xorg.conf auto generation

Problems and successes with specific brands/models of computer video hardware
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pupquest
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Joined: Fri 07 Sep 2007, 17:22

xorg.conf auto generation

#1 Post by pupquest »

Hello,
I'm trying to edit the xorg.conf but am confused by puppy's auto-generated construction of xorg.conf. Does puppy construct a real, complete xorg.conf through the xorgwizard process? Yesterday I had to fall back into vesa mode since xorg couldn't produce a viewable screen for my cle266 video chip/monitor combination. I edited xorg.conf with values from the http://xtiming.sourceforge.net modeline generator. After saving my changes, I ctrl-alt-bksp'd out of the vesa mode of xwin, and entered xorgwizard hoping that it would use the new values. No success. In fact when I fell back again into vesa xwin I checked the xorg.conf file and my changes where no longer there.

I also noticed at the bottom of the xorg.conf file a line that was something like #puppycle266... but this had nothing underneath it. it sort of looked like a reference to an external file with the cle266 modes. Is xorg.conf and the way that puppy uses it documented anywhere?
thanks in advance,
Martin

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HairyWill
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#2 Post by HairyWill »

running xorgwizard will overwrite the existing xorg.conf

If you have an xorg.conf that you want to try and run unaltered you should ensure that /usr/X11R7/bin/X is a symlink to /usr/X11R7/bin/Xorg
then run
xwin or startx

Assuming you are currently running Xvesa and you have fixed xorg.conf how you want it.
Menu -> Shutdown -> Exit to prompt

Code: Select all

rm /usr/X11R7/bin/X
ln -s /usr/X11R7/bin/Xorg /usr/X11R7/bin/X
xwin
Last edited by HairyWill on Wed 12 Sep 2007, 06:18, edited 1 time in total.
Will
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pupquest
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Joined: Fri 07 Sep 2007, 17:22

#3 Post by pupquest »

Will,
Thanks for your help. I tried the commands you suggested but ran into a problem with:
ln -s /usr/X11R7/bin/Xorg /usr/X11R7/bin/Xorg
I'm not familiar with the ln command but recognize that the two file references are the same (which the OS balked at). Should one of the two files references be different?
thanks again,
Martin

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Pizzasgood
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#4 Post by Pizzasgood »

Should be:
ln -s /usr/X11R7/bin/Xorg /usr/X11R7/bin/X

The ln means link, and the -s makes it a symlink. The first parameter, /usr/X11R7/bin/Xorg is the source file, and the second, /usr/X11R7/bin/X is the name of the link to make.
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HairyWill
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#5 Post by HairyWill »

whoops thats what I meant
sorry
thanks pizzasgood
original post fixed
:oops:
Will
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pupquest
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#6 Post by pupquest »

Thanks Pizza and Will for the pointers. I apologize again for my basic questions... but here's a couple more: I found from other forum threads that my Modeline needs to be added to the "Monitor" and "Screen" sections of xorg.conf.
(1) What about the "Modes" section of the the xorg.conf file? It appears right below the "Monitor" section. There is a comment line in the "Monitor" section that refers to "Modes0" (which appears in the "Modes" section. Do I need to duplicate the whole or part of the Modeline statement to this section?
(2) Do I need to include the -HSync and +Vsync terms at the end of the Modeline statement? The XFree86 Modeline Generator doesn't include these but the Linux gtf command does.
Martin

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HairyWill
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#7 Post by HairyWill »

Martin
I don't know the answers to your latest questions.

I presume you have actually run the xorgwizard to completion and then run xwin to start X, what happens.
For anyone else that hasn't noticed the cle266 is a via graphics card. Martin what motherboard is it on, there is a fair chance someone else here has one.
Will
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pupquest
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#8 Post by pupquest »

Will,
After the rm and ln commands I restart X via xwin but just get a blank screen (the monitor appears to not be able to sync with what the video chip is sending it). I then ctrl-alt-bksp to rerun the xorgwizard and slip back into xvesa before xorg.conf gets re-written. I can then edit xorg.conf while in xvesa mode and return to the command prompt to perform another set of rm/ln/xwin tests.

My motherboard is a Via Epia ME6000. I have the standard video BIOS settings on the board. My monitor is a Soyo DYLM24D6.
Thanks again,
Martin

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HairyWill
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#9 Post by HairyWill »

Martin
you might find life easier if you learnt to edit the file in the console.
mp /etc/X11/xorg.conf
will start the mp text editor
cursor keys to move about
when you have finished your editing
CTRL-S to save
CTRL-Q to quit
then xwin

this should avoid having to start Xvesa and muck about with the X symlink each time
Will
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pupquest
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#10 Post by pupquest »

Well, I've spent quite a bit of time on this and have come to the conclusion that 2.17/Xorg must have a bug when it comes to support for the CLE266 chip. I tried a number of different modeline settings (via both xtiming.sourceforge.net and gtf probe) that conform to supported CLE266 dotclock values but everyone was rejected. Then, I booted Ubuntu 7.04 on the same CLE266 system and found it was able to drive my monitor at higher resolutions. I don't know enough about the relative versions of xorg compiled within Puppy 2.17 and Ubuntu 7.04 or how to go forward from here. But, if someone else does, I'd be happy to work with them to do some testing. Thanks again for your help.

