Re: XF 4.x config (was RE: [PLUG] how do you change resolutionsetting after the install)

[LeRoy Cressy <ldc@netaxs.com>]

Kevin Brosius wrote:
> 
> LeRoy Cressy wrote:
> >
> > There are some things that you just have to do by hand.  Most of the
> > configurators do not handle high end monitors very well.
> >
> > Using your favorite text editor hand edit your XF86Config file.
> >
> > The important items in this are:   DefaultColorDepth 32
> >
> > which automatically sets the color depth to 32 BPP instead of having the
> > system default to 8 BPP
> >
> > Or this is like runing
> >         startx -- -bpp 32
> >
> 
> A little caution here.  We've deprecated the -bpp option in 4.0x
> versions because of confusion between color depth and bits-per-pixel.
> If you use -bpp you'll get a warning or error in XFree86 4.0x.  Use
> -depth instead.  Also, must drivers don't support depth 32 (or
> DefaultColorDepth 32), because most PC graphics hardware doesn't really
> support a color depth of 32 planes (I forget the exact term here.  The
> important point is that past usage of -bpp 32 was incorrect for most
> cases because graphics cards usually store 24 bits of color information
> in a 32 bit word.  And don't support more than 24 bits of color
> information.)
> 

I have found that the X4.x version of xserver.svga does not work with
the ATI 128 rage video card I have on my system, though it is
``supported.''

Thus I'm using the RAGE 128 xserver that was found on the SuSE site. 
Now this works.  WordPerfect 8 for Linux will not run at a color depth
of 24 bpp, but insists using 32.  Also there are other apps that will
not run at 32, but are happy with 24.  And with 16 M video ram I like
the graphics of using ``True Color'' which in reality is 24 bpp and not
32.

your monitor can only produce 8 bit range for each gun in the back of
the CRT.  Also the xserver creates a pseudo 32 bit color of like rgbw >
rgb.  There is no electron gun in the back of the monitor for white.

So at the present time I am using a combination of 4.0 and the older
version.  I think that probably most people are, for as you said there
are serious bugs in 4.x at the present time.




> Very true.  I've found depth 16 a good compromise for most of my uses.
> There are generally speed differences also.  Depth 8 is usually fastest,
> depth 16 slower and depth 24 slowest.  These are the most common
> depths.  They relate to Windows driver numbers you may have seen like
> this:
> Depth    Colors
> 8        256 - SVGA, ...
> 16       16K - Hi-color, ...
> 24       32M - Truecolor
> 

But there are apps that refuse to work at 16.  Setting up the XF86Config
file is still work to get it to perform for your individual system.

Also I have found that to get the system to work the way that I want
will somehow always require me to hand edit a config file.

-- 
Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy   mailto:ldc@netaxs.com         /\_/\
                       http://www.netaxs.com/~ldc   ( o.o )
                       Phone:  215-535-4037          > ^ <

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: 
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)


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