "Protocol" "auto"
! 85: Option "Device" "/dev/tty00"
! 86: EndSection
! 87:
! 88: In this example. `/dev/tty00` is the first serial port. Use `/dev/tty01` for the
! 89: second, and so on. Protocol `auto` will try to automatically detect the protocol
! 90: of your serial mouse. If this doesn't work, try values like `Microsoft`,
! 91: `IntelliMouse` or `Logitech`. See
! 92: [mousedrv(4)](http://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?mousedrv+4+NetBSD-5.0.1+i386)
! 93: for more information.
! 94:
! 95: ## The keyboard
! 96:
! 97: Even if you have already configured your keyboard for wscons (see
! 98: [[wscons|guide/cons#wscons]]), you need to configure it for X as well, at
! 99: least if you want to use a non-US layout.
! 100:
! 101: An easy solution is to use the XKB protocol to specify the keyboard type and
! 102: layout.
! 103:
! 104: Here is an example that shows how to use a German keyboard:
! 105:
! 106: Section "InputDevice"
! 107: Identifier "Keyboard0"
! 108: Driver "kbd"
! 109: Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
! 110: Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
! 111: Option "XkbLayout" "de"
! 112: Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"
! 113: EndSection
! 114:
! 115: If you wish to change the repeat rate of your keyboard, you can set it with the
! 116: `AutoRepeat` option, which takes two arguments: delay and rate, respectively.
! 117: The following example sets the initial delay to 200 milliseconds and the repeat
! 118: rate to 30 per second:
! 119:
! 120: Option "AutoRepeat" "200 30"
! 121:
! 122: If X is already running, the keyboard repeat rate can be changed with the
! 123: [xset(1)](http://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?xset+1+NetBSD-5.0.1+i386)
! 124: command:
! 125:
! 126: $ xset r 200 30
! 127:
! 128: You can also run this command in your `.xinitrc` file. See below ([[Customizing
! 129: X|guide/x#customizing]]) for more information.
! 130:
! 131: ## The monitor
! 132:
! 133: If X does not run at the resolution you think it should, first run **xrandr**
! 134: and see if the resolution you want is listed. If your preferred resolution is
! 135: listed in that command's output, you can change resolutions with, e.g.,
! 136:
! 137: $ xrandr -s 1680x1050
! 138:
! 139: If your preferred resolution is not listed, or you have issues with flickering,
! 140: you may need to manually specify your monitor's horizontal and vertical
! 141: frequencies. These can be set with the `HorizSync` and `VertRefresh` directives
! 142: in the `Monitor` section. An example is provided below.
! 143:
! 144: Section "Monitor"
! 145: Identifier "Monitor0"
! 146: VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
! 147: ModelName "Monitor Model"
! 148: HorizSync 30-83
! 149: VertRefresh 56-75
! 150: EndSection
! 151:
! 152: Possible values for your specific monitor can often be found in the manual,
! 153: sometimes even on the monitor itself.
! 154:
! 155: ## The video card
! 156:
! 157: Normally, your video card will be automatically detected. In the event that this
! 158: autodetection fails, all available drivers can be found in
! 159: `/usr/X11R7/lib/modules/drivers`. (Replace `X11R7` with `X11R6` if you use a
! 160: port that has not yet switched to X.Org.) The driver can be set with the
! 161: `Driver` directive in the `Device` section, as shown below.
! 162:
! 163: Section "Device"
! 164: Identifier "Card0"
! 165: Driver "intel"
! 166: EndSection
! 167:
! 168: ## Starting X
! 169:
! 170: You can start X with the following command:
! 171:
! 172: $ startx
! 173:
! 174: If your basic X server configuration is correct, you are left in the X
! 175: environment with the default window manager (twm). If you want a more advanced
! 176: window manager or desktop environment, many are available in pkgsrc. See [[Other
! 177: window managers or desktop
! 178: environments|guide/x#other_window_managers_or_desktop_environments]] for
! 179: information about adding and changing window managers.
! 180:
! 181: ## Customizing X
! 182:
! 183: One of the first things you will want to do is to change the programs that run
! 184: when X is first started. The easiest way to do this is to copy the default
! 185: `.xinitrc` file to your home directory and modify it, or create a simple new one
! 186: from scratch. For example:
! 187:
! 188: $ cp /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc ~/.xinitrc
! 189: $ vi ~/.xinitrc
! 190:
! 191: The following example shows how to start the window manager (twm) and open an
! 192: instance of the xclock and xterm programs. The screen background color is set to
! 193: `bisque4`, which is defined in `/usr/X11R7/lib/X11/rgb.txt`.
! 194:
! 195: ...
! 196: # start some nice programs
! 197: xclock -geometry 50x50-1-1 &
! 198: xsetroot -solid bisque4 &
! 199: xterm -geometry 80x34-1+1 -bg OldLace &
! 200:
! 201: exec twm # no '&' here
! 202:
! 203: With this type of setup, to quit X you must exit the window manager, which is
! 204: usually done by selecting `exit` from its menu.
