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From: joe@morton.rain.com (Joe Moss)
Subject: XFree86 Frequently Asked Questions
Message-ID: <x-faq/xfree86-1-829330839@morton.rain.com>
Followup-To: poster
Summary: Answers to common questions regarding the configuration and
use of the X servers from the XFree86 Project, Inc.
Keywords: FAQ XFree86
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Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 17:40:45 GMT
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XFREE86 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
----------------------------------
This document is intended to provide answers to the questions most often
received by the XFree86[tm] Project's support team (which can be reached
at XFree86@XFree86.org). It is also a source of information more recent
than the documentation included with the latest release.
Generally, if the information is already available elsewhere, this
document will supply a pointer to the information rather than duplicate
it. If you don't have access to the World Wide Web, see the section
below entitled "Access via Email".
The XFree86 Project is making the information in this document available
free of charge in the hope that it will be of use. However, the authors
specifically disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or
consequential damages arising out of its use.
This document is intended to be a source of up-to-date info regarding
XFree86, and as such, may change frequently. Make sure you consult a
recent copy, before relying on any information contained herein.
Additionally, this FAQ generally assumes that you are using the latest
release and, unless otherwise specified, the information contained
herein is likely to not be applicable to other releases. Information
applicable to beta releases is specifically marked as such. If you are
having problems and are not running the latest release, then upgrading
is often the answer to your problems. Really.
The latest version of this document is always available from the XFree86
Web site (http://www.XFree86.org/) or one of its mirrors:
* http://XFree86.pacificrim.net/XFree86/
* http://x.physics.usyd.edu.au/
* http://www.uni-paderborn.de/mirrors/xfree86/
* http://www.xtreme.it/xfree86/
* http://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/XFree86/
* http://www.redhat.com/xfree86/
WARNING! *If you are using Xdm to start your X session, see X
Authentication Vulnerability below*.
Last modified: Thu Apr 11 11:59:42 PDT 1996
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEX OF QUESTIONS:
SECTION A - GENERAL INFORMATION
* Q.A1- What is XFree86?
* Q.A2- What is the current release of XFree86?
* Q.A3- What is the current release of SuperProbe?
* Q.A4- Where do I get the latest releases?
* Q.A5- What files do I need to upgrade to the latest release?
* Q.A6- Where do I find the latest documentation?
* Q.A7- When is the next release?
* Q.A8- Which card do you recommend that I buy?
* Q.A9- Problems Discovered Since Release
* Q.A10- X Authentication Vulnerability
* Q.A11- Is XFree86 being ported to OS/2?
* Q.A12- How about a MS-DOS or MS-Windows port?
* Q.A13- Can I use more than one video card in the same machine with
XFree86?
* Q.A14- How do I report a bug in XFree86?
* Q.A15- About this FAQ
* Q.A16- Access via Email
* Q.A17- Related Information
SECTION B - CONFIGURATION QUESTIONS
* Q.B1- Do you have the config file for ...?
* Q.B2- I got an XF86Config file from ..., but things still don't
work.
* Q.B3- How do I configure the server?
* Q.B4- What about "vgaset"?
* Q.B5- How do I use my Diamond Stealth64 2001 series card?
* Q.B6- How do I use my Diamond Stealth64 3400/3240 card?
* Q.B7- How do I use my ATI Graphics Xpression card?
* Q.B8- "xf86config" doesn't know about my card. Is there a more
up-to-date version?
* Q.B9- Why does the server reject my mode lines?
SECTION C - KEYBOARD & MOUSE PROBLEMS
* Q.C1- The mouse cursor doesn't display in the right position
* Q.C2- Why don't menus work properly?
* Q.C3- How come, in Tk-based applications, the buttons highlight, but
can't be depressed?
* Q.C4- I've installed the latest beta and now some of my keys no
longer work. Why?
* Q.C5- I've installed the latest beta and now some applications die
as soon as I hit a key. What's wrong?
* Q.C6- The mouse is moving erratically. What's wrong?
SECTION D - DISPLAY PROBLEMS
* Q.D1- Part of the Displayed Image is Wrapping-around or is
Duplicated on the Other Side of the Screen
* Q.D2- "Ghosting" or Otherwise Mis-drawn Window Borders, etc. on a
Mach64 Card
* Q.D3- Text displays incorrectly on my Trio32 based card
* Q.D4- Text displays in the wrong position on my Hercules card
SECTION E - MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS
* Q.E1- X keeps growing - never freeing memory. Is there a bug in the
server?
