website view en/doc/handbook/x-window.html @ rev 28
Add Xorg to Handbook (en)
| author | Paul Issott <paul@slitaz.org> |
|---|---|
| date | Tue Apr 22 20:46:47 2008 +0000 (2008-04-22) |
| parents | 2c4b45efa647 |
| children | e172c1d2ec01 |
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22 <h1><font color="#3e1220">SliTaz Handbook (en)</font></h1>
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26 <div id="content">
27 <div class="content-right"></div>
29 <h2><font color="#df8f06">X Window System</font></h2>
31 <ul>
32 <li><a href="#X11">X Window System.</a></li>
33 <li><a href="#slim">Slim</a> - Simple Login Manager.</li>
34 <li><a href="#xorg">Xorg</a> - X server.</li>
35 <li><a href="#jwm">JWM</a> - Window Manager.</li>
36 <li><a href="#enlightenment">Enlightenment (e17).</a> - Desktop
37 environment.</li>
38 <li><a href="#openbox">Openbox</a> - Window Manager.</li>
39 <li><a href="#fonts">Fonts</a> - System Fonts.</li>
40 </ul>
42 <a name="X11"></a>
43 <h3>X11 - X Window System</h3>
44 <p>
45 The X Window System or X11 provides a window manager running on
46 top of a X server. SliTaz uses by default the lightweight X server called
47 <code>Xvesa</code> from the Xorg project (<a href="http://www.x.org/">www.x.org</a>).
48 Xvesa can be started with the Slim login manager or directly from a Linux console
49 with the command <code>startx</code>, but for this you must first disable the
50 Login Manager. To reconfigure your X session you can use <code>tazx</code>
51 as root or as the current user if you start X from the command line.
52 </p>
54 <a name="slim"></a>
55 <h3>Slim - Simple Login Manager</h3>
56 <p>
57 Slim is a lightweight session manager that is very easy to configure and is
58 customizable using system themes. The configuration file is found in
59 <code>/etc/slim.conf</code>, it defines window managers available via the
60 <code>F1</code> key, the default user or theme and the X window system parameters.
61 Slim offers special users commands like <code>console</code> to help manage
62 the session.
63 </p>
64 <p>
65 In LiveCD mode you can disable Slim with the boot option <code>screen=text</code>.
66 On an installed system you can remove the package or delete slim from the
67 <code>RUN_DAEMONS</code> variable in <code>/etc/rcS.conf</code>.
68 </p>
69 <p>
70 More details and themes can be found on the
71 <a href="http://slim.berlios.de/">website.</a>
72 </p>
73 <h4>Default user</h4>
74 <p>
75 Slim offers a way to pre-load a user login name, by default hacker is configured
76 for convenience. You can change this by editing the Slim configuration file
77 <code>/etc/slim.conf</code> and modifying the line <code>default_user</code> or just
78 leave the line blank to avoid pre-loading a user name. Example:
79 </p>
80 <pre class="script">default_user hacker
81 </pre>
83 <a name="xorg"></a>
84 <h3>Xorg</h3>
85 <p>
86 By default SliTaz provides the graphical mini-server Xvesa. Xorg server is available
87 in the packages on the mirror. Xorg is a very comprehensive server, but uses a lot more
88 resources than Xvesa. If your resolution is supported by the mini-server and you're happy
89 with the refresh rate, then there's no reason to use Xorg.
90 </p>
91 <p>
92 There is no GUI configuration, it means having to use the command line in console mode. The installation
93 and configuration of the server is relatively simple and you can always go back and reuse Xvesa at any time.
94 Xorg is distributed in modular form, which means that you'll need to install the server, a few configuration
95 files and the right driver for your graphics card. However the <code>xorg-server</code> package has all
96 the correct dependancies to work directly with the <code>vesa</code> driver. Minimal install:
97 </p>
98 <pre> # tazpkg get-install xorg-server
99 </pre>
100 <p>
101 Once installed, you can go directly to the configuration or you can install the correct driver for your card
102 (if you know it). Example using the Nvidia driver and listing all available drivers:
103 </p>
104 <pre> # tazpkg get-install xorg-xf86-video-nv
105 List:
106 # tazpkg search xorg-xf86-video
107 </pre>
108 <h4>Automatic configuration of the server</h4>
110 <p>To configure the Xorg server you have two options: <code>Xorg -configure</code>
111 or the script <code>xorgconfig</code>. It is recommended that you start by using Xorg with
112 the <code>-configure</code> option. The automatic configuration of Xorg must be done in console
113 mode without an X-server running; this is achieved by closing all applications and windows and hitting
114 the <code>alt-ctrl-del</code> buttons. You should now be in console mode. Now you need to run Xorg with the
115 <code>-configure</code> option and copy the newly generated file to <code>/etc/X11</code>:
116 </p>
117 <pre> # Xorg -configure
118 # cp /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf
119 </pre>
120 <p>
121 Finally you then change the configuration of Slim to use Xorg instead of Xvesa and restart the window manager.
122 </p>
123 <h4>Using Xorg with Slim</h4>
124 <p>
125 In the Slim configuration file (<code>/etc/slim.conf</code>), we need to comment out
126 (<code>#</code>) the lines pertaining to Xvesa and change Xorg to the <code>default_xserver</code>:
