Re: X, new problems.

[jfm2@club-internet.fr]

> 
> > Xconfigurator 3.89 asked me lots of questions.
> > ** But, not about keyboard mapping or screen size in pixels.
> 
> > Two new problems (had these with RH 5.1, also):
> > 
> > 1. X/KDE did not detect/ask/autoconfigure the keyboard mapping
> > to what I had selected during the installation.
> > 

I have a french keyboard.  When I type "a" and the keyboard is
unconfigured Linux (and X) will display a "q".  But when I rebooted,
started X and typed "a", guess what it displayed?  "a".

So Xconfigurator managed to extract the info from the kernel or of the
keyboard config files and doesn't need to ask the user.  At least for
non-US, non-dvorak keyboards.

> > 2. The mouse cursor would go off screen right & bottom, causing scrolling
> > horizontally & vertically a bit. In other words, it's thinking I have a
> > bigger screen than the 640x480. It should have known/asked what size, in
> > pixels, my screen is.
> 
> I was just reading the Guidelines document from the Indy web site.
> "o) Delivering ready to use applications" seems pertinent here.
> 
> "... [parameters that] can be deduced automatically must find their way
> [into] config files ..."
> 
> X parameters for 1. keyboard mapping and 2. screen size in pixels
> should both be "deduced automatically" and then "find their way
> [into] " X " config files".
> 
> 1. Keyboard mapping is already asked for in a dialog box early in the
> installation process. It might also be in linuxconf. Whenever X starts, or
> something changes the mapping while X is running, X should take note and
> do likewise.
> 

There was a time where X was able to extract keyboard tables from the
kernel so in the Keyboard Section in XF86Config all you had to do was
to tell X to use that feature..

> 2. During Xconfigurator, perhaps having dialog boxes with two rulers
> displayed, verticle & horizontal, marked in # of pixels, would allow
> us to confirm/correct the detected screen size, even if autoprobe is
> used.
> 
> ....5...10....5...20....5...30....5...40....5...50....5...60....5...70....5...80
> 

"Vatican, how many divisions?" Stalin

"Indy, how many developpers?" Bill Gates  :-)

Best would be supporting plug and play monitors but neither Linux
distributions nor people of XFree have solved the problem (it will be
solved the day manufacturers include Linux drivers with hardware).

Xconfigurator should not use Virtual Screen sizes bigger than real
resolution without asking but I am not the author and don't have time
to fix it.  It is not impossible that TurboLinux or Mandrake have a
modified Xconfigurator with this feature disabled.  Because
Xconfigurator is GPLed we could then "steal" it from them but I am
busy now.  Otherwise this would be a nice little programming project.