* Q.E2- How do I get the server to scale vector fonts, but not bitmap
fonts?
* Q.E3- What can I do to keep the server from hanging while scaling
fonts?
* Q.E4- The system locks up when I start the S3 server. What can I do?
* Q.E5- I get a "broken pipe" error while unpacking the ".tar.gz"
files. Is something wrong with them?
* Q.E6- Why does the server quit with the error "xf86OpenConsole:
cannot open /dev/console" on Linux?
SECTION F - CHIPSET SUPPORT
* Q.F1- My card is currently not supported - what can I do?
* Q.F2- How do I find out the current status of a driver?
* Q.F3- Unsupported Clock Chips
* Q.F4- Do you have an alpha or beta server for my ... card?
* Q.F5- Trident TGUI9440/9660/9680
* Q.F6- Matrox chips
* Q.F7- #9 Imagine I-128 chip
* Q.F8- Cirrus CL-GD7543
* Q.F9- Chips & Technologies 65545/65546/65548
* Q.F10- Weitek Power 9100
* Q.F11- SIS chips
* Q.F12- SGS Thomson STG 2000
* Q.F13- Nvidia NV1
* Q.F14- Alliance ProMotion chip
* Q.F15- Sierra Falcon chip
* Q.F16- Mach64 "CT" and "ET" chips
* Q.F17- Mach64 "GT" and "VT" chips
* Q.F18- ISA-bus Mach64 cards
* Q.F19- S3 911 and 924 Cards with 512KB RAM
* Q.F20- AT&T 20C408 and 20C409 RAMDACs
* Q.F21- ICS GENDACs
* Q.F22- IBM RGB526
* Q.F23- ICS 5342 Clock Chip
* Q.F24- IC Designs 2061A Clock Chip
SECTION G - BETA RELEASES
* Q.G1- How do I upgrade to the latest beta release?
* Q.G2- Is there updated documentation for the beta release?
* Q.G3- Reporting problems and successes with the beta releases
* Q.G4- Known problems in the current beta release
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL INFORMATION
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A1- What is XFree86?
XFree86 is a trademark of The XFree86 Project, Inc., a non-profit
organization that provides X Window System servers (as well as some
supporting materials) for several operating systems on PCs. The X
servers, client programs, documentation, etc. supplied by the XFree86
Project, Inc., are collectively, also known as XFree86. All programs are
provided with source code, free of charge.
The XFree86 Project, Inc. is currently funded entirely by donations. If
you're interested in making a monetary or equipment donation, see
http://www.XFree86.org/donations.html or send Email to BOD@XFree86.org.
A list of current sponsors is available at
http://www.XFree86.org/sponsors.html
For more information regarding The XFree86 Project, Inc., see
http://www.XFree86.org/corp_profile.html
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A2- What is the current release of XFree86?
The latest _full_ release is XFree86 version 3.1.2. It is based on X11R6
and was released at the beginning of August 1995. Version 3.1.2D, a
_beta_ release, was released at the end of February 1996, in *binary
form only*.
Since the full release, the following updates have been made available:
* An updated version of the "xf86config" program
* An updated Cards database
* Fixes for some weaknesses in the security of Xdm - see X
Authentication Vulnerability.
These updates are included in the beta releases.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A3- What is the current release of SuperProbe?
The newest available version of SuperProbe is 2.8. It is included with
the latest beta release. The 2.5 version of SuperProbe is included with
the 3.1.2 release of XFree86.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A4- Where do I get the latest releases?
The primary site for both SuperProbe and the XFree86 servers and clients
is ftp.XFree86.org.
A list of mirror sites is available at:
http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2/ftp.html
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A5- What files do I need to upgrade to the latest release?
Please read the README file in the directory corresponding to your OS on
the XFree86 ftp site or one of its mirrors (see the previous question).
It contains a list of the filenames along with their contents. It also
lists which files are required and which are optional.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A6- Where do I find the latest documentation?
The latest documentation can be found on http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2/.
Many of the XFree86 specific man pages also available at
http://www.XFree86.org/man/. It is also available, in ASCII form, from
ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/3.1.2/doc/.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A7- When is the next release?
No release date has been set at this time for the next full release nor
the next beta release. As soon as this information is known, this FAQ
will be updated.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A8- Which card do you recommend that I buy?
