Auto Install for Mandrake Linux
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X

The following are a collection of observations, rather than a definitive reference guide, to installing and customizing the X environment for your equipment.

No X

For those of you who are not installing or do not want X, make sure that the 'X' => {...}, is not present in the auto_inst.cfg file. Also, make sure that you do not install any packages which have XFree86* as a dependancy. Or you can use 'X' => { 'disabled' => 1 }, and not worry about which packages are installed.

Please note, that even though you may have installed the XFree86* packages, window manager packages, and / or X based applications, X will not be configured correctly. So don't forget and type startx at the command prompt!

Perhaps a better solution is to install X, then use the 'postInstall' option to change the default run level from 5 to 3 as follows:

'postInstall' => "

# change run level from 5 to 3

cat /etc/inittab | sed 's/^id:5:init/id:3:init/' > /etc/inittab1

mv -f /etc/inittab1 /etc/inittab

"

Default X

If you are installing on a relatively new computer using a newer and supported graphics card, then the install program will probably be able to identify what it needs with only a couple hints as follows:

'X' => {


'resolution_wanted' => '1024x768',

'default_depth' => '32'

},

'resolution_wanted' - this may be one of: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1920x1440, or 2048x1536; its very dependent on the type video card that you have installed and the monitor that is used.

'default_depth' - this may be one of: 8, 15, 16, 24 or 32; its very dependent on the type video card that you have installed.



Manual X

Manual configuration of your Card and Monitor values will require that you reference the files: Mandrake/mdkinst/usr/share/ldetect-1st/Cards+.gz and MonitorsDB.gz for some information. And possibly the manufactures documentation too.

If the 'ddcxinfos' command does not work with your video card, or it returns incorrect values, then you can preset or over-ride the basic values as a first step, as follows:

'X' => {


'resolution_wanted' => '1024x768',

'default_depth' => '32',


'card' => {

'type' => 'ATI Mach64'

},

'monitor' => {

'EISA_ID' => 'aocd556'

}

},

The value for 'type' is extracted from the Cards+ file from the NAME field in the section appropriate to your card. The 'EISA_ID' value is obtained from the MonitorsDB file, <EISA ID> field and all letters must be LOWERCASE .

Anything beyond this and you should really use the Replay Install and add the selection 'ConfigureX'.

Multi-Head X

For this one you really want to use the Replay Install and add the selection 'ConfigureX'.

Related Option Entries:

mouse, wacom










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