While there are people that will use the character-cell interface present when you first log in, many people prefer a graphically-oriented user interface. For Linux systems, the graphical user interface of choice is the X Window System.
In order to run X, you need to have the necessary packages installed. If you selected the ``X Window System'' component to be installed when you originally installed Red Hat Linux, everything should be ready to go. In that case, please refer to section 4.2.2.
If you didn't select the ``X Window System'' component when you installed Red Hat Linux, your Red Hat Linux system won't have the necessary software installed. While it is possible to manually install the required packages, you'll probably find it easier to re-do the installation, particularly if you're new to Linux. Another possibility is to perform an upgrade of the software and select the X Window System components that you need from the package selection installation process.
There are three methods for configuring XFree86 on your machine:
Xconfigurator and xf86config are functional equivalents and should work equally well. If you are unsure of anything in this process, a good source of additional documentation is:
http://www.xfree86.org
Xconfigurator is a full-screen menu-driven program that walks you
through setting up your X server. xf86config is a line-oriented
program distributed with XFree86. It isn't as easy to use as
Xconfigurator, but it is included for completeness. If these
utilities fail to provide a working XF86Config file, you may have
an unsupported card or you may need to write the config file by hand.
Usually the former is the case, so check and make sure your card is
supported before attempting to write the config file yourself
If your card is not supported by XFree86 you may wish to consider using a
commercial X server. If you have questions about whether or not your video
card is supported you can check out http://www.xfree86.org for
information on XFree86.
If you think you installed the wrong X server for your video card, you will
have to install the correct one before it can be configured.
For instance, if the CD is mounted on /mnt/cdrom, and you need to
install the S3 server, enter the following commands:
This will install the S3 server and make the proper symbolic link.
To configure the X Window System you must first select your video card. Scroll down
the list of supported cards until you locate the card in your machine.
Figure 1 may help you determine the video server
that matches your hardware. If your card is not listed it may not be
supported by XFree86.
In this case you can try the last card entry on the
list (Unlisted Card) or a commercial X Windows server.
The next step is to select your monitor. If your monitor is not listed you
can select one of the generic monitor entries or ``Custom'' and enter your
own parameters. Custom monitor configuration is recommended only for
those who have a sound understanding of the inner workings of CRT
displays. The average user should probably use one of the generic selections
from the list. After selecting a monitor you need to tell Xconfigurator
how much video memory you have. Move the highlight to the appropriate
list entry and then press [Enter] or [F12] to continue.
For the next step it is recommended that you select the
default (No Clockchip Setting) entry, but experienced users may
want to select a specific clockchip.
AGX I128 Mach32 Mach64 Mach8 Mono P9000 S3 S3V SVGA VGA16 W32
If later you want to increase your refresh rate for your monitor, you
can edit the config file by hand or you can run Xconfigurator again
and pick a monitor from our list that more closely matches the specs of
your monitor.
The final configuration step consists
of selecting the video modes that you want to include in your XF86Config
file. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor up and down the list under
each color depth (8, 16 and 24 bit). Use the [Spacebar] to select
individual resolutions and the [Tab] key to move between color depth
fields. When you have selected the video modes you want to use move the
cursor to the ``OK'' button and press [Enter], or use the [F12]
shortcut. An information screen will give you the most current information
on selecting video modes, starting and stopping the X server.
If you selected the ``X Window System'' component when you installed
Red Hat Linux, but didn't choose to start X automatically when the system boots,
you're all set. All you'll need to do is to get X running. As it turns
out, there are two ways to do this. You can:
Let's start with the manual procedure.
Red Hat Linux, during the installation, gives you the option of starting X automatically. If you didn't choose this option, you'll see the character-cell login prompt you saw when you first
booted your Red Hat Linux system.
In order to get X started, you'll first need to log in. Do so (using your
non-root account), and then enter the startx command. The screen
should go blank, and (after a short delay) you should see a graphical
desktop with one or more windows. The appearance of the desktop you'll see
will vary, depending on the packages you installed and other variables.
Please Note: Make sure you verify that your X configuration works properly
before making X start automatically. Failure to do so can make it
difficult to log into your Red Hat Linux system. If you haven't done so already,
review the previous section before continuing.
It is possible to configure your Red Hat Linux system such that X will start
automatically whenever the system is booted. When configured in this
manner, xdm will run, which will present a graphically-oriented login
screen. After logging in, you will have a regular X session running, just
as if you had issued a startx command manually.
Here's a quick overview of how it's done:
Let's look at each step in more detail.
Please Note: You will need to be logged in as root in order to use
telinit. Also note that you should not be running anything
else on your Red Hat Linux system when you change run levels, as any running
programs may be killed by the run level change.