We don't recommend any particular board or manufacturer (although it
would be good to support our sponsors, see
http://www.XFree86.org/sponsors.html). In general, the S3 based boards
have been the best supported, followed by the ATI based cards, however
that is no guarantee that any specific board will work. It is probably
best to look through the various "README" files at
http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2/ to see which boards are currently
supported and pick one of them.
It is also a good idea to buy from some place that has a liberal return
policy or will let you try before you buy. Especially since some
manufacturers will sometimes change what RAMDAC or other chips are used
on a board _without changing the name of the board_.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A9- Problems Discovered Since Release
Here are a few problems/bugs/gotchas etc. discovered in the 3.1.2
release:
1 The "xf86config" program can generate an invalid XF86Config file if
you have an S3 based card with an IBM 5xx RAMDAC. You can get an
updated binary of the program by downloading the file named either
"xf86config.tgz" or "xf86conf.tgz", depending on your OS, from
ftp.XFree86.org or one of its mirrors.
2 The S3 Xserver recognizes the keywords "Invert_VCLK", "Early_SC",
and "Blank_Delay" in the _Display_ subsection of the _Screen_
section of the "XF86Config" file. The XF86Config(4/5) man page and
the "xvidtune" program use the keywords "InvertVCLK", "EarlySC", and
"BlankDelay" (i.e. without the underscores).
Future versions of the server will ignore underscores and,
therefore, will accept both forms.
3 "xvidtune" may crash or cause the X server to crash if the "Vendor"
or "Model" entries are not included in the "Monitor" sections of the
"XF86Config" file. The workaround is to include such entries, even
if the Vendor/Model strings are empty ("").
4 Weaknesses have been discovered in the security of Xdm. See X
Authentication Vulnerability.
5 There appear to be some DRAM timing problems for some S3 cards
(mostly Trio64) that results in poor performance compared with
XFree86 3.1.1. The workaround for this is to add a line specifying
an "S3MClk" value higher than that reported by the server at
startup. Use as high a value as you can without causing visible
noise on the screen when scrolling a window. Some people have
reported good results with a value of "170" for Trio64 cards.
6 There are problems with text drawing with the Hercules mono driver
in the "XF86_Mono" and "XF86_VGA16" servers. The only workaround at
this stage is to use version 3.1.1.
7 The ET4000/W32 server has problems with many cards. Some cards don't
work at all (especially those with ICS GENDACs or ICD 2061A clock
chips). Starting the VGA16 server first may help with some cards. In
some cases, XFree86 3.1.1 may work better.
The server does not support pixel-multiplexing modes of the RAMDACs
(i.e. it can't use high resolutions/clock rates). The screen saver
blanks to white, not black. There also appears to be a "slow-death"
problem in the server.
8 The server can hang temporarily while fonts are being scaled. See
question E3 for more info and a work-around.
9 Fonts are displayed incorrectly on some Trio32 based cards. For more
info, see question D3
Items one to four have been fixed in 3.1.2A (and later). Additionally,
it incorporates fixes for some of the problems in the W32 server. 3.1.2B
and later have more W32 server fixes and work around the Trio32 font
problem. See Section G regarding beta releases below.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A10- X Authentication Vulnerability
Some weaknesses have been found (and exploited!) in the authorization
schemes used by Xdm. The X consortium has released fix-13 for X11R6 to
correct the problem.
The XFree86 Project, Inc. has released a patch to its source code as
well as binaries for many platforms that incorporate the patch. For more
complete information see
ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/3.1.2/README.SECURITY.
This fix is also included in the latest beta release.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A11- Is XFree86 being ported to OS/2?
Yes, there has been some work done on porting the servers, libraries,
and some of the clients to OS/2. This port runs in parallel to the
Presentation Manager desktop, similarly to a WinOS/2 fullscreen session
(there is no equivalent to a seamless WinOS/2 configuration). See
http://borneo.gmd.de/~veit/os2/xf86os2.html for more information.
OS/2 binaries of release 3.1.2D should be available soon. There will
also be a specific FAQ for XFree86/OS2.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A12- How about a MS-DOS or MS-Windows port?
No work is being done to create a free port of XFree86 to any version of
DOS or Windows. If you need to run X on such a platform you'll need to
use one of the available commercial servers.
One of the commercial products, Xtreme, is from an XFree86 sponsor and
is a port of XFree86. They also have a freely available demo version.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A13- Can I use more than one video card in the same machine with
XFree86?
Although it is technically possible to use multiple PCI-based SVGA cards
in the same machine, none of the servers currently support this.
