VendorName "Videocard vendor" # Just for reference
BoardName "nVidia Corporation NV34M [GeForce FX Go5200]" # Ditto
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0" # Associates the video card
Monitor "Monitor0" # with this monitor
DefaultDepth 24 # Default is 24-bit colour
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0 # "0 0" is almost always used
Depth 24 # This section used by default
Modes "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
# Change modes with Ctrl-Alt-+/-
EndSubSection
# This next SubSection is not selected by default (because of the
# DefaultDepth line in the previous section). However, it would be used if the
# -depth option was specified on the X server command line,
# overriding the DefaultDepth setting.
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 16 # Because default is 24-bit,
Modes "800x600" "640x480" # ...this will usually be ignored
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "DRI" # Configures DRI devices...
Group 0 # Root (user ID 0) owns them
Mode 0666 # Readable/writable by all
EndSection
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enabled" # Enables transparency, etc.
EndSection
To change the default color depth, edit the DefaultDepth line in the Screen section (make sure that a SubSection for that depth exists in the Screen section of the file). Values that work with most video cards include 8, 16, and 24 bits; the number of colors available is 2depth .
Similarly, the default resolution is controlled by the Modes entry in SubSection "Display" with the same Depth as DefaultDepth .
For example, to change the configuration in this example from a 24-bit (16-million-color) to 16 bit (65,536 color) depth, and to change the resolution to 800x600, change the DefaultDepth to 16 and then change the Modes line in the SubSection for 16-bit color:
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0" # Associates the video card
Monitor "Monitor0" # with this monitor
DefaultDepth 16
# Default is 16-bit colour
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0 # "0 0" is almost always used
Depth 24 # This section used by default
Modes "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
# Change modes with Ctrl-Alt-+/-
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 16
Modes "800x600"
EndSubSection
EndSection
The Composite extension, enabled in the Extensions section of the file, powers the use of advanced visual effects, including transparency. Not all video drivers support Composite .
2.4.3. What About...
2.4.3.1. ...per-user display resolution settings?
The GNOME menu option SystemPreferencesScreen Resolution sets the default resolution and refresh rate for a particular user (in KDE, select Control Center from the panel menu, then click on Display under Peripherals; be sure to select the checkbox labeled "Apply settings on KDE startup").
The system-wide resolution setting will be used for the user login display; individual user settings will take effect after the user logs in. The color depth can't be set this way because the architecture of the X Window System requires the color depth to be a system-wide setting.
2.4.3.2. ...creating the xorg.conf file without using system-config-display?
xorg.conf# X -configure :1
The system will automatically start an X server using display number :0. Additional X servers can be started as long as they each use a unique display numberwhich is why :1 was used in this command./root/xorg.conf.new /dev/mouse
# ln -s /dev/input/mice /dev/mouse
You can then test the new configuration:
$ X -config /root/xorg.conf.new
This will present a blank display with an X-shaped mouse pointer. If the display looks right and you can move the pointer with your mouse, then go ahead and install this new configuration file as the default configuration:
# mv /root/X11/xorg.conf /root/X11/xorg.conf.backup
# mv /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf
You can fine-tune this configuration either manually or by using tools such as system-config-display .
2.4.3.3. ...using multiple mice and keyboards with one display?
Most keyboards will be detected as soon as they are plugged in, but other keyboards will be detected only when the system starts. For example, I have a secondary French Canadian USB keyboard and a USB calculator/numeric keypad; the French Canadian keyboard is detected as soon as it is plugged in, but the numeric keypad must be plugged in during boot in order to be detected properly. Special features of advanced pointers (such as touchpads) will not be configured automatically unless those devices are plugged in when system-config-display is run.
2.4.3.4. ...a nonstandard monitor, such as a widescreen laptop display?
/etc/X11/ xorg.confSection "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Unknown Monitor"
HorizSync 32.00 - 72.0 # Horiz. sync in kHz
VertRefresh 58.0 - 62.0 # Vert. refresh in Hz
EndSection
Next, edit the default resolution to match your hardware: