How do i edit XF86Config-4???

**donutman** · 08-25-2004, 03:13 PM

Hi,

I have installed knoppix to hd, using the tohd cheat, and normally boot with fromhd, home and myconfig cheats.

My problem is that I have a 'weird' graphics card in my laptop, so the only way I even get a screen is by using xmodule and screen cheats. Then I only get 800x600.

Good news is that I found a XF86Config-4 file that supposedly will make my graphics card being recognised.

Problem is that I don't know how to get this file to be read on startup (I'm a newbie to Linux and Knoppix..)

The only place I found this file was in a archive called configs.tbz, since I figured I may have problem editing this (since I believe it is mounted somehow when read from hd??? There is no /etc/xx folderstructure on my harddrive), I rebooted with minimal cheats, ie, using vanilla cd (not using the hd files at all).

I then opened a console, changed to root (su) mounted my mnt/hda1 (harddrive) with read write privilegies (mount hda1 -o rw), changed rights (chmod 777 configs.tbz) and made a successful copy to another file in the same directory.

I then used a graphical compression software, and was able to browse the contents of configs.tbz. Problem is, when I choose the XF86.. file to view/edit or extract, nothing happens. Editors come up blank, and nothing happens on extract.

Is there anyway I can edit this tbz file, or can I perhaps put this file somewhere else, where it will override the one in the tbz file?

Please keep in mind I'm a newbie, so any suggestions should be very step by step!

Thanks so much, great forum by the way!

-Tom

**GuyLeDouche** · 08-25-2004, 06:28 PM

All you need to worry about is the XF86Config-4 file. Don't worry about the other zipped file. The XF86Config-4 file is located in /etc/X11/. Open it and sroll down to the Screen section. In it, you will see several SubSections. Each one, the highest resolution will probably be 800X600. For example: Modes "800X600" "640X480". Then just add the resolution you want to each subsection. For example: Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480". Make sure that you root when you do this. Then save it and restart the computer. The XF86Conig-4 file is read whenever a Desktop is started.

**donutman** · 08-25-2004, 07:05 PM

Thanks for your reply. Actually, I did what they call a "poor mans install" and it did not create the directory you refer to. I suspect it mounts the archive somehow, to save space.

I am actually doing more of a 'real' install now, using the 'knoppix-installer' script, though I'm running into issues with this as well..

First I used Debian installer, to create 2 partions (one bootable)+swap partition. Then I ran knoppix from cd. When running knoppix-installer, it shows hda1 as the only choice, but I am not allowed to check the checkbox..since I can't, it fails later on in the process, presumably because there is no partition selected..

I tried to get around this, by mounting the drive, mounting it as ext3, and format it using mke2fs, but nothing seems to work..

I suspect for whatever reason, my attempts fail, and it is really an ext2 filesystem. Not sure if this can cause the problem.

I'm really trying hard to like Linux, but this is very complicated compared to what I am used to

I never spent more than a couple of hours installing an OS, but this has taken me several hours, and I feel like I haven't even started.

Any help would again be greatly appreciated!!

-Tom