LPI Linux Certification/Install And Configure X11

Detailed Objectives
(LPIC-1 Version 5.0)

Weight: 2

Description: Candidates should be able to install and configure X11.

Key Knowledge Areas:
 * Understanding of the X11 architecture.
 * Basic understanding and knowledge of the X Window configuration file.
 * Overwrite specific aspects of Xorg configuration, such as keyboard layout.
 * Understand the components of desktop environments, such as display managers and window managers.
 * Manage access to the X server and display applications on remote X servers.
 * Awareness of Wayland.

The following is a partial list of the used files, terms and utilities:

Configuration
1. XFree86

type "XFree86 -configure", it will scan your hardware and auto. generate a configuration file matching to your hardware. However, FOR PS/2 MOUSE, you might need to modify this config file manually from ""Device" "/dev/mouse"" to ""Device" "/dev/psaux""

2. Xorg

"Xorg -configure"

Starting and stopping X
To start X you can use: startx - terminal command used at level 3; edit /etc/inittab to run default at level 5; xinit - when there is no .xinitrc file; init 5 - to change manually runlevel to 5 (and run display manager); xdm - (X Display Manager) - graphical login manager, which run automatically at boot process when starting Linux at level 5 (there are also external graphical login managers ex. kdm, gdm).

To stop X you can use: ++; init 3 - at lower level than 5 Linux will stop X-Windows; kill the XFree process.

Configuring X To configure X on a system use XF86Setup. The program will generate a configuration file that will be used by the XFree86 server. To tune the screen under X use Xfine2.

Under X, the user can configure every conceivable aspect of graphic display. Screen font size, styles Pointer behaviour Screen colors Window manager

The tuning can be done on a system-wide or per-user. .xinitrc contains the default window manager and style information to be used by the startx command. This file is usually located under /home/username when defined on a per-user basis. .Xdefaults used to setup pointer behaviour, colors, fonts, etc...

Exercises

 * Exercises results