The VGA16 and Mono servers are both capable of running both a VGA
compatible card and a non-VGA compatible monochrome card in the same
machine.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A14- How do I report a bug in XFree86?
Use the bug report form on our WWW server (http://www.XFree86.org/), or
send email to XFree86@XFree86.org. Before sending a bug report, make
sure you are using the current release of XFree86. In the bug report,
include details of the XFree86 version, server, description of the
problem, and some way of repeating it.
For problems in a beta release, see item G3 for information on reporting
problems.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A15- About this FAQ
In addition to being available from the XFree86 web site (as
http://www.XFree86.org/FAQ/), this FAQ will be posted at least monthly
to comp.windows.x.i386unix, comp.os.linux.x, comp.answers, and
news.answers.
It is also available from the XFree86 FTP site (and mirrors) as
ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/WWW/htdocs/FAQ/index.html - HTML
version and ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/WWW/htdocs/FAQ/faq.txt -
ASCII text version.
This document is maintained by Joe Moss (joe@morton.rain.com) with
contributions from other members of the XFree86 support and beta teams.
Particular thanks go to David Dawes for his contributions.
If you have questions or comments regarding XFree86 do _not_ send them
directly to me. They should be Emailed to XFree86@XFree86.org (which
will cause a copy to be sent to me, as well as the rest of the XFree86
support team). If you have comments regarding this document itself, then
you may send them to me. In particular, if you find incorrect or
non-functional URLs or any typos herein, please let me know.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A16- Access via Email
If you only have Email access to the net, you should get a copy of the
"Accessing the Internet by E-Mail FAQ".
If you're in North America, send a message to
listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu containing only the line:
GET INTERNET BY-EMAIL NETTRAIN F=MAIL
in the body of the message.
Elsewhere in the world, send mail to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk with only
this line in the message body:
send lis-iis e-access-inet.txt
This document explains how to retrieve stuff from the WWW, Usenet News,
etc. via Email. It also explains how to use ftpmail, which you can use
to get the latest version of XFree86.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A17- Related Information
Many of our sponsors supply hardware, software, and services which may
be of interest to users of XFree86 servers. The list of our sponsors
(http:/www.XFree86.org/sponsors.html), points to the web sites of many
of them.
Here are some pointers to other documentation, regarding subjects
related to XFree86, that might be useful to readers of this document.
These are not published by the XFree86 Project, Inc. and are included
here only for reference. Questions or comments regarding any of these
items should be directed to their respective authors.
* The X Consortium Home Page (http://www.x.org/)
* Benchmark Results for Various Video Cards
(http://www.goof.com/xbench/)
* X11 Applications FAQ
(http://www.ee.ryerson.ca:8080/~elf/xapps/faq.html)
* Other X Window System FAQs
(http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/x-faq/top.html)
* [Linux] XFree86 HOWTO
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/XFree86-HOWTO.html)
* Connecting X-Terminals to Linux Systems
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/mini/Xterminal)
* Mini-HOWTO About Running XFree86 on Notebooks [mostly WD specific]
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/mini/X-Notebook)
* How to Setup/Use Low-Bandwidth X [Note that LBX is no longer
available in XFree86 3.1.2D]
(ftp://ftp.wellfleet.com/netman/psmith/faqs/LBX-HOWTO)
* Setting up X Authentication [Tk specific, but the concepts are
generally applicable] (http://cr-toolkit.crd.ge.com/tkxauth/)
* Freeware Central [Info Regarding Freeware]
(http://www.ptf.com/free/)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONFIGURATION QUESTIONS
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B1- Do you have the config file for ...?
There is a no such thing as *THE* config file for a particular card or
monitor. The "XF86Config" file you should use is dependent on your card,
monitor, operating system, mouse, keyboard, individual preferences,
network setup, available fonts, etc.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B2- I got an XF86Config file from ..., but things still don't
work.
It is *not* a good idea to exchange XF86Config files. While it may be
safe to use certain parts of another's config file, in general, you are
better off generating your own.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B3- How do I configure the server?
All of the configuration information we have, is included with the
release. Please use the "xf86config" utility to generate an XF86Config
file for your setup. Once you've got a server running, the "xvidtune"
program can then be used to make adjustments to the video setup. This is
explained in the QuickStart Guide which is included with 3.1.2B and
later releases and available at
http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2/QuickStart.html
For further information, you could also read the XFree86 configuration
guide (available from http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2/Config.html), and the
manual pages XF86Config(4/5) and xvidtune(1).
