X Power Tools

✍ Scribed by Chris Tyler

• Publisher: O'Reilly
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 272
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book puts you in charge of the most flexible and adaptable graphical interface in the computer industry. The X Window System underlies graphical desktops on Linux and Unix systems, and supports advanced features of modern graphics cards. More people use the X Window System than ever before, but there are few books about X in print. X Power Tools fills that hole with the most practical and up-to-date information available. Written in O'Reilly's popular Power Tools format, X Power Tools offers dozens of standalone articles, thoroughly cross-referenced, on useful tools and techniques for using X. This unique inside look at X gives Unix/Linux system administrators, owners of self-administered systems, and power users a lot of useful ways to harness the power of this system effectively. This book:

• Offers a thorough grounding in X configuration and how the system works
• Provides the complete ins and outs of changing a desktop's behavior, such as fonts, keyboard settings, and remote security
• Includes articles on how to take advantage of X's ''network transparency'' -- its ability to display graphical applications on a remote machine
• Explores intriguing areas such as using multiple monitors, building kiosks, and accessibility
• Features discussions on X Window innovations and the future of the system

X Power Tools covers configuration and use of X, focusing on Linux but also including notes on other operating systems such as Solaris and FreeBSD. Each article in the book gives you insight into X; the entire book gives you a real grasp on this system and what you can do with it.