! 205:
! 206: The above example is very simple, but illustrates the basics of controlling the
! 207: clients that are run when X is started. You can run any number of commands from
! 208: your `.xinitrc`, including basic X configuration commands like **xset b off** to
! 209: turn off the bell.
! 210:
! 211: ## Other window managers or desktop environments
! 212:
! 213: If you don't like twm, which is a very simple window manager, you can install
! 214: another window manager or a desktop environment from pkgsrc. The following
! 215: example uses the Openbox window manager, but there are many others available in
! 216: `pkgsrc/wm`.
! 217:
! 218: Openbox can be installed via binary packages or compiled with pkgsrc. As always,
! 219: assuming a properly set `PKG_PATH`, the binary package method is:
! 220:
! 221: # pkg_add -v openbox
! 222:
! 223: Or, with pkgin:
! 224:
! 225: # pkgin install openbox
! 226:
! 227: To build it with pkgsrc, run:
! 228:
! 229: # cd /usr/pkgsrc/wm/openbox
! 230: # make install
! 231:
! 232: Openbox is now installed; to start it you must modify your `.xinitrc` file:
! 233: substitute the line which calls `twm` with a line which calls `openbox`. For
! 234: example:
! 235:
! 236: # start some useful programs
! 237: xclock -geometry 50x50-1-1 &
! 238: # start window manager:
! 239: exec openbox # no '&' here
! 240:
! 241: The [startx(1)](http://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?startx+1+NetBSD-current)
! 242: command will start the X11 session with Openbox. As configured in the example
! 243: `.xinitrc` file above, choosing `Exit` or similar from the window manager's menu
! 244: will quit the window manager and end the X11 session.
! 245:
! 246: Installing a desktop environment is almost as easy. The following example shows
! 247: how to use the Xfce desktop environment.
! 248:
! 249: # pkg_add -v xfce4
! 250: # cp /usr/pkg/share/examples/rc.d/famd /etc/rc.d
! 251: # cp /usr/pkg/share/examples/rc.d/dbus /etc/rc.d
! 252: # cp /usr/pkg/share/examples/rc.d/hal /etc/rc.d
! 253: # echo rpcbind=YES >> /etc/rc.conf
! 254: # echo famd=YES >> /etc/rc.conf
! 255: # echo dbus=YES >> /etc/rc.conf
! 256: # echo hal=YES >> /etc/rc.conf
! 257: # /etc/rc.d/rpcbind start
! 258: # /etc/rc.d/famd start
! 259: # /etc/rc.d/dbus start
! 260: # /etc/rc.d/hal start
! 261:
! 262: After running the above commands, edit your `.xinitrc` as above and change
! 263: `openbox` (or `twm`) to `xfce4-session`. The next time you run `startx`, the
! 264: Xfce desktop environment will be started.
! 265:
! 266: ## Graphical login with xdm
! 267:
! 268: If you always use X and the first thing you do after you log in is run `startx`,
! 269: you can set up a graphical login to do this automatically. It is very easy:
! 270:
! 271: 1. Create the `.xsession` file in your home directory. This file is similar to
! 272: `.xinitrc` and can, in fact, be a link to it.
! 273:
! 274: $ ln -s .xinitrc ~/.xsession
! 275:
! 276: 2. Modify `/etc/rc.conf`, adding the following line:
! 277:
! 278: xdm=YES # x11 display manager
! 279:
! 280: 3. Start xdm (or reboot your system, as this will be done automatically from
! 281: now on):
! 282:
! 283: # /etc/rc.d/xdm start
! 284:
! 285: The configuration files for xdm are in the `/etc/X11/xdm` directory. The
! 286: `Xservers` file specifies the virtual console that X is started on. It defaults
! 287: to `vt05`, which is the console you reach via `Ctrl+Alt+F5`. If you want to use
! 288: a different virtual console, change vt05 as desired. In order to avoid keyboard
! 289: contention between getty and xdm, be sure to start xdm on a virtual terminal
! 290: where getty is disabled. For example, if in `Xservers` you have:
! 291:
! 292: :0 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X :0 vt04
! 293:
! 294: Then, in `/etc/ttys` you should have:
! 295:
! 296: ttyE3 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" vt220 off secure
! 297:
! 298: (Please note that `vt04` corresponds to `ttyE3`; In `/etc/X11/xdm/Xservers`,
! 299: numbering starts at 1, but in `/etc/ttys`, numbering starts at 0).
! 300:
! 301: If you want to change the look of your xdm login screen, you can modify the xdm
! 302: configuration file. For example, to change the background color you can add the
! 303: following line to the `Xsetup_0` file:
! 304:
! 305: xsetroot -solid SeaGreen
! 306:
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