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Next, enter pkgtool at the command prompt. This command activates the Slackware package tool program that allows you to delete old packages or install new ones. For X Windows, these packages are the x and xap packages contained with the Slackware distribution. A menu with the following options appears:
| Menu Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Current | Installs packages from the current directory |
| Other | Installs packages from some other directory |
| Floppy | Installs packages from floppy disks |
| Remove | Removes packages that are now installed |
| View | Displays the list of files contained in a package |
| Exit | Exits package tool |
Press <Shift-o> or use the arrow keys to select the Other menu line and press <Return>. pkgtool asks for the source directory. Enter the directory you recorded earlier for the first x package directory, normally x1. Hence, you would enter /cdrom/slackware/x1.
After supplying the initial directory, pkgtool first seeks the X server for your graphics card. You can install only one server, so as you go from screen to screen, wait until you reach the required X server before choosing Yes.
Remember that you have to install the appropriate programs from each package. Although not all packages are required, if you’re installing XFree86 after installing Linux, you should review the full details on the packages to install. If you have the 21MB needed for a full installation, go ahead and install each package, with the exception of the X server; install only one X server for your chipset.
NOTE: If you’ve previously installed X Windows, you should first back up important configuration files and then delete the currently installed x and xap packages.
After installing XFree86, you must then configure it for your system. XFree86 expects to find a file named XF86Config in one of the following directories:
NOTE: Configuring XFree86 is the same under most Linux distributions, including Red Hat, Slackware 96, and Caldera.
You can find the configuration file information in the /etc/X11/etc directory. Before configuring your system, you should check out the files labeled README.Config and README.Linux. If you have the standard, supported equipment listed earlier in the section “Ensuring Hardware Support for XFree86,” you should check out the sample Xconfig files from the x3 package. These files are stored in the /usr/X11/lib/X11/Sample-Xconfig-files directory. Check out the Xconfig.Index file to see whether your video card is listed. You can do so by using the following commands:
cd /usr/X11/lib/X11/Sample-Xconfig-files less Xconfig.Index
CAUTION:
You should never use an Xconfig file from someone else, or even one verbatim from this book or any other source, without looking the file over for improper values. For example, driving your monitor at unsupported frequencies may damage your equipment.
If your video card is listed, copy the corresponding Xconfig.number file from the sample directory to the /usr/X11/lib/X11 directory. You can use the following command to do this (just substitute the number from the Xconfig.Index file for number in the example shown here):
cp Xconfig.number /usr/X11/lib/X11/Xconfig
These sample configuration files might work for standard hardware. You can test the configuration file by starting X Windows (enter startx). If the X Windows system starts and runs, congratulations! If for some reason the configuration file isn’t correct, Linux reports an error. Reboot your system if it just hangs. After a start failure, you need to create a configuration file yourself when you return to the command prompt.
NOTE: If something does go wrong (and your monitor doesn’t explode), pressing <Ctrl-Alt-Backspace> should terminate the X server and return you to a shell prompt.
If the preceding installation procedures don’t work, you can run a program to configure your system. Slackware provides a program called xf86Config to help you configure your XFree86 system, but this program requires you to answer several questions. These questions deal with the type of hardware you have on your system, and incorrect information can cause X to damage that hardware.
You should read several document files located in the /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/doc directory: HOWTO.Config, README.Config, and configxf.doc. You can use the following command to read the files:
less filename
You should also gather any manufacturer’s manuals for your video card and monitor.
Next, run the SuperProbe utility:
/usr/X11R6/bin/SuperProb
This utility scans your system, trying to identify the installed video hardware. You should write down the information reported for later use with the xf86Config program. You should also double-check the information generated by SuperProbe with your hardware’s documentation. The SuperProbe program will generate information that will be placed in the various sections of the XF86Config file.
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