[unix] Xfree <> Xorg code fork

[TdC]

The free unix graphical desktop, X11, has just been forked. Read more here in an article on la reg. In this case, I'm pleased with the project splitting, as there's a horde of new yummy stuff going to be implemented.
Naturally arguments to the contrary also apply

you can see screenies of some yummy here, and there's also some tech-speak on how it all works

 

[Quige]

I just hope they make it easier to configure than having to run some horrible text based config util that either seems to throw a wobbly about a USB mouse or the keyboard, even if you do end up fixing the graphic problem that has led you to trying to reconfigure from the commandline in the first place. I'm sure there's a very good technical reason, but it continues to escape me why trying to change my driver, video refresh rate or resolution, should have to involve any reconfiguration of a previously working keyboard or mouse.

I've ended up zapping a whole installation and rerunning setup just to get my mouse working again before now

Admittedly I'm not much of a *nix bod, and it's things like this that keep me this way. So fingers crossed it gets a bit easier or at least knows a bit more about modern hardware.

 

[chelgrian]

I'm sure there's a very good technical reason, but it continues to escape me why trying to change my driver, video refresh rate or resolution, should have to involve any reconfiguration of a previously working keyboard or mouse.

No good technical reason at all, it's usually just user error Most Linux distros put have a GUI utility for configuring XFree anyway.

 

[Quige]

I'm not denying the user error part ... and yes usually if I leave it with the default setup from the install, and have access to the GUI tools, all pretty much works as advertised, refresh rate and resolution changes and so on ... but it's inevitable when learning something new you're going to screw something up, like trying to get the latest Geforce driver going, and I end up down with a non-functioning X setup and trying to get back to any sort of basic setup, and running the text mode config tool. It's usually the mouse I lose and the ability to boot up into a window manager what I get back. There never seems the option to just leave the mouse config as is, and none of the limited types of mouse offered ever seem to work.

As a Windows user I guess I'm used to the display controls and mouse configuration being presented to me as quite seperate and independant things.

 

[TriGGer]

Hopefully it'll be for the best, and we'll see some good stuff come out of it, unfortunately I cant help but think it'll be a rough ride.

lo TdC btw

ltns

 

[TdC]

ha, I thought it was you sorry that it didn't dawn on me earlier, I'm not a well man you know

 

[Teren]

For me, the best way to make my XFree86 config, was just booting the Knoppix CD, saving the config, tweaking it, and putting it in my normal /etc/X11

 

[EvilMonkeh]

ah yes, XF86Config is fun! (not!)
i spent hours wondering why it kept using a resolution my monitor didnt support.
then i found out it was loading XF86Config-4, not XF86Config....
a quick delete and it worked
ah yes, joy.

 

[TdC]

I'm shite at getting fonts to work tbh. for some reason they just...don't....work

 

[Shovel]

I've been really jammy. Got Xorg off Portage (Gentoo), ran xorgconfig and it, erm, works. nvidia driver and everything. I'm told that it really shouldn't be this easy.

Fonts are also pretty good. I need to copy across some of my Windows core fonts for solidarity, but the rest of the time I'm trying to persuade it just to mount my Windows/Fonts folder as /usr/share/fonts/win and when it works, xorg appears to lick em up and does a pretty good job. They need a bit of a tweak, some of them are a little blotchy atm, but all together pretty nice looking.

Having got a working Kernel at last, everything since then has 'just worked', which I think officially makes me a 'jammy git'.