source: x/installing/xfree86/xfree86-config.xml@ dac7717

<sect2>
<title>Configuring <application>XFree86</application></title>

<para>Edit <filename>/etc/ld.so.conf</filename> and add 
<filename class="directory">/usr/X11R6/lib</filename>.
Run</para> <screen><userinput><command>ldconfig</command></userinput></screen>

<para>Add <filename class='directory'>/usr/X11R6/bin</filename> to your
<envar>PATH</envar> environment 
variable in <filename>.bash_profile</filename>.  The statement should
look something like <parameter>PATH=$PATH:/usr/X11R6/bin</parameter>
and be placed before the <command>export PATH</command>
statement.</para>

<para>Run</para>
<screen><userinput><command>source ~/.bash_profile</command></userinput></screen>

<para>Set up your mouse:
<screen><userinput><command>cd /dev
ln -s psaux mouse</command></userinput></screen>

Adjust the symbolic link as necessary for other types of mice.  For instance, 
a serial mouse on the first serial port would be linked to ttyS1.</para>

<para>Create the <filename>XF86Config</filename> file with
<screen><userinput><command>cd ~
XFree86 -configure</command></userinput></screen>
The screen will go black and you may hear some clicking of the monitor.  This
command will create a file, <filename>XF86Config.new</filename> in your home
directory.</para>

<para>Edit <filename>XF86Config.new</filename> to suit your system.  The 
details of the file are located in the man 
page <command>man XF86Config</command>.  Some things you may want to 
do are:</para>

<itemizedlist>

<listitem><para>Section "Files". Change the order of the font paths searched. 
You may want to put 100dpi fonts ahead of 75dpi fonts if your system normally 
comes up closer to 100 dots per inch.  You may want to remove some font 
directories completely.</para></listitem>

<listitem><para>Section "Monitor".  Specify the <parameter>VertRefresh</parameter>
and <parameter>HorizSync</parameter> values if the system does not automatically 
detect the monitor and its values.</para></listitem>

<listitem><para>Section "InputDevice".  You may want to change the keyboard 
autorepeat rate by 
adding <parameter>Option "Autorepeat" "250 30"</parameter>.</para></listitem>

<listitem><para>Section "Device".  You may want to set some of the options 
available for your selected video driver.  A description of the driver
parameters is in the man page for your driver.</para></listitem>

<listitem><para>Section "Screen".  Add a DefaultDepth statement such 
as: <parameter>DefaultDepth 16</parameter>. In the SubSection for your 
default depth, add a modes line such 
as: <parameter> Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768"</parameter>.
The first mode listed will normally be the starting 
resolution.</para></listitem>

</itemizedlist>

<para>Test the system with
<screen><userinput><command>XFree86 -xf86config ~/XF86Config.new</command></userinput></screen>
You will only get a gray background with an X-shaped mouse cursor, but it 
confirms the system is working.  Exit with Control-Alt-Backspace.  If the 
system does not work, take a look 
at <filename>/var/log/XFree86.0.log</filename> to see what went 
wrong.</para>

<para>Move the configuration file to its final location</para>
<screen><userinput><command>mv ~/XF86Config.new /etc/X11/XF86Config</command></userinput></screen>

<para>Create <filename>.xinitrc</filename>
<screen><userinput><command>cat &gt; ~/.xinitrc &lt;&lt; "EOF"</command>
# Begin .xinitrc file
xterm  -g 80x40+0+0   &amp;
xclock -g 100x100-0+0 &amp;
twm
<command>EOF</command></userinput></screen>
This provides an initial screen with an xterm and a clock that is managed by a 
simple window manager, Tab Window Manager.  For details of twm, see the 
man page.</para>

<note>

<para>When starting up, <application>XFree86</application> creates the directory
<filename>/tmp/.ICE-unix</filename> if it does not exist. If this directory is
not owned by root, <application>XFree86</application> delays startup by a few seconds
and also appends a warning to the logfile. This also affects startup of other
applications. To improve performance, perform the following steps as root before
starting <application>XFree86</application> for the first time. Additionally, if you 
use tmpfs or clean out all the files in <filename>/tmp</filename> when you boot, 
we recommend adding the same instructions to the end of your
<filename>/etc/rc.d/init.d/cleanfs</filename> startup script.</para>

<screen><userinput>rm -rf /tmp/.ICE-unix &amp;&amp;
mkdir /tmp/.ICE-unix &amp;&amp;
chmod 1777 /tmp/.ICE-unix</userinput></screen>

</note>

<para>Start <application>X</application> with 
<screen><userinput><command>startx</command></userinput></screen>
to get basic functional <application>X</application> Window System.</para>

</sect2>