# Use PC-BSD xorg.conf IN FreeBSD



## ligregni (Feb 16, 2009)

Hi everyone!, here is the deal.

I am a PC-BSD user / FreeBSD not_too_dedicated user, and I have PC-BSD installed on my notebook, it works ok and ...

BUT!, I have other PC, an old one, really old can I say, it has 256 MB RAM and an Intel Celeron 1.8 2.0 Ghz, I can use FreeBSD there, I have installed, all ok, I am now in a Command Line Interface, I am ok with this, but I need to know how graphics work (because maybe I try FreeBSD on my notebook to chage KDE, I wanna try something else), the problem I have is this:

I make my own *xorg.conf* file using the *xorgconfig* tool, I have NO IDEA about my monitor sets, about the Horizontal Refreshing Rate and that stuff, so I choose _default or what I think_ values in the Configuration Process. And I have this results (by the way, I checked my BIOS, there are 32 MB of shared video memory):

- If I choose 1 or 4 bit colour depth, I have the Xterm and those windows (I mean, 3 windows, one is a terminal, the other, a shorter termina, and a little clock, BUT when I wanna start the XFce4 WM, it crashes (I think the WM needs more depth).

- If I choose 8 bit colour depth, I have the Xterm, but, I can only see the lower half of the screen... And I just by casuality started the XFce4 (with startxfce4, not too hard )... and I HAVE the XFce4 WM WORKING!!!, I see a menu with options and that... but, as you can see, I have only half screen, so, there are no too many posibilities to work... .

- If I choose 16 bit or higher colour depth, I can't start X server because there is an error:

The driver does not support XX bit colour depth.

THE ANSWER here might be: com'on!!!, knwo your monitor!!!, disassembly it and read some sticks!, find on Internet the specs! (this would be probably the same answer I will give if I were in your shoes).

BUT!!!, I installes PC-BSD in the same system, and without ANY troble, I got the X11 Server and even KDE Worknig..., I have copied the PC-BSD~/etc/X11/xorg.conf to FreeBSD~/etc/X11/ and I have nothing (The error when starting X is : The driver does not support 16bit depth), I also checked both files at the same time (my FreeBSD's *xorg.conf* made by *xorgconfig* against my PC-BSD's *xorg.conf* made by the own OS, and the only difference is the colour depth (but I change that)).

[font="Arial Black"]HOW TO USE PC-BSD TO CLON THE SETTINGS TO A FREEBSD MACHINE (without knowing the monitor specs)???
[/font]
Thanks for reading, any help will be appreciated.

Sergio Ligregni


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## SirDice (Feb 16, 2009)

Set it to use 24 bit depth (has nothing to do with your monitor btw).


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## MG (Feb 16, 2009)

What graphics card does the machine have? Since it's a shared card I would guess an Intel 740 but it can be another type. For this one you need to install the package xf86-video-i740 and add: driver "i740" to the section "device"of your xorg.conf
Recommended Monitor refresh rates are also useful but not neccesary.


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## xserg86 (Feb 17, 2009)

You can use default 

```
Xorg -configure
Xorg -config xorg.conf.new
```
exit from testing config by *Ctrl+Alt+Backspace*

if you have LCD monitor (maybe with CRT it works too, i don't know), you may comment horizontal and vertical refresh rates - they would be read directly from monitor during xorg init 

you'd probably need only "Device" section from PC-BSD-xorg.conf added to new generated-FreeBSD-xorg.conf.new

```
Section "Device"
        ...
        Identifier  " "
        [b]Driver   " "[/b]
        BusID       " "
        ...
EndSection
```

you may toggle supported vieo modes by perssing *Ctrl+Alt+"+"* and *Ctrl+Alt+"-"*

also look at 
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x-config.html
and 
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x-config.html
use "links" or "lynx" browser to look at handbook in console, you may add these packages using "sysinstall"


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## xserg86 (Feb 18, 2009)

you'll probably need only "Device" (maybe only "Driver" string) section from pc-bsd xorg.conf
add it to standart-generated xorg.conf

```
Xorg -configure
Xorg -config xorg.conf.new
```

exit by Ctrl+Alt+Backspace

i've got LCD monitor, so i commented horizontal and vertical frequencies (to use DPMS), so they are read by driver directly from monitor

toggle supported video modes by "Ctrl"+"Alt"+"+" and "Ctrl"+"Alt"+"-"

also look at 
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x-config.html
and
/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x-config.html
without running X you can use console browsers such as "links" or "Lynx", you may add them using "sysinstall"

after that keep playing with "Screen" section to select default monitor mode


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