From dbca998ce52d78ce5e525e0d799adc83d580f66a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alan Hicks Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 14:17:18 -0400 Subject: Making room for new chapter and a few minor modifications. --- chapter_06.xml | 208 ++------------------------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 204 deletions(-) (limited to 'chapter_06.xml') diff --git a/chapter_06.xml b/chapter_06.xml index a6f1837..c757993 100644 --- a/chapter_06.xml +++ b/chapter_06.xml @@ -3,230 +3,30 @@ "/usr/share/xml/docbook/xml-dtd-4.5/docbookx.dtd"> -The X Window System +Process Control
-What Is (And Isn't) X +Why Use Slackware? -Eons ago computer terminals came with a screen and a keyboard and not -much else. Mice hadn't come into common use and everything was menu -driven. Then came the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the world was -changed. Today users are accustomed to moving a mouse around a screen, -clicking on icons and running tasks with fancy images and animation, -but UNIX systems predated this and so GUIs were added almost as an -afterthought. For many years, Linux and its UNIX brethren were -primarily used without graphics of any sort, but today it is perhaps -more common than not for users to prefer their Linux computers come -with shiney, flashy, clickable GUIs, and all these GUIs run on -X(7). - - - -So what is X? Is it the desktop with the icons? Is it the menus? Is it -the window manager? Does it mark the spot? The answer to all these is a -resounding "no". There are many parts to a GUI, but X is the most -fundamental. X is that application that receives input from the mouse, -keyboard, and possibly other devices. X is that application that tells -the graphics card what to do. In short, X is the application that talks -to your computer's hardware from graphical purposes; all other -graphical applications simply talk to X. - - - -Let's stop for a moment and talk about nomenclature. X is just one of a -dozen names that you may encounter. It is also called X11, the X Window -System, X Window, X11R6, X Version 11, and several others. Whatever -you hear it called, simply understand that the speakers are referring -to X.
-Configuring the X Server - - -As powerful as Slackware Linux is, configuring X can be daunting and -is often one of the first real challenges a new user faces. Don't be -overly concerned if you find this a bit difficult. While many changes -have been made over the years that make this much easier, there are -still computers out there that don't properly auto-detect, or you'll -wish to make some change to some setting and it might not be immediately -apparent what to do. Just remember that when I started using X, it was -far more primitive than it is today, took far more work to configure, -and often crashed without telling the user what was wrong. If I and -thousands of others got this working back then, you can do it today. - - - -Fortunately, with X.Org 1.6.3 an -/etc/X11/xorg.conf does not even need to be -present for X to attempt a working display, -further, Slackware includes a default configuration file that works -for most computers by using the VESA standard. This offers only the -most basic functions and may not allow your graphics card to operate at -its full potential. You may be limited to low resolutions, fewer -colors, and X will be slower. Still, this is -an option for users, particularly those who only want to occassionally -run X. You can try it out now simply by -running startx(1) from a command prompt. - +Differences Compared to Other Linux Distributions -There are many ways to configure X, but the -easiest is to use xorgsetup. This will attempt -to probe probe your computer's hardware and write a working xorg.conf -file. This option is not garaunteed to work; there are some platforms -that it is known not to work with, and there are probably others as -well. Still, it is worth trying first as it is the quickest and least -complicated for a new user to attempt. - - - -The second most popular way to configure X -on your system is the handy xorgconfig(1). -This application asks you a series of questions about your computer's -hardware and writes out a config file based on your choices. Unless you -know exactly what your hardware is, we recommend that you try -xorgsetup first. - - - -Additionally, the X has flags available to -let X attempt to detect hardware and render -an xorg.conf.new that should work with the hardware -present. From a virtual terminal call X -configure, -and the resulting file will be either /root/xorg.conf.new -or $HOME/xorg.conf.new. Before moving this new -configuration to /etc/X11/, it can be tested by -calling X -config /root/xorg.conf.new, then you can -exit this X session with <CTRL>+<ALT>+<Backspace>. - - - -Lastly, you can manually configure your X -server by modifying /etc/X11/xorg.conf with a text -editor. This is not normally a task for the faint of heart, but is -often the easiest way to make minor changes.
-Choosing a Window Manager - - -Slackware Linux includes many different window managers and desktop -environments. Window managers are the applications responsible for -painting application windows on the screen, resizing these windows, and -similar tasks. Desktop environments include a window manager, but also -add task bars, menus, icons, and more. Slackware includes both the KDE -and XFCE desktop environments and several additional window managers. -Which you use is entirely your own decision, but in general, window -managers tend to be faster than desktop environments and more suitable -to older systems with less memory and slower processors. Desktop -environments will be more comfortable for users accustomed to Microsoft -Windows. - +Licensing -LIST OF DE'S AND WINDOW MANAGERS. -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! -FILL THIS IN!!!! - -The easiest way to choose a window manager is -xwmconfig(1), included with Slackware Linux. -This application allows a user to choose what window manager to run -with startx. - - -
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-Setting Up A Graphical Login - - -By default, when you boot your Slackware Linux system you are presented -with a login prompt on a virtual terminal. This is more than adequate -for most people's needs. If you need to run commandline applications, -you may login and do so right away. If you want to run X, simply executing -startx will do that for you nicely. -But suppose you almost exclusively -use your system for graphical duties like many laptop owners? Wouldn't -it be nice for Slackware to take you straight into a GUI? Fortunately, -there's an easy way to do just that. - - - -Slackware uses the System V init system which allows the administrator -to boot into or change to different runlevels, which are really just -different "states" the computer can be in. In fact, shutting down the -computer is really only a case of changing to a runlevel which -accomplishes just that. Runlevels can be rather complicated, so we -won't delve into them any further than necessary. - - - -Runlevels are configured in inittab(5). -The most common ones are -runlevel 3 (Slackware's default) and runlevel 4 (GUI). In order to tell -Slackware to boot to a GUI screen, simply open -/etc/inittab with your -favorite editor of choice. (You may wish to refer to one of the -chapters on vi or -emacs at this point.) Near the top, you'll -see the relevant entries. - - - -# These are the default runlevels in Slackware: -# 0 = halt -# 1 = single user mode -# 2 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3) -# 3 = multiuser mode (default Slackware runlevel) -# 4 = X11 with KDM/GDM/XDM (session managers) -# 5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3) -# 6 = reboot - -# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6) -id:3:initdefault: - - - -In this file (along with most configuration files) anything following a -hash symbol # is a comment and not interpreted by init(8). Don't worry -if you don't understand everything about inittab, as many veteran users -don't either. The only line we are interested in is the last on above. -Simply change the 3 to a 4 and reboot. - - - -# These are the default runlevels in Slackware: -# 0 = halt -# 1 = single user mode -# 2 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3) -# 3 = multiuser mode (default Slackware runlevel) -# 4 = X11 with KDM/GDM/XDM (session managers) -# 5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3) -# 6 = reboot - -# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6) -id:4:initdefault: - -
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