Computing | Linux 
Configuring X-Windows - 1

The best part of Linux is its GUI. It is nearly as good as windows if not better. You even have a wide variety of choices for your GUI unlike MS - Windows. You can even configure it or compile it to suit your tastes.

Now comes the part, which proves to the world that Linux is better than Microsoft Windows in the GUI department. X-Windows is the best part of Linux. Console based Linux is still used by a large number of people. However 'X' as it is called is slowly gaining precedence. There are still quite a few things for which you require the console (or it is easier to use the console.) It is expected that after a few years Linux will be entirely GUI based. Now that you have the required commands, you can start with your first X-Window experience. Before you can do this, you have to configure X-Windows. Unfortunately, this still leaves much to be desired regarding ease of use. We have a utility called XF86Config which handles the X configuration.

To do this log in as root and type "xf86config".

The configuration routine is, as expected, entirely text based. The first thing to do is to configure your mouse. As in MS Windows, the most important component of the X-Windows is the mouse. Bring out your mouse manual and find out the name and manufacturer. If your mouse type is unknown or not present in the list, choose generic Microsoft mouse. If the mouse is of Logitech make and is three buttons, you can enable Chordmiddle. This may set the third button working. Otherwise for any other three-button mouse, enable "emulate three buttons". Now you have to specify the mouse port. Remember we had asked you to note down this information during installation. Enter the values as follows:

COM1 - /dev/ttyS0
COM2 - /dev/ttyS1

Mind the capital 'S'

(As I may have mentioned before, all devices in Linux are mounted as directories. This makes life a lot easier for the OS.)

Preferably don't use XKB and Alt bindings. It just causes a lot of problems.

Now we get out all the data we have obtained about our monitors. We require the horizontal and vertical frequency ranges. (These were obtained from Windows -Control Panel - System). Enter the required choice range when asked and press enter. Be very careful, entering a higher range than prescribed for your monitor can damage it. Then enter details such as name vendor etc if required.

The remaining part we shall see in the next article. Till then cya 

– Ashwin Acharya
May 1, 2001

A New Beginning     
Linux - Let's Be Different     
Hard Disk Partitioning    
Before you Install     
Installing Red Hat Linux 6.1 - 1   
Installing Red Hat Linux 6.1 - 2    
Installing Red Hat Linux 6.1 - 3     
Important Terms and Terminologies    
Lilo (Linux Loader)  
X-Windows   
Configuring X-Windows - 1   
Configuring X-windows - 2   

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