X Power Tools

✍ Scribed by Chris Tyler

• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• 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

Table of Contents......Page 5
Part I: The X Server......Page 11
Part IV: Using X Remotely......Page 12
Using Code Examples......Page 13
Safari® Books Online......Page 14
Acknowledgments......Page 15
Part I......Page 17
1.1 The X Window System......Page 19
1.3 The Renaissance: New X Versus Old X......Page 20
1.5 Seven Layers of an X-based GUI......Page 22
1.7 Why Windows Look and Act Differently......Page 25
1.8 Toolkits and Desktop Environments......Page 26
1.10 Display Hardware......Page 27
Pointing Devices......Page 28
Keyboards......Page 29
Liquid crystal display (LCD)......Page 30
Video timing......Page 31
Monitor connections......Page 32
Video Cards......Page 33
1.11 Displays, Screens, and Xinerama......Page 35
1.12 Display Specifications......Page 36
1.14 Local Connection Mechanisms......Page 37
1.15 Server Extensions......Page 38
1.16 Where to Draw the Line: Kernel Versus User- Space Drivers......Page 40
2.2 Virtual Terminals......Page 41
2.3 Starting a Raw X Server Manually......Page 42
2.4 Using a Display Manager to Start the X Server......Page 43
2.5 Enabling or Disabling the Display Manager at Boot Time......Page 44
Started Directly by init......Page 46
Starting Multiple X Servers Using XDM (or Early Versions of KDM)......Page 47
Starting Multiple X Servers Using GDM......Page 48
2.8 Starting Additional X Servers on Demand Using a Display Manager......Page 49
Starting Additional X Servers Using KDM......Page 50
2.9 Starting an X Server with Clients Only When Needed......Page 51
2.11 Starting X Within X......Page 52
2.12 No Mouse!......Page 53
2.14 Terminating X Automatically......Page 55
3.2 Why Only root Can Configure the X Server......Page 56
3.3 Places Your Configuration Could Hide......Page 57
3.4 Let the X Server Configure Itself......Page 59
3.5 The xorg.conf Configuration File......Page 60
ServerLayout......Page 62
Screen......Page 63
Device......Page 64
3.6 Optional Sections in the xorg.conf Configuration File......Page 65
3.7 Configuring the Pointer Device......Page 67
3.8 Configuring a Two-Button Mouse......Page 68
3.10 Configuring a Synaptics TouchPad......Page 69
3.11 Enabling DPMS......Page 70
3.12 Configuring Video Card Driver Options......Page 72
3.13 LightSteelBlue and Other Color Names......Page 74
3.14 Configuring a Monitor’s Scan Rates......Page 75
3.15 Reading Server Log Files......Page 78
3.16 Configuring the Default Depth of a Screen......Page 80
3.17 Configuring the Resolution of a Screen......Page 81
4.1 Multi-Screen Configuration......Page 83
4.2 Xinerama Configuration......Page 84
4.3 Differences Between Multi-Screen and Xinerama Modes......Page 85
4.4 Positioning Screens......Page 87
4.5 Overlapping Xinerama......Page 88
4.6 Scrolling Virtual Screens and Xinerama......Page 90
4.7 Using Multiple Outputs from One Video Card......Page 93
4.8 Parallel Pointing Devices......Page 95
4.9 Parallel Keyboards......Page 97
GPM Under Linux......Page 99
MOUSED Under FreeBSD......Page 100
5.2 Changing Resolution On-the-Fly......Page 101
5.3 Changing the Resolution and the Screen Size Dynamically......Page 102
5.4 Using the Middle Mouse Button......Page 103
5.5 Using the Clipboard......Page 104
5.7 Keyboard and Mouse Grabs......Page 106
Part II......Page 109
6.1 The Unused Toolbox......Page 111
6.2 Determine the Display Configuration......Page 112
6.3 Getting Window Information......Page 113
6.4 Viewing Server Settings......Page 116
6.5 Control That Bell!......Page 117
6.6 Adjusting the Keyboard Repeat Rate......Page 118
6.7 Adjusting the Mouse Acceleration......Page 119
6.8 Playing with the Lights......Page 120
