Improvements in X -configure

Jonas Melian jonasmg at softhome.net
Wed Apr 13 13:37:28 PDT 2005


I've working in a tool (based on mkxf86config.sh from knoppix) to
auto-configure xorg config file. And after verifying that 'X -configure'
has improved, I want to recommend some improvements.

1- Fonts
To add all the directories with fonts that find in /usr/share/fonts/.
And to place them of such form that is thus:

"/usr/share/fonts/misc/"
"/usr/share/fonts/TTF/"
other dirs ttf
"/usr/share/fonts/Type1/"
other dirs type1
"/usr/share/fonts/CID/"
other dirs cid
"/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/"
"/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/"
other dirs bitmap

Pseudocode:

FOR dir in /usr/share/fonts/* (except /util,/encodings); DO
	IF find *.ttf; THEN
		dir (underneath .../TTF/)
	ELIF *.pfa || *.pfb; THEN
		dir (underneath .../Type1/)
	ELIF *.cid; THEN
		dir (underneath .../CID/)
	ELIF *.pcf.gz; THEN
		dir (underneath .../100dpi/)
	FI
DONE

Also it is possible to be verified that those principal directories
(/usr/share/fonts/{misc,TTF,Type1,CID,75dpi,100dpi}) exist and who they
have fonts. In my case i haven't .../CID/. If doesn't exist (or
directory without fonts) then comment out it.

It is necessary to consider that if the resolution is 1024x768 or
greater then then there is to put .../100dpi/ before that .../75dpi/

2- Device (graphic card)
The method that uses to detect the module is to prove each one. But it
has a failure. What happens if a card allows two different modules and
set one of smaller yield?

In my case, i have an ati radeon 8500. The correct module would be
'radeon' but it set 'ati'.

Would it not be better and faster to use a data base? Like that it uses
'discover' (a tool from debian)

graphics card - module
ati radeon		radeon
...

Also in that data base it would be possible to be added specific options
for that module, so that they were activated. Like allowing 'swcursor'
for the modules ati,radeon,nv,trident.
Or comment out 'DefaultColorDepth' for fbdev.

3- Monitor
It must use NoPM, because some machines freeze if Power management is
being activated:

if CheckLineBoot "noapm"; then
	Option		"NoPM"
else
	Option		"DPMS"
fi

And to DPMS, add (i.e.):
	Option "blank time" "10"
	Option "standby time" "20"
	Option "suspend time" "40"
	Option "off time" "60"


Also, it would be detect all the modelines for the monitor when is being
created the config file, as is made by 'ddcxinfo-knoppix -modelines'. If
the monitor isn't ddc, then build a standard modesline.

4- Screen
To choose the 3 better modes (according to the number of Hertz, 85 or
more very well, 75 is ok, 60 ?) for each depth (24, 16, 8, 4).

And to choose a good depth as default:
24, if it has as minimun 1024x768 (or 800x600)
else 16, ...



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