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B4- What about "vgaset"?
Simple. Don't use it!
The "xvidtune" program, that is part of the 3.1.2 release, has more
capabilities and works properly with the server extension
("XFree86-VidModeExtension") included in the 3.1.2 servers.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B5- How do I use my Diamond Stealth64 2001 series card?
There are two versions of the "2001" series Stealth64 cards. One is
called the "Stealth64 _Video_ 2##1". They use the S3 Trio64V+ chipset
and are supported by the S3 server.
The other, known as the "Stealth64 _Graphics_ 2##1", use the ARK 2000PV
chipset. There is unaccelerated support for this chipset in the SVGA
server. However, the programmable clock chip used on these cards is not
currently supported by the SVGA server. Therefore, not all modes the
card is capable of, can be used. See item F23 - ICS 5342 Clock Chip for
more info on this chip.
For the latest information about Diamond cards, take a look at
http://www.diamondmm.com/. See also question B8 regarding the "Cards"
database.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B6- How do I use my Diamond Stealth64 3400/3240 card?
These cards use the IBM RGB526 RAMDAC (unlike the former Stealth64 Video
VRAM cards, which used the TI3026). See item F22 - IBM RGB526 for
configuration info.
For the latest information about Diamond cards, take a look at
http://www.diamondmm.com/.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B7- How do I use my ATI Graphics Xpression card?
That depends on which variation of the Xpression card you have. ATI has
used different RAMDACs on different revisions of this card.
If you have an earlier revision (such as those with the STG1702,
STG1703, and CH8393 RAMDACs), it should work without problems with the
current release (3.1.2).
If you have one with the AT&T 20C408 RAMDAC, see item F20 as well as
section G.
If you have one of the new "CT" versions, see item F16.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B8- "xf86config" doesn't know about my card. Is there a more
up-to-date version?
There is an up-to-date version of the "Cards" database that "xf86config"
uses on ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/3.1.2/doc/Cards. This should
be installed in "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/Cards". If it doesn't list your card
model, see if one of the generic entries matches. If not, contact us
about it.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B9- Why does the server reject my mode lines?
This usually is due to incorrect parameters in Monitor section of the
XF86Config file.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KEYBOARD & MOUSE PROBLEMS
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C1- The mouse cursor doesn't display in the right position
If the the cursor appears to be horizontally offset by several pixels,
it is probably due to the same problems that cause the display to be
wrapped around. See item D1 below.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C2- Why don't menus work properly?
If you are experiencing problems with menus not allowing you to select
items, try turning NumLock off.
In X11R6, the NumLock key is a modifier. Many clients (X programs)
haven't yet been updated to the R6 way of doing things. They need to
ignore modifiers when looking for button click/release events.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C3- How come, in Tk-based applications, the buttons highlight,
but can't be depressed?
See the answer to the previous question. You can also upgrade to Tk 4.x
which ignores modifiers by default.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C4- I've installed the latest beta and now some of my keys no
longer work. Why?
The 3.1.2D release is based on X11R6.1 which includes the XKB extension
and has it enabled by default. This may cause the mappings of some keys
on some keyboards to be different than they were in previous releases.
See the documentation on XKB for information on setting the key mappings
to your liking.
Alternatively, you can disable the XKB extensions by starting the server
with the "-kb" option or by adding the keyword "XkbDisable" to your
XF86Config file.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C5- I've installed the latest beta and now some applications die
as soon as I hit a key. What's wrong?
This problem is usually accompanied by an error message saying that the
symbol "XkbLookupKeySym" was unresolved/not found. It happens when
client programs still use the 6.0 versions of the libraries that now
have 6.1 versions.
A script, "preinst.sh", is now available to help prevent this from
happening. It should be run prior to installing 3.1.2D.
If you didn't run the script, something like this should work to resolve
it:
cd /usr/X11R6/lib
mv libX11.so.6.0 libX11.so.6.0.sav
mv libXaw.so.6.0 libXaw.so.6.0.sav
mv libXext.so.6.0 libXext.so.6.0.sav
mv libXtst.so.6.0 libXtst.so.6.0.sav
ln -s libX11.so.6.1 libX11.so.6.0
ln -s libXaw.so.6.1 libXaw.so.6.0
ln -s libXext.so.6.1 libXext.so.6.0
ln -s libXtst.so.6.1 libXtst.so.6.0
The exact commands may vary depending on your OS, but the principal is
the same: make sure the 6.1 versions of those four libraries get used.