6.10 Examining Part of the Display in Detail......Page 121
6.11 Script a Screen Dump......Page 123
6.12 Preventing the Screen from Blanking During Presentations......Page 124
6.13 Eye Candy: xscreensaver......Page 125
6.14 Redrawing the Screen......Page 127
7.2 Background Operation......Page 128
7.3 Geometry......Page 129
7.4 Split Personality: Running Nongraphical Applications......Page 131
8.1 X and Desktop Environments......Page 134
8.2 Session Managers......Page 135
8.3 Virtual Desktops......Page 136
8.4 Starting GNOME......Page 139
8.5 Starting KDE......Page 142
8.6 Starting Xfce......Page 144
8.7 Using a Window Manager Alone......Page 145
Part III......Page 149
9.1 RGB and Other Color Systems......Page 151
9.2 Visuals......Page 152
9.3 Gamma......Page 154
9.4 Color Management Systems......Page 156
10.1 Old Fonts Versus New Fonts......Page 158
10.2 Configuring the Font Path......Page 159
10.3 Using a Font Server......Page 161
10.4 Font Names......Page 162
10.5 Installing and Removing Fonts......Page 164
11.1 Client-Side Fonts......Page 166
11.3 Adding and Removing Fonts Using GNOME......Page 167
11.4 Adding and Removing Fonts Using KDE......Page 169
11.5 Fontconfig Font Names......Page 171
11.6 Fontconfig Utilities......Page 172
11.8 Rendering Options......Page 173
12.1 Keyboards and XKB......Page 177
12.3 XKB Components......Page 178
12.4 Selecting an XKB Keymap Using Rules......Page 179
12.5 Using Keyboard Groups......Page 182
12.6 Setting the Keymap in the xorg.conf File......Page 183
12.7 Setting the Keymap from the Command Line......Page 184
12.9 Compiling Keyboard Maps......Page 185
12.10 Viewing or Printing a Keyboard Layout......Page 186
Part IV......Page 189
13.2 Displaying on a Remote Server......Page 191
13.3 Enabling Remote Sessions......Page 192
GDM......Page 193
13.5 Accessing a Remote Session on Any Available Host......Page 194
13.6 Accessing a Remote Session from a List of Available Sessions......Page 195
13.7 The Three Challenges of Remote Access......Page 197
13.8 Host-Based Access Control......Page 198
13.9 xauth and Magic Cookies......Page 199
13.10 The X Security Extension......Page 202
13.11 Low-Bandwidth X (LBX)......Page 203
13.12 X Tunneling with SSH......Page 204
13.13 Using Public Keys with SSH......Page 206
13.14 Using Passphrase Protection of SSH Keys......Page 207
13.15 OpenSSH and the SECURITY Extension......Page 208
14.1 The VNC System......Page 209
14.2 So Many VNC Versions!......Page 210
14.3 Xvnc Basics......Page 211
14.4 The vncserver Script......Page 212
14.5 Using the VNC Viewers......Page 213
14.6 Using Standing VNC Servers......Page 214
14.8 Customizing the VNC Java Applet Web Page......Page 215
14.9 Starting VNC On Demand Using xinetd......Page 218
14.11 Using the Java Applet with On-Demand VNC Servers......Page 220
14.12 Accessing VNC Securely Using SSH......Page 221
14.13 Embedding an X Application in a Web Page......Page 222
14.14 Using KDE and Gnome Remote Desktop Access Tools......Page 226
14.15 Using the VNC Extension to the X.Org Server......Page 228
14.16 Using VNC to Share a Presentation......Page 229
14.17 Bypassing a Firewall......Page 231
Part V......Page 233
15.2 Selecting Kiosk Hardware......Page 235
Keyboard......Page 236
15.3 Configure X for a Kiosk......Page 237
15.4 Controlling the Keyboard......Page 238
15.5 Controlling the Mouse......Page 239
15.6 Starting a Single Fullscreen Application......Page 240
15.7 Network Status Monitoring......Page 241
15.8 Using xscreensaver to Reset a Kiosk......Page 244
15.9 Refining the Kiosk Appearance......Page 245
15.10 Putting It All Together: Scripting a Kiosk......Page 246
15.11 Booting a Kiosk......Page 248
15.12 Creating a Video Wall......Page 249
Index......Page 253