[HEADS UP] switch default xorg version in 9.1 and later

Thomas Mueller mueller6724 at bellsouth.net
Thu Jun 20 06:01:48 UTC 2013


from Niclas Zeising:

> As far as I know, it is still not possible to VT switch after X has been
> started, this is a known shortcoming in the KMS driver.  However, on
> start X will load all needed kernel modules, so until you start X you
> will have a working console.

I remember reading about this, and it's like what I had with NetBSD, though that was with an old native X, part of NetBSD base system as opposed to pkgsrc.

NetBSD had difficulty with ATI r128 video.

I would need to be able to shutdown from X, which requires root permissions, hence the need for an xterm as root.

I remember KDE in Linux Slackware had a menu item to start konsole as root (as well as same nonroot user).

In NetBSD 5.1_STABLE i386, text console would go blank after 30 seconds inactivity, and I had to find my way in the dark to a root command prompt to run
screenblank -u
and that made the console visible again.

So I ran X using icewm as root, also shutdown straight from X.

I tried xdm in Linux Slackware 13.0.  That allowed one login session with one user, window manager twm only.

I tried xdm in NetBSD 6.1, it didn't start at all.

In icewm, I could (Ctrl-Alt-Space) and run xterm -ls , then "login" at the command prompt and get a login prompt.

I could then login as another nonroot user but not as root if I originally started X (icewm) as nonroot, but could login as nonroot if I originally started X as root.  In either case, I could only get an xterm but not run a graphic application such as Seamonkey.

I would also want to be able to quit one window manager to go to another window manager without going to a text console in between.

Maybe I need to play with xinitrc.* files and experiment?

> > My previous attempt with the new Xorg and KMS produced a completely nonrunnable X, immediately crashed, requiring Reset button, and I had a dilly of a time going back to the older Xorg.  I might this time have an alternate xorg.conf with Driver="vesa" for fallback so as to retain access to Xorg if the new Xorg bombs out with Intel driver: haven't tested this but hope it would work.

> Have you reported these issues somewhere earlier?  Otherwise we need
> much more info in debugging this.

> Remember also that it is still possible to get the old xorg distribution
> if needed.

I reported this a few months ago.

I might like to try again, both in FreeBSD (ports) and NetBSD (pkgsrc), would in both cases have an xorg.conf-vesa file ready with Driver="vesa" for fallback, hopefully to have a workable X even if the real one, using intel driver, is not workable.

I hope but don't really know that this would work, might try first on FreeBSD-HEAD (current), which I haven't yet built or installed.

Now I have to get to two things: putting together a new computer, and seeing if I can setup recalcitrant HP printer with hplip, this may delay my  next response on this list.

Finger error: I went to change a CD, hit the wrong button, Reset button by mistake, but fortunately I had saved this file at the right time and didn't lose anything.

Tom


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