a list of cards and servers.

If you can't find your card on the list of servers, you should try to use the SuperProbe program. Running that probes the card directly and outputs what video chipset, amount of memory, and RAMDAC chipset it found.

If you still haven't found a chipset that matches your system, you need to use the VGA16 or Mono server, as these are the lowest common denominators available. When choosing a video card, you also should be aware that video card manufacturers like to use name recognition but also use the best technology available for their card. Sometimes this results in two cards with similar names having very different chipsets—and it's the chipset Linux cares about. So, you may set up the servers thinking you have one chipset, and when finally starting the server get errors telling you that the card is not being detected.

Selecting Your Monitor

This section shows you how to configure the X server to choose your monitor type. You need to have the monitor specifications for your computer.

After selecting a video card, you are asked to set up the monitor of the computer. You should then be presented with a screen, shown in Figure 3.2, that asks about the monitor on your system. Scroll down the list and choose a monitor name if it exactly matches your

Figure 3.2.
The monitor selection
screen.

monitor's brand and model. If you know that your monitor is very similar to one in the list, you might be able to choose that one also. If you don't find your monitor listed, you need to select a generic monitor or the custom setting.

If you choose to use a custom monitor, you are presented with a screen explaining that you will be asked for the vertical and horizontal sync rates of your monitor. Your monitor's manual should give these listings, usually in the Specifications section. Select Ok to continue.

You are then asked for the horizontal sync range of the monitor. In choosing a rate, you should be very conservative about the type of settings if you don't see what your monitor is capable of. Most monitors should be able to display what is called Standard VGA. Next, you need to select the vertical range your monitor is capable of, and you again need to be conservative.

Final Server Configuration

The next screen depends on whether a PCI video card was detected or not. If one was detected, you are told that the installation will probe for correct video settings and ranges that are available. If no PCI card was detected, you are given a choice of probing or not. The reason for the choice is that some older ISA video cards do not accept probing and lock up the system if it is attempted.

Choosing to probe the system causes the screen to blink several times as Xconfigurator figures out what the card's available color depths are. You then see another screen that informs you what screens Xconfigurator recommends as a default setting, and gives you the choice to take those values or select others. In selecting others, you are given a selection of all video sizes and color depths that can be supported by the X server and monitor (see Figure 3.3).

Toggle through the check boxes you want (640¥480 choices are always good selections). The 2/4/8/16/24 color depth is a listing of the number of colors that can be displayed at once. 4 bit is a 16-color choice of the original VGA selections. 8 bit allows for 256 colors,

Figure 3.3.
Select the modes
you want to use.

16 bits allows for 65,000+ colors, and finally the 24-bit color allows the display of several million sets of colors. If your card is capable of higher sets of colors, then the more memory the card has, the higher the possible resolution of colors and screen size. When you have selected the screen sizes you want, select OK and the new /etc/X11/XF86Config file is written to your computer.

If you chose not to probe the monitor system, the next screen asks you how much video memory your card has. From either the documentation on the card or from the SuperProbe command, choose the amount of memory and select Ok. You are then asked to select a clock chip for the monitor. If your manual or the SuperProbe command didn't indicate a clock chip, you should choose the recommended no chip selection and continue on.

You are then presented with a screen that asks you to select the screen resolutions and color depths for your X environment. Choose a set of screen sizes and color depths that are suitable for you to work with. 640¥480 resolution is always a good choice because most monitors can handle this setting. Upon selecting the screen sizes, a new /etc/X11/XF86Config file is written for your computer.

Testing the X Settings

Now that you have created X configuration settings that hopefully work for your computer, it's time to test them. To start the X server, run the startx command. This command sets up the internal environment, starts the server, and executes any client programs that need to be run.