Talk:X configuration

dpkg-reconfigure

The built-in debian way to update XF86Config-4 is 'dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86'. While i can see some folks preferring to edit by hand (and of course sometimes this is necessary), i'm advocating dpkg-reconfigure (here in olympia). 2 reasons: the dpkg-reconfigure is more friendly, less error prone, can resolve most issues; and editing XF86Config-4 by hand disables the functionality of dpkg-reconfigure, so think it's best left to those who would have the knowledge to diagnose harder X problems (and be able to re-enable dpkg-reconfigure). (Ugh, it's ugly stuff, but...) At least it deserves a mention on this page. --baxrob 00:56, 25 Aug 2005 (PDT)

It overwrites what Magix wrote. -- anon.

I agree that dpkg-reconfigure should be mentioned and I will add it in later. Personal preference is the largest factor here, I think.

A couple of points:

1. The freekbox image already has an edited XF86Config-4, so dpkg-reconfigure is already hosed. I get around this by doing "apt-get remove --purge xserver-xfree86", followed by "apt-get install xserver-xfree86" which re-enables dpkg-reconfigure.
2. magix autoprobes the monitor as well as the internal hardware, and so I find that re-running magix generally solves a lot of problems as well, especially in a tech support situation.

MW 11:11, 25 Aug 2005 (PDT)

(Ugh. I wrote something here awhile back, but guess i forgot to save.) I think this is a Magix bug. Magix should re-enable editing by dpkg-reconfigure when it is done editing. My head hurts a little thinking about this at the moment, but i *think* doing 'md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 > /var/log/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum' after running Magix will re-enable dpkg-reconfigure while perserving Magix's changes. (I will verify this and comment again). ... The 'X -config' thing is also worth checking into - didn't know about that one. Hmm.. baxrob 12:36, 3 Sep 2005 (PDT)

updating the md5sum ('md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 > /var/log/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum') doesn't always seem to work, because the debconf database is not updated. Needs more research. (But this shouldn't be too hard to fix - and it would seem like a Debian policy violation to me.) --baxrob 22:24, 24 Sep 2005 (PDT)

magix should be altered to update the debconf database before generating the XF86Config (but after running xdebconfigurator) rather than tweaking the configuration file, and then the md5sum trick should work. see /usr/share/doc/xserver-xfree86/NEWS.Debian.gz and /usr/share/doc/xfree86-common/FAQ.gz for more information. --vagrant Sun, 25 Sep 2005 14:23:01 -0600

Awesome! thnx! -- baxrob 06:54, 8 Oct 2005 (PDT)