If everything is configured properly, after a short delay you should see an
xdm login screen. Log in, verifying that an X desktop appears. Then
log out to make sure that xdm reappears. If it does, your system is
configured properly to automatically start X. If there are problems, you
can go back to run level 3 using telinit (ie, ``/sbin/telinit
3''), or by rebooting.
When you're done, it should look like this:
Please Note: Make sure you change only the number 3 to be
5! Do not change anything else, otherwise your Red Hat Linux system may not
boot at all! When you've made the change, exit the editor, and use this
command to review your handiwork:
(Press the [Space] to page through the file; [Q] will exit.)
If everything looks OK, it's time to reboot. Use the shutdown
command to properly shut down your system, and you're done!
When you're done, and you'd like to leave X, select the GNOME foot
on the panel bar, choose Log out and answer Yes to
confirm your decision. You will then be logged out of your system.
Please Note: If you're running GNOME as your desktop environment, all
programs that were currently running will be restarted when you log back
in.
You can use the Switchdesk feature to change out your
desktop environment. Switchdesk will present a screen which
allows you to switch between any desktop environments that you may have
installed on your system. You will then be asked to exit and restart X.
You will see your new desktop of choice after X has restarted.
To use the Switchdesk feature you can type
switchdesk at the command line of an Xterm. If you are using GNOME,
click on the GNOME foot, choose Run Programs and type
switchdesk.
Note that even if you're running X, you still have access to the regular
character-cell user interface. That's because Red Hat Linux uses virtual
consoles while X is running. To switch to a virtual console, press
[Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Fn], where [Fn] is any one of
the first six function keys. When switching virtual consoles, you should
see a standard login prompt; at this point you can login and use the system
normally on any (or all) of the virtual consoles.
When you'd like to go back to your X session, simply press
[Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F7].
Please Note: Some people remap keys under X; if you do this, be aware that
your X keyboard mappings will only be active when in X. This can be
confusing if, for example, you've swapped the [Ctrl] and [Caps
Lock] keys under X, as you will have to use two different keystrokes to
switch between X and non-X virtual consoles.
There are several tools that can make life easier for the new Red Hat Linux user.
They perform tasks that either require root access, or can only be done by
memorizing arcane commands. They all require X to run, so you'll need to
get that set up first. These tools are:
The X Server
Provided you selected the proper video card at install time, you should
have the proper X server installed. When later running
Xconfigurator or xf86config, you need to make sure you
select the same video card or the autoprobe will fail.
cd /mnt/cdrom/RedHat/RPMS
rpm -ivh XFree86-S3-3.1.2-1.i386.rpm
ln -sf ../../usr/X11R6/bin/XF86S3 /etc/X11/X
Xconfigurator
Selecting your Server
If you are unsure what chipset you have, the best way to find out is usually
to look at the card.
Figure 40 lists which chipsets
and boards require which servers. Pick the one that best matches your
hardware.
Server
Chipset
8514
IBM 8514/A Boards and true clones
All XGA graphics boards
#9 Imagine 128 (including Series II) boards
ATI boards using the Mach32 chipset
ATI boards using the Mach64 chipset
ATI boards using the Mach8 chipset
VGA boards in monochrome
Diamond Viper (but not the 9100) and Others
#9 Boards, most Diamonds, some Orchids, Others
Boards using the S3 ViRGE (including DX, GX, VX) chipset
Trident 8900 & 9400, Cirrus Logic, C & T, ET4000, S3 ViRGE, Others
All VGA boards (16 color only)
All ET4000/W32 cards, but not standard ET4000's
Finishing Up
4.2.2 If You've Already Installed X
4.2.2.1 Starting X Manually
4.2.2.2 Starting X Automatically
Testing xdm Using telinit
-- The telinit
command is used to change your Red Hat Linux system's ``run level.'' It is the
run level that controls various aspects of system operation, including
whether xdm should be started or not. Since xdm is started at
run level 5, you'll need to issue the command:
/sbin/telinit 5
Editing /etc/inittab
-- The file /etc/inittab is
used to, among other things, determine the system's default run level. We
need to change the default run level from 3 to 5; therefore, we'll need to
edit /etc/inittab. Using the text editor of your choice, change this
line in /etc/inittab:
id:3:initdefault:
id:5:initdefault:
less /etc/inittab
4.2.2.3 Exiting X
4.2.2.4 Changing Your Desktop
4.2.2.5 Virtual Consoles and X
4.2.2.6 Handy X-Based Tools
(1)
/usr/bin/usermount to start it.