On Linux, FreeBSD, and NetBSD, you need to either reboot or run
"ldconfig".
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C6- The mouse is moving erratically. What's wrong?
Most likely, you've specified the wrong protocol for the mouse. Note
that newer Logitech mice do not use the "Logitech" protocol, but instead
use "Microsoft" (or "MouseMan") protocol.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISPLAY PROBLEMS
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D1- Part of the Displayed Image is Wrapping-around or is
Duplicated on the Other Side of the Screen
For #9 Motion 771, Hercules Terminator 64 Pro, and perhaps other S3 968
cards with IBM RAMDACs: Add the line
Invert_VCLK "*" 0
to the Display subsections of your "XF86Config".
The default setting for this parameter has been changed so that this
should not be necessary any more in 3.1.2A and later releases.
For Diamond Stealth Video VRAM: if the server is not recognizing your
card as a Diamond card, add this line to your "XF86Config":
Option "Diamond"
Note: the 3.1.2D release should be better about detecting Diamond cards
than previous versions, eliminating the need for this option.
If the above does not work or you don't have one of the listed cards,
try running the xvidtune program and adjusting various settings. In
particular, if you have a recent S3 based card, adjust the extra
S3-specific settings at the bottom.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D2- "Ghosting" or Otherwise Mis-drawn Window Borders, etc. on a
Mach64 Card
Try upgrading to version 3.1.2 and/or adding to your "XF86Config" file:
Option "no_block_write"
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D3- Text displays incorrectly on my Trio32 based card
Corruption of the font cache occurs on some Trio32 based cards. This is
caused by a bug in some revisions of the chip. The problem can be
avoided by disabling the font cache. This can be done by using a virtual
screen size large enough to use nearly all the memory on the card.
A workaround for this bug is included in 3.1.2D.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D4- Text displays in the wrong position on my Hercules card
This bug occurs in release 3.1.2 and later. Unfortunately, no one is
currently working on the Hercules driver, so the only workaround is to
use 3.1.1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E1- X keeps growing - never freeing memory. Is there a bug in
the server?
This is not a server bug. The server is calling "free()" as it should.
Most implementations of "free()", however, merely mark the region of
memory as unused and do not actually return the memory to the OS. The
memory should be reused later when the server tries to "malloc()"
something (depending on the size of the request, the amount of memory
fragmentation, and the algorithm used in the "malloc()" library).
If you want the server to return the memory to the OS (and thus reduce
the size of the server), the best option is to build from source using
the internal Xalloc feature in the 3.1.2 (by defining
"UseInternalMalloc" to "YES" in the "xf86site.def" file and recompiling
the server).
Linking with a smarter "malloc()/free()" implementation can also help
(you should be able to do this with just the LinkKit). A list of some
available "malloc()" libraries, can be found at:
http://www.cs.colorado.edu/homes/zorn/public_html/Malloc.html. You may
also wish to link your client programs with one of these malloc versions
so they'll also use less memory.
The internal Xalloc routines are compiled into the beta release
binaries.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E2- How do I get the server to scale vector fonts, but not
bitmap fonts?
In standard X11R6, in addition to the fonts in "scalable" formats (i.e.
Type1, Speedo), bitmaps fonts are scaled. This can have the undesirable
effect of scaling a bitmap font, even though a Type1 font is available
(if the bitmap font is listed first in the path).
Starting with version 3.1.2A of XFree86, by adding the text ":unscaled"
to the end of any directory in the font path, you can turn off scaling
of the bitmap fonts in that directory. This works in both the XF86Config
file and the font server's config file.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E3- What can I do to keep the server from hanging while scaling
fonts?
While scaling fonts, the server can hang temporarily. If you are
requesting a particularly large font, the period during which the server
is unresponsive, can be quite noticeable.
This problem can be avoided by running the font server (xfs) and
indicating in your XF86Config file that the X server should request
fonts from the font server.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E4- The system locks up when I start the S3 server. What can I
do?
This is most often caused by problems with directly accessing the linear
frame-buffer (this often happens with IBM ValuePoint systems, in
particular). Try adding "Option "nolinear"" to the Device section of
your XF86Config. If it still occurs, try "Option "nomemaccess"".
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E5- I get a "broken pipe" error while unpacking the ".tar.gz"
files. Is something wrong with them?
No, this message is only a warning and can safely be ignored - assuming
it is the only error message.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E6- Why does the server quit with the error "xf86OpenConsole:
cannot open /dev/console" on Linux?
