Possible new Sticky

[LeadFingers]

Most users new to Linux get fouled up in installing video drivers and reconfiguring xorg.
It seems that often someone (usually the mods) is posting how to reconfigure xorg.
The How To section covers driver installation, so a simple redirect takes care of that.
As much as I don't want a large sticky section, I think adding an in depth "reconfiguring xorg "
sticky would be a good thing and a time saver.
If not a sticky, perhaps a how to.

[drama]

GREAT IDEA. exactly what did you have in mind? im thinking of a combo of 2 things.

a) say for a min user installs drivers for there card but it either gives them poor performance,they arent happy w/ it or jus simply black screens. so user has to run sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg (from a shell) to get back to a "default" xorg configuration but he has no clue what settings to use as some can be slightly confusing to ppl who have never used it.

b) same as above however the drivers could be "made" to work perfectly fine w/ some slight modifications to xorg.conf. but since he is a new user he has no clue what "tricks" he has to imploy here.

like i said im thinking of a howto that imploys a combo of these two things. im willing to write the howto but i of course would need some input from other users as to some tricks/tips for non ati cards (nvidia/intel) as im very knowledgeable as far as ati goes (pre much everyone round here knows this) but i know next to nothing about other manufactures.

id like to here what everyone elses opinions are on this subject though.

[phaedra]

Yeah... But you need to and a '-phigh' to the reconfigure line....

I always seem to have trouble with the nvidia drivers. They install fine but aren't configured well and I seem to have to constantly edit the config file... Also, the nvidia configuration utility still doesn't do that good a job for me even though I've dl'd the source from nvidia and built it myself...

I guess one of the mods should go ahead and write up a detailed How-To...

phaedra

[drama]

Yeah... But you need to and a '-phigh' to the reconfigure line....

what exactly does that do? sorry if its something i should know. truth is ive never used it. i just always use dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg (no additional switches)

[DaddyX3]

Yeah... But you need to and a '-phigh' to the reconfigure line....

I always seem to have trouble with the nvidia drivers. They install fine but aren't configured well and I seem to have to constantly edit the config file... Also, the nvidia configuration utility still doesn't do that good a job for me even though I've dl'd the source from nvidia and built it myself...

I guess one of the mods should go ahead and write up a detailed How-To...

phaedra

Why? I've never done it and it allways works out fine for me. dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg has always worked fine, why the -phigh ? What does this do?

Drama- I'm down to help out on the How-To as well. Let me know if you have a draft up and made. Just do it in the How-To section, it will not be seen by anyone till one of us passes it through anyway I've explained to people many many times the process and thought about doing a how-to, then for a while I didn't get another post about it! So I didn't bother.

[phaedra]

Yeah... But you need to and a '-phigh' to the reconfigure line....

what exactly does that do? sorry if its something i should know. truth is ive never used it. i just always use dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg (no additional switches)

It specifies the priority of questions to be displayed, it usually only does low priority no matter what the default is, so this is supposed to give an automatic reconfig. You could use -phigh or --priority=high.

phaedra

[LeadFingers]

Phaedra wrote
Yeah... But you need to and a '-phigh' to the reconfigure line....

Yaah... about that.
It doesn't always work!
I've had it go both ways, where it automatically reconfigures xorg.conf with the best settings,
and where it just just laughs at me an does nothing.
Works great after a fresh install before drivers.
after a bad driver install, nada.

Drama wrote
a) say for a min user installs drivers...
b) same as above however the drivers could be...

I like both, however... I am a firm believer in KISS.
So sounds like 2 different how-to's, or a sticky and a how to.
Lets keep the noobs with the GUI,
and save the manual editing & tricking out for the user who's reconfigured xorg a few times before.

Something like
How-to/sticky a) reconfiguring xorg (so you can get back to your desktop)

How to b) Editing xorg.conf to dial in your drivers

Maybe a 2 pronged approach on b) Ati section & nvidia section
probably a compilation with several people putting in their tricks over the course of a week or 2, and the mods putting it together into a presentable form

Just my 2 pesos

[phaedra]

Well, all I know is that -phigh is what is recommended and is also written into the xorg.conf file in the commented preamble. But I guess it must be irrelevant...

phaedra

[LeadFingers]

Well, all I know is that -phigh is what is recommended

When it works, it is a slick thing and a real time saver.
I think you are right.
(1st pass) dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
if no joy or a lower res is needed, try without -phigh

[drama]

[

Drama- I'm down to help out on the How-To as well. Let me know if you have a draft up and made. Just do it in the How-To section, it will not be seen by anyone till one of us passes it through anyway I've explained to people many many times the process and thought about doing a how-to, then for a while I didn't get another post about it! So I didn't bother.

i almost have my rough draft done as far as dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg goes. just have a few things to add yet that i think are pertinate. its on my main comp at home. ill finish that this afternoon after work and get the ball rolling. i agree w/ leadfingers though. possibly have all the mods/admins put in there input over the course of a week or so. like i said im lost which anything besides ati so i will need all you guys input on nvidia for sure. intel is another thing i dont know much about them but i imagine it cant be too involved. after we have this tread down then we can discuss the xorg.conf customizing and if it should be seperate as leadfingers stated or incorporated. of course all users not only admin/mod feedback would always be welcome after the thread is live. cheers

-drama