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Pizzasgood
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#11 Post by Pizzasgood »

You might want to check the Xorg log file after the failed attempt. It's at /var/log/Xorg.0.log. You can read it with less or mp on the commandline, or start Xvesa and read it with your preferred editor, then manually set Xorg as the default again.

A quick way to find most error messages is this:
grep "(EE)" /var/log/Xorg.0.log
and for warnings, this:
grep "(WW)" /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Those won't show any lines around those errors though, so you might still need to view the file in it's entirety to see what's going on.

You also might want to compare the xorg.conf file from Ubuntu to see if there's anything different
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pupquest
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#12 Post by pupquest »

Thanks Pizza, I'll try this and let you know what I find.
Martin

pupquest
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#13 Post by pupquest »

Pizza,
Here's the grep results from the Xorg log:

# grep "(EE)" /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(EE) Failed to load module "glx" (module does not exist, 0)

# grep "(WW)" /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module glx
(WW) VIA(0): Manufacturer plainly copied main PCI ids to Subsystem/Card ids.
(WW) (1280x960,Monitor0) mode clock 148.5MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1280x1024,Monitor0) mode clock 157.5MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1600x1200,Monitor0) mode clock 162MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1600x1200,Monitor0) mode clock 175.5MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1600x1200,Monitor0) mode clock 189MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1600x1200,Monitor0) mode clock 202.5MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1600x1200,Monitor0) mode clock 229.5MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1792x1344,Monitor0) mode clock 204.8MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) (1856x1392,Monitor0) mode clock 218.3MHz exceeds DDC max 140MHz
(WW) VIA(0): [XvMC] Cannot use XvMC without DRI!

What is the glx module? Is it possible its in a directory that can't be found by the system?

Also, I don't understand why the Via driver appears coded to drive the mode clock to 157.5 MHz for 1280x1024. Here's the modeline that I added to my xorg.conf file (which was generated by gtf) in support of the 1280x1024 resolution (and which shows a clock of 108.88 MHz):

# 1280x1024 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 63.60 kHz; pclk: 108.88 MHz
Modeline "1280x1024_60.00" 108.88 1280 1360 1496 1712 1024 1025 1028 1060 -HSync +Vsync

I need to do some install work to rebuild an Ubuntu install in order to compare its xorg log. Once I have this I'll post it as well.
Martin

KF6SNJ
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#14 Post by KF6SNJ »

I'm just curious. What would happen if you simply rebooted your computer and booted from your puppy 2.17.1 disc? I encountered this problem back with 1.0.7. I ended up backing up my files to cd and then reinstalling my system with the new xorg configuration that was created when I booted from cd. Of course I am the idiot that used puppy 0.7 for about three and half months without a hard drive in his computer, so I am probably clueless anyway.

pupquest
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#15 Post by pupquest »

KF6SNJ,
Thanks for your suggestion. I'm essentially doing just this, that is, booting from a CF/IDE with the LiveCD image of 2.17.1. The problem appears to be a miscalculation (or miscoding?) of the dotclock frequency required by the cle266 driver to drive an external display above 1024x768. My next task is to boot on Ubuntu, where its cle266 driver can successfully drive xorg to 1280x1024, and compare the xorg.0.log with puppy's.

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#16 Post by KF6SNJ »

Glad I could be of some small help. I am not a guru like lobster or BarryK or the others. I am nothing other than a seminary student, forklift operator, husband, and father. I just happen to have been using puppy for a while now and have learned a few things, so if I can help, I try to. Naturally I am outclassed by some of these guys, but that is fine. I can always stand to learn more.

Ripgiblet
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Newer versions of Puppy

#17 Post by Ripgiblet »

Hi All,

Version 4.3.1 has the autoconfig using xorgwizard....
in the /usr/bin/xwin...

This caused me heaps of problems finding.. so I thought I would help out for other people like me:]

Also it automatically moves the xorg.conf if the hardware changes to xorg.conf.GraphicsCardNameMontitorName.
Then cp the xorg.conf.GraphicsCardNameMonitorName if it can find it to xorg.conf...
Then if no xorg.conf it runs xorgwizard...

So if you spend hours configuring say a touch panel or something not auto detected device in xorg.conf... then plug in a different monitor... say goodbye to your config....

regards,
Rip...

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