XFree86 Setup Concerning Virtual Desktops -or- Argh! My eyes!

goofyheadedpunk · 06-06-2004, 07:18 PM

I realize that this question is asked quite a bit, so bear with me. How do I turn off the virtual desktop? Since Slackware's video setup makes things out to be less than they are I decided to run xf86config so I could watch movies, scroll rapidily down a web page, and so on without everything being jerky. I'd never done this before, so on the first time through I screwed up. Then I went back though again, screwed up again. However I did know to avoid answering yes to the bit that asks me if I wanted a virtual desktop.

I hate virtual desktops.

Anyway, on my third time through I accidentally enabled the virtual desktop. "Noooo!" I'd already been through the setup three times, why not another? I fired up xf86config again and was prepared to answer that no, I did not want a virtual desktop. It never asked. So I went through again. Still no asking about virtual desktops.

"Time to read the manual." After doing so I opened up XF86config, found the screen section, and was a bit dismayed to find that the line I needed to edit was not there. (I don't remember what it is at the moment, but I'm going to guess you guys know what I'm talking about. If not, I'll look it up again.) Here's it is:

Code:

# **********************************************************************
# Screen sections
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of screen sections may be present.  Each describes
# the configuration of a single screen.  A single specific screen section
# may be specified from the X server command line with the "-screen"
# option.
Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen 1"
    Device      "** SiS (generic)                      [sis]"
    Monitor     "My Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection

I've looked at a lot of material to try and fix this myself, but most people just suggest to run XF86config again, or use some KDE wizard. Like I've said before XF86config doesn't give the option anymore, and I use fluxbox. Any help is appreciated, as my eyesight is pretty good now and I'd like to keep it like that.

p.s. Is it just me, or does the spell checker not recognize Slackware as a word?

r_jensen11 · 06-06-2004, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by goofyheadedpunk
I realize that this question is asked quite a bit, so bear with me. How do I turn off the virtual desktop? Since Slackware's video setup makes things out to be less than they are I decided to run xf86config so I could watch movies, scroll rapidily down a web page, and so on without everything being jerky. I'd never done this before, so on the first time through I screwed up. Then I went back though again, screwed up again. However I did know to avoid answering yes to the bit that asks me if I wanted a virtual desktop.

I hate virtual desktops.

Anyway, on my third time through I accidentally enabled the virtual desktop. "Noooo!" I'd already been through the setup three times, why not another? I fired up xf86config again and was prepared to answer that no, I did not want a virtual desktop. It never asked. So I went through again. Still no asking about virtual desktops.

"Time to read the manual." After doing so I opened up XF86config, found the screen section, and was a bit dismayed to find that the line I needed to edit was not there. (I don't remember what it is at the moment, but I'm going to guess you guys know what I'm talking about. If not, I'll look it up again.) Here's it is:

Code:

# ********************************************************************** # Screen sections # ********************************************************************** # Any number of screen sections may be present. Each describes # the configuration of a single screen. A single specific screen section # may be specified from the X server command line with the "-screen" # option. Section "Screen" Identifier "Screen 1" Device "** SiS (generic) [sis]" Monitor "My Monitor" DefaultDepth 24 Subsection "Display" Depth 8 Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" ViewPort 0 0 EndSubsection Subsection "Display" Depth 16 Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" ViewPort 0 0 EndSubsection Subsection "Display" Depth 24 Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" ViewPort 0 0 EndSubsection EndSection

I've looked at a lot of material to try and fix this myself, but most people just suggest to run XF86config again, or use some KDE wizard. Like I've said before XF86config doesn't give the option anymore, and I use fluxbox. Any help is appreciated, as my eyesight is pretty good now and I'd like to keep it like that.

p.s. Is it just me, or does the spell checker not recognize Slackware as a word?

That section looks good to me. Try cycling through your resolutions, though. Hit Control+Alt+Num+ or Num-, and see if you can get out of the virtual desktop that way. VD's will always be available on X, but I've never really understood the reasoning for the question in the config tool....

goofyheadedpunk · 06-06-2004, 07:45 PM

I've tried cycling through all the resolutions. The virtual desktop exists on all of them, save for the highest resolution. That's too high though, and it's killing my eyes.

Shade · 06-07-2004, 01:17 AM

Oh

Then simply remove the first resolution.
Your default color depth is 24, and it starts at 1280x1024. Just remove 1280x1024, making 1024x768 the first one. It´ll use that, and blam --- no viewport.

--Shade

max_ooze · 06-07-2004, 01:38 AM

better still, just change the line to:
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" "1280x1024"
so you still have the "1280x1024" res if you want it..

Shade · 06-07-2004, 03:11 AM

Not quite... that will still give him the viewport.

The desktop *size* is always going to be the highest *resolution*.
The point is that X can switch resolutions on the fly, but the size is always going to remain the same.
If he wants his desktop to be 1024x768, that needs to be the highest resolution.

--Shade

goofyheadedpunk · 06-07-2004, 08:25 AM

Thanks. Worked like a charm. I just deleted the resolutions that I did not want.

max_ooze · 06-07-2004, 03:58 PM

Ahh yes my bad, but I did find that KDE3 has a menu option ->system settings/display where you can change KDE's desktop size to anthing listed in your mode line.
I would just hate to lose a res if I didn't need to, as I run the mode line:
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "700x525" "640x512" "640x480" "720x400" "640x400" "576x432" "640x350" "576x384" "512x384" "416x312" "400x300" "320x240" "360x200" "320x200" "320x175"
so Xmame can pick the best mode for full screen.
Don't know if it helps goofyheadedpunk 'cause he is running fluxbox, but nice to know you can fill up your mode line