✦ Table of Contents

X Power Tools......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 4
Part I: The X Server......Page 10
Part IV: Using X Remotely......Page 11
Using Code Examples......Page 12
Safari® Books Online......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 14
Part I......Page 16
1.1 The X Window System......Page 18
1.3 The Renaissance: New X Versus Old X......Page 19
1.5 Seven Layers of an X-based GUI......Page 21
1.7 Why Windows Look and Act Differently......Page 24
1.8 Toolkits and Desktop Environments......Page 25
1.10 Display Hardware......Page 26
Pointing Devices......Page 27
Keyboards......Page 28
Liquid crystal display (LCD)......Page 29
Video timing......Page 30
Monitor connections......Page 31
Video Cards......Page 32
1.11 Displays, Screens, and Xinerama......Page 34
1.12 Display Specifications......Page 35
1.14 Local Connection Mechanisms......Page 36
1.15 Server Extensions......Page 37
1.16 Where to Draw the Line: Kernel Versus User- Space Drivers......Page 39
2.2 Virtual Terminals......Page 40
2.3 Starting a Raw X Server Manually......Page 41
2.4 Using a Display Manager to Start the X Server......Page 42
2.5 Enabling or Disabling the Display Manager at Boot Time......Page 43
Started Directly by init......Page 45
Starting Multiple X Servers Using XDM (or Early Versions of KDM)......Page 46
Starting Multiple X Servers Using GDM......Page 47
2.8 Starting Additional X Servers on Demand Using a Display Manager......Page 48
Starting Additional X Servers Using KDM......Page 49
2.9 Starting an X Server with Clients Only When Needed......Page 50
2.11 Starting X Within X......Page 51
2.12 No Mouse!......Page 52
2.14 Terminating X Automatically......Page 54
3.2 Why Only root Can Configure the X Server......Page 55
3.3 Places Your Configuration Could Hide......Page 56
3.4 Let the X Server Configure Itself......Page 58
3.5 The xorg.conf Configuration File......Page 59
ServerLayout......Page 61
Screen......Page 62
Device......Page 63
3.6 Optional Sections in the xorg.conf Configuration File......Page 64
3.7 Configuring the Pointer Device......Page 66
3.8 Configuring a Two-Button Mouse......Page 67
3.10 Configuring a Synaptics TouchPad......Page 68
3.11 Enabling DPMS......Page 69
3.12 Configuring Video Card Driver Options......Page 71
3.13 LightSteelBlue and Other Color Names......Page 73
3.14 Configuring a Monitor’s Scan Rates......Page 74
3.15 Reading Server Log Files......Page 77
3.16 Configuring the Default Depth of a Screen......Page 79
3.17 Configuring the Resolution of a Screen......Page 80
4.1 Multi-Screen Configuration......Page 82
4.2 Xinerama Configuration......Page 83
4.3 Differences Between Multi-Screen and Xinerama Modes......Page 84
4.4 Positioning Screens......Page 86
4.5 Overlapping Xinerama......Page 87
4.6 Scrolling Virtual Screens and Xinerama......Page 89
4.7 Using Multiple Outputs from One Video Card......Page 92
4.8 Parallel Pointing Devices......Page 94
4.9 Parallel Keyboards......Page 96
GPM Under Linux......Page 98
MOUSED Under FreeBSD......Page 99
5.2 Changing Resolution On-the-Fly......Page 100
5.3 Changing the Resolution and the Screen Size Dynamically......Page 101
5.4 Using the Middle Mouse Button......Page 102
5.5 Using the Clipboard......Page 103
5.7 Keyboard and Mouse Grabs......Page 105
Part II......Page 108
6.1 The Unused Toolbox......Page 110
6.2 Determine the Display Configuration......Page 111
6.3 Getting Window Information......Page 112
6.4 Viewing Server Settings......Page 115
6.5 Control That Bell!......Page 116
6.6 Adjusting the Keyboard Repeat Rate......Page 117
6.7 Adjusting the Mouse Acceleration......Page 118
6.8 Playing with the Lights......Page 119
6.10 Examining Part of the Display in Detail......Page 120
6.11 Script a Screen Dump......Page 122
6.12 Preventing the Screen from Blanking During Presentations......Page 123
6.13 Eye Candy: xscreensaver......Page 124
6.14 Redrawing the Screen......Page 126
7.2 Background Operation......Page 127
7.3 Geometry......Page 128
7.4 Split Personality: Running Nongraphical Applications......Page 130
8.1 X and Desktop Environments......Page 133
8.2 Session Managers......Page 134
8.3 Virtual Desktops......Page 135
8.4 Starting GNOME......Page 138
8.5 Starting KDE......Page 141
8.6 Starting Xfce......Page 143
8.7 Using a Window Manager Alone......Page 144
Part III......Page 148
9.1 RGB and Other Color Systems......Page 150
9.2 Visuals......Page 151
9.3 Gamma......Page 153
9.4 Color Management Systems......Page 155
10.1 Old Fonts Versus New Fonts......Page 157
10.2 Configuring the Font Path......Page 158
10.3 Using a Font Server......Page 160
10.4 Font Names......Page 161
10.5 Installing and Removing Fonts......Page 163
11.1 Client-Side Fonts......Page 165
11.3 Adding and Removing Fonts Using GNOME......Page 166
11.4 Adding and Removing Fonts Using KDE......Page 168
11.5 Fontconfig Font Names......Page 170
11.6 Fontconfig Utilities......Page 171
11.8 Rendering Options......Page 172
12.1 Keyboards and XKB......Page 176
12.3 XKB Components......Page 177
12.4 Selecting an XKB Keymap Using Rules......Page 178
12.5 Using Keyboard Groups......Page 181
12.6 Setting the Keymap in the xorg.conf File......Page 182
12.7 Setting the Keymap from the Command Line......Page 183
12.9 Compiling Keyboard Maps......Page 184
12.10 Viewing or Printing a Keyboard Layout......Page 185
Part IV......Page 188
13.2 Displaying on a Remote Server......Page 190
13.3 Enabling Remote Sessions......Page 191
GDM......Page 192
13.5 Accessing a Remote Session on Any Available Host......Page 193
13.6 Accessing a Remote Session from a List of Available Sessions......Page 194
13.7 The Three Challenges of Remote Access......Page 196
13.8 Host-Based Access Control......Page 197
13.9 xauth and Magic Cookies......Page 198
13.10 The X Security Extension......Page 201
13.11 Low-Bandwidth X (LBX)......Page 202
13.12 X Tunneling with SSH......Page 203
13.13 Using Public Keys with SSH......Page 205
13.14 Using Passphrase Protection of SSH Keys......Page 206
13.15 OpenSSH and the SECURITY Extension......Page 207
14.1 The VNC System......Page 208
14.2 So Many VNC Versions!......Page 209
14.3 Xvnc Basics......Page 210
14.4 The vncserver Script......Page 211
14.5 Using the VNC Viewers......Page 212
14.6 Using Standing VNC Servers......Page 213
14.8 Customizing the VNC Java Applet Web Page......Page 214
14.9 Starting VNC On Demand Using xinetd......Page 217
14.11 Using the Java Applet with On-Demand VNC Servers......Page 219
14.12 Accessing VNC Securely Using SSH......Page 220
14.13 Embedding an X Application in a Web Page......Page 221
14.14 Using KDE and Gnome Remote Desktop Access Tools......Page 225
14.15 Using the VNC Extension to the X.Org Server......Page 227
14.16 Using VNC to Share a Presentation......Page 228
14.17 Bypassing a Firewall......Page 230
Part V......Page 232
15.2 Selecting Kiosk Hardware......Page 234
Keyboard......Page 235
15.3 Configure X for a Kiosk......Page 236
15.4 Controlling the Keyboard......Page 237
15.5 Controlling the Mouse......Page 238
15.6 Starting a Single Fullscreen Application......Page 239
15.7 Network Status Monitoring......Page 240
15.8 Using xscreensaver to Reset a Kiosk......Page 243
15.9 Refining the Kiosk Appearance......Page 244
15.10 Putting It All Together: Scripting a Kiosk......Page 245
15.11 Booting a Kiosk......Page 247
15.12 Creating a Video Wall......Page 248
Index......Page 252