127 </p>
128 <pre class="script">default_xserver /usr/bin/Xorg
129 #default_xserver /usr/bin/Xvesa
130 #xserver_arguments -ac -shadow dpms +extension Composite -screen 1024x768x24
131 </pre>
132 <p>
133 Now we can start Slim to return us to an X server session.
134 Slim works likes a daemon, it can be stopped or started from the console:
135 </p>
136 <pre> # /etc/init.d/slim start
137 </pre>
138 <h4>xorg.conf - Configuration file</h4>
139 <p>
140 Xorg uses the configuration file <code>/etc/X11/xorg.conf</code>, this file can be
141 automatically generated and edited with your favorite text editor. The file is divided into
142 several sections, including the specification of paths, modules to be loaded, default screen,
143 mouse, keyboard etc. This document provides only a few examples, it is advisable to run
144 <code>xorgconfig</code> once to generate a complete file to use as an example.
146 </p>
147 <p>
148 Keyboard (en):
149 </p>
150 <pre class="script">Section "InputDevice"
151 Identifier "Keyboard0"
152 Driver "kbd"
153 Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
154 Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
155 Option "XkbLayout" "en"
156 Option "XkbVariant" "en"
157 EndSection
158 </pre>
159 <p>
160 Mice with auto detection protocol:
161 </p>
162 <pre class="script">Section "InputDevice"
163 Identifier "Mouse0"
164 Driver "mouse"
165 Option "Protocol" "auto"
166 Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
167 Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
168 EndSection
169 </pre>
170 <p>
171 Composite extensions:
172 </p>
173 <pre class="script">Section "Extensions"
174 Option "Composite" "1"
175 EndSection
176 </pre>
178 <a name="jwm"></a>
179 <h3>JWM - Window manager</h3>
180 <p>
181 JWM (Joe's Window Manger) is a lightweight Window Manager, easy to use, fast,
182 stable and insanely configurable. The menu and theme can all be changed from a
183 single configuration file found in your home directory: <code>~/.jwmrc</code>,
184 the file uses XML syntax and the code is nicely colored if you use Geany to
185 edit it. To add an entry in the menu you can use the following example:
186 </p>
187 <pre class="script"> <Program icon="kino.png" label="Kino (Video Editor)">kino</Program>
188 </pre>
189 <p>
190 The <a href="http://www.joewing.net/programs/jwm/config.shtml">JWM Web site</a>
191 has got more information on how to configure the application to your needs
192 and preferences.
193 </p>
195 <a name="enlightenment"></a>
196 <h3>Enlightenment (e17)</h3>
197 <p>
198 Enlightenment aka e17 is a lightweight and fast desktop environment that can be
199 configured graphically. To install e17:
200 </p>
201 <pre> # tazpkg get-install enlightenment
202 </pre>
203 <p>
204 Logout your current X session, type <code>F1</code> at Slim login and choose
205 <code>e17</code> to start Enlightenment.
206 </p>
208 <a name="openbox"></a>
209 <h3>Openbox</h3>
210 <p>
211 Openbox is a lightweight window manager than can be configured using the obconf
212 utility. To install openbox:
213 </p>
214 <pre> # tazpkg get-install openbox
215 # tazpkg get-install obconf
216 </pre>
217 <p>
218 Logout your current X session, type <code>F1</code> at Slim login and choose
219 <code>openbox</code> to start Openbox. To make Openbox your default Window
220 Manager just type: <code>tazx openbox</code>.
221 </p>
222 <p>
223 Note: you can also use the configuration file <code>menu.xml</code> found
224 in <code>/etc/xdg/openbox</code> to edit menu items. Here's an example using
225 Htop:
226 </p>
227 <pre class="script"><item label="Htop">
228 <action name="Execute"><command>xterm -e htop</command></action>
229 </item>
230 </pre>
231 <p>
232 More information can be found on the
233 <a href="http://icculus.org/openbox/index.php/Help:Menus">openbox</a> site.
234 </p>
236 <a name="fonts"></a>
237 <h3>Fonts</h3>
238 <p>
239 The management of Fonts (<em>fonts</em>) is powered by the package Fontconfig.
240 This package provides tools to add, list and manipulate fonts. The <em>fonts</em>
241 can be installed in user space or at the system level, this means that each user can use his/her own
242 fonts or the adminstrator (<em>root</em>) can install fonts available to all users of the system.
243 If you use USB media associated with SliTaz <a href="http://www.slitaz.org/en/doc/handbook/livecd.html">LiveCD</a>,
244 you can easily install fonts and retain them the next time you use the cdrom.
245 </p>
246 <h4>Installing <em>fonts</em></h4>
247 <p>
248 At the system level fonts are installed in the directory:
249 <code>/usr/share/fonts</code>, core SliTaz provides TTF Vera fonts,
250 they take up little space and are rendered correctly. In user space fonts are found in the hidden
251 directory: <code>.fonts</code>, this directory should be at the root of user space.
252 To create a home directory to accomodate new fonts, you can use the graphical window manager emelFM2,
253 Clex or use the command line:
254 </p>
255 <pre> $ mkdir ~/.fonts
256 </pre>
257 <p>
258 Once you have installed the fonts you need to run the <code>fc-cache</code> tool to generate
259 configuration files, this ensures that your <em>fonts</em> are available for use in applications:
260 </p>
261 <pre> $ fc-cache
262 </pre>
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