There is a problem with the /dev/console device file. As root, you can
run these commands to fix it:
cd /dev; ./MAKEDEV console
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHIPSET SUPPORT
The chipsets supported by XFree86 3.1.2 are listed in the README file.
The list is available via the WWW at:
http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2/README-4.html
This section contains some notes regarding various chips for which
support is not included in the current servers and other chipset/card
specific notes.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F1- My card is currently not supported - what can I do?
If you have a card which is not currently supported, you have these
options:
* Wait until it is supported. See the chipset specific items below to
get some indication, if support is forthcoming.
* Buy a commercial X server. The X on Intel-based Unix Frequently
Asked Questions document, which is posted regularly to
comp.windows.x.i386unix, contains a list of vendors of X servers.
* Try using the Mono or VGA16 servers. They should work with any VGA
compatible card (within limits - if you have a programmable clock
chip on the card, your available modes may be severely limited).
They just won't take full advantage of the card's capabilities.
* Trade your card in for one that is supported.
* Write a driver yourself or find someone you know who is willing and
able to do it. If you choose this option, you should probably
contact us about joining the beta team (and thus get access to the
latest source code) and about getting any code you write integrated
into the next release.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F2- How do I find out the current status of a driver?
Check this FAQ periodically. When there is a change in the status of a
driver that is under development, this FAQ will be updated to reflect
the change.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F3- Unsupported Clock Chips
If you are using a card that uses a programmable clock chip which is not
supported by the server, you may be able to get a separate program to
program the chip for useful clock frequencies.
Sometimes, others make clock programming programs available on the net
that can be called by the server. Also, you may be able to use a video
card's driver made for MS-Windows or OS/2 to program the clocks and then
warm boot the machine and run XFree86.
You should probably use a monitor that is smart enough to reject
frequencies that are beyond its specs, if you plan to try something like
this.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F4- Do you have an alpha or beta server for my ... card?
The latest beta release is available in binary form only. See Section G
for more info. The XFree86 Project does *NOT* make any alpha releases or
source code versions of the beta releases available to anyone except
members of the beta test team. If you have access to some currently
unsupported hardware, are willing to actively participate in testing and
perhaps debugging a server, and would like to join the beta team, then
send an email message to XFree86@XFree86.org listing your available
hardware and software, as well as any relevant skills you may have.
Often, when there is code being developed for a previously unsupported
chipset, a "Call for Beta Testers" will be issued (via a posting to
relevant Usenet groups).
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F5- Trident TGUI9440/9660/9680
These chips do not work with 3.1.2, but the beta releases include
support for these chipsets. See the 3.1.2D Trident README file at
ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/3.1.2D/doc/README.trident for more
information.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F6- Matrox chips
Matrox produces both chips and cards. A Non-Disclosure Agreement is
required in order to get programming information for their chips. This
makes it impossible for cards based on their chips to be supported by a
product that supplies source code (i.e. XFree86). In other words, _they
are not now supported and will not be supported, for the foreseeable
future_.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F7- #9 Imagine I-128 chip
Preliminary support for this chipset is in the current beta release. The
next beta release will have an updated version of xf86config to help in
configuration.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F8- Cirrus CL-GD7543
There is no support for this specific chipset in the SVGA server, but
we've received a report that it is compatible with the, supported,
CL-GD6235 (at least at 640x480). Add this line to the "Device" section
of the "XF86Config" file:
chipset "clgd6235"
Support for this chipset is in the current beta release.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F9- Chips & Technologies 65545/65546/65548
The current release has support for the 65545. However it doesn't
include support for the programmable clock it uses, and this limits its
usefulness when driving an external monitor. The 65546/65548 should be
mostly compatible with the 65545, and the driver can be forced to
recognise them by using the line:
chipset "ct65545"
to the "Device" section of the "XF86Config" file.
A group working on an improved driver for these chips has some code
available from
ftp://ftp.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/pub/X/XFree86/alpha/CT65545plus/.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F10- Weitek Power 9100
No work has been or is being done on supporting this chipset (but this
doesn't rule out the possibility of future development).
