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section, we describe how to create and edit the xorg.conf file, which configures the X.org server. This file is by default located in /etc/X11/, but is searched for in many other locations, so your distribution might elect to put it elsewhere. In any case, it is best to start out with a skeleton configuration file generated by any of the means described earlier. Then go for a low resolution: a good choice is 640 × 480, which should be supported on all video cards and monitor types. Once you have X.org working at a lower, standard resolution, you can tweak the configuration to exploit the capabilities of your video hardware. The idea is that you want to make sure X.org works at least minimally on your system and that something isn't wrong with your installation before attempting the sometimes difficult task of setting up X.org for real use. With current hardware, you should easily be able to get up to 1280 × 1024 pixels (1024 × 768 on most laptops).

In addition to the information here, you should read the documentation at http://www.x.org/X11R6.8.2/doc/, in particular the README files for your particular graphics chipset.

The main configuration file you need to create is /etc/X11/xorg.conf. This file contains information on your mouse, video card parameters, and so on. The file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.install is provided with the X.org distribution as an example. Copy this file to xorg.conf and edit it as a starting point, if any of the other methods did not give you a skeleton configuration file.

The xorg.conf manual page explains the format of this file in detail. Read this manual page now if you have not done so already.

We are going to present a sample xorg.conf file, piece by piece. This file may not look exactly like the sample file included in the X.org distribution, but the structure is the same. The xorg.conf file format may change with each version of X.org; this information is valid only for X.org Version 6.8.2.

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Warning

Whatever you do, you should not simply copy the configuration file listed here to your own system and attempt to use it. Attempting to use a configuration file that doesn't correspond to your hardware could drive the monitor at a frequency that is too high for it; there have been reports of monitors (especially fixed-frequency monitors) being damaged or destroyed by using an incorrectly configured xorg.conf file. The bottom line is this: make absolutely sure your xorg.conf file corresponds to your hardware before you attempt to use it.

* * *

Now that we have written this warning, we would also like to mention that configuring X.org is much less dangerous than it used to be a few years ago, since the X server has become very good at detecting unsuitable configurations.

Each section of the Xorg.conf file is surrounded by the pair of lines Section "section-name" and EndSection. The first part of the Xorg.conf file is Files, which looks like this:

Section "Files"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/URW"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/PEX"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/Type1"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/japanese:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/kwintv"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/truetype"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/uni:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled"