I have many Linux distributions on my system, a Dell Dimension 4100 desktop computer, and every one of them works fine.

Recently I installed OpenBSD 3.4 on the same system, and the base installation worked fine, too. The XFree86 configuration scripts require more manual configuration than most of the recent Linux systems, and I haven't had as much free time as in the past to tweak with the configuration and learn the differences in naming conventions, font paths, and other issues. I haven't had much success getting a good X configuration working with OpenBSD.

At one point, I thought I'd steal a working Linux Xfree86 configuration and port it to OpenBSD. Unfortunately, doing so necessitates modfiying devices because the names of things are definitely different.

I'm hoping that if I post a working Linux X configuration file, someone can help me translate it into something that would work on the same system with OpenBSD 3.4.

Here's my current file from my Debian Linux system:

### BEGIN DEBCONF SECTION
# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 server configuration file) generated by dexconf, the
# Debian X Configuration tool, using values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# If you want your changes to this file preserved by dexconf, only make changes
# before the "### BEGIN DEBCONF SECTION" line above, and/or after the
# "### END DEBCONF SECTION" line below.
#
# To change things within the debconf section, run the command:
# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
# as root. Also see "How do I add custom sections to a dexconf-generated
# XF86Config or XF86Config-4 file?" in /usr/share/doc/xfree86-common/FAQ.gz.

Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic Video Card"
Driver "nv"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
HorizSync 30-57
VertRefresh 43-72
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Generic Video Card"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "Generic Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

### END DEBCONF SECTION

run XFree86 -Configure as root and follow the instructions.
You might want to tweak a little bit the XF86Config after moving it to /etc/X11 directory to add the mouse wheel(ZAxisMapping,...)

post the /var/log/XFree here, the last part of it.
I don't think you can use ImPS/2 on bsd, try using Auto.

No, it messes up every time. Use "Auto"

I concur with mrcheeks' command; XFree86 -Configure. Once done, just add (using an editor) the DefaultDepth and Modes in the XF86Config file, i.e;

DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

That's all you need to configure XFree86 in OpenBSD 3.4. What I admire about OpenBSD (at least in the last 2 versions) is it automatically and correctly configures (using XFree86 -Configure) usb mouse and scrolling, unlike FreeBSD.

Thanks for the suggestions thus far. I thought I had checked the Email notification when I posed the original request; hadn't had much time to check back - apparently I didn't check the box the first time or I overlooked the responses.

I'll try the configure flag and see if it helps me out. Perhaps when I use the configure flag, it'll get everything I need without a lot of manual hacking required. Also the pointers about using Auto instead of explicitly specifying IMPS/2 are worth looking into. I was kind of hoping someone else was familiar with both Linux and OpenBSD implementations of XFree86, because I have a perfectly good working config file on several Linux distros that already are installed and working on the same hardware. Oh well, I'll try it this way instead. Meanwhile, in the event that someone comes along that knows the default font paths on OpenBSD 3.4 and the correct name of the mouse device for a Microsoft Wheel Mouse (IMPS/2) as implemented on OpenBSD (or it's "auto" alternative), that'd be very helpful!

Thanks for the suggestions that have already been offerred!

xset -q
shows your font path (from X, of course). Of course you can grep FontPath in your XF86Config.