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F11- SIS chips
None of the chips from Silicon Integrated Systems are supported by the
current full release. The VGA16 and Mono servers include a driver for
the 86C201 in the latest beta release. Support in the SVGA server is
being worked on.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F12- SGS Thomson STG 2000
This chip (used on the Diamond EDGE 3D 2000 Series) is not currently
supported nor is it being worked on.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F13- Nvidia NV1
This chip (used on the Diamond EDGE 3D 3000 Series) is not currently
supported nor is it being worked on.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F14- Alliance ProMotion chip
Boards based on this chip are not supported.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F15- Sierra Falcon chip
Boards based on this chip (such as the STB Horizon 64) are not
supported.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F16- Mach64 "CT" and "ET" chips
These versions of the Mach64 chipset include an on-chip RAMDAC and clock
generator and do not work with the current (full) release. Additionally,
some cards using the "GX-F (GX rev 3)" versions may not work with the
current release.
These chips are supported in the latest beta release.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F17- Mach64 "GT" and "VT" chips
The Mach64 GT, VT, and VT2 chips are not currently supported. Support
may be in the next beta release.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F18- ISA-bus Mach64 cards
The current version of the server needs to map the video memory aperture
into the system's address space. Since this requires 4MB of address
space and since ISA bus systems can only address a maximum of 16MB, the
Mach64 server can not be used on systems with more that 12MB of RAM. See
the Mach64 README files for more information regarding the current
capabilities of the server.
Full support for ISA Mach64 cards is planned for the next release. In
the mean time, the SVGA server can be used instead.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F19- S3 911 and 924 Cards with 512KB RAM
The S3 server does not work with 911 and 924 cards that only have .5MB
of RAM on the video card. Upgrade the card to 1MB.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F20- AT&T 20C408 and 20C409 RAMDACs
These new AT&T chips have started to appear on some S3 and Mach64 cards
(for example, some ATI Graphics Xpression cards). They are combination
RAMDACs and Clockchips. The current servers were released before these
chips were. The Mach64 and S3 servers do _not_ work with these chips.
Support for the 20C408 is being added to the Mach64 server and support
for the 20C409 is being added to the S3 server. You can try out the
current version of the code by trying the latest beta release.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F21- ICS GENDACs
Support does not currently exist for these RAMDACs. Some code for
supporting the ICS 5341 RAMDAC is in the latest beta release of the W32
server.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F22- IBM RGB526
This RAMDAC is not currently supported. It is, however, compatible with
the RGB524 RAMDAC, which is supported by the S3 server. Add this line to
your XF86Config file:
Ramdac "ibm_rgb524"
The beta releases also accept the line `Ramdac "ibm_rgb526"', although
it is treated as a RGB524 RAMDAC.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F23- ICS 5342 Clock Chip
Support for this clock chip will be in the ARK driver in the next
release of the SVGA server. You can try out the current version of the
code in the latest beta release.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.F24- IC Designs 2061A Clock Chip
Support for the ICD2061A clock chip will be in the next beta release of
the W32 server (support for this chip is already included in the S3
server).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BETA RELEASES
Beta releases are now made available to the public as limited time
binaries. Release 3.1.2D is the lastest available beta release. It is
the first XFree86 version based on X11R6.1 and is not being distributed
as an update to 3.1.2 like previous beta releases were, but as a
complete distribution. For information on the release see the release
notes at http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2D/RELNOTES.html
This section will be expanded as more information (e.g. from the problem
reports submitted) becomes available.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.G1- How do I upgrade to the latest beta release?
That is covered in the Release Notes.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.G2- Is there updated documentation for the beta release?
Yes, in addition to the release notes, the 3.1.2D release includes
updated documentation files.
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.G3- Reporting problems and successes with the beta releases
If you try the latest beta server release (3.1.2D), please submit a
report indicating any problems you encountered (if any). A report form
can be obtained from http://www.XFree86.org/3.1.2D/BetaReport It should
be emailed to report@XFree86.org
------------------
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.G4- Known problems in the current beta release
As problems (other than those already mentioned in the release notes)
are discovered with 3.1.2D, they will be listed here.
1 There is a problem with the servers that shows up on some
FreeBSD-current releases when XKB is enabled. This is caused by a
bug in the kernel. The workaround for this is to disable XKB. The
better option is to update the kernel to a patchlevel newer than
about 13 March 1996.
2 Some of the XF86Config ServerFlag entries (such as
"DisableVidModeExtension") are not recognized. As a workaround the
command-line flags can be used.
3 There is a small bug in recoloring the cursor in some cases. Moving
the cursor between windows should correct the coloration.
Items 2 and 3 should be fixed in the next release.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of FAQ
---
set Email "joe@morton.rain.com (Joe Moss)";set URL http://psg.com/~joem/