Running into Trouble
Often, something will not be quite right when you initially fire
up the X server. This is almost always caused by a problem in your
xconf.org file. Usually, the
monitor timing values are off or the video card dot clocks are set
incorrectly. If your display seems to roll or the edges are fuzzy,
this is a clear indication that the monitor timing values or dot
clocks are wrong. Also be sure you are correctly specifying your video
card chipset, as well as other options for the Device
section of xconf.org. These days, there is
only one server binary, which loads the module needed for the graphics
card in question. The module that loads depends on your Device
settings.
If all else fails, try to start X "bare"; that is, use a command such as:
Xorg > /tmp/x.out 2>&1
You can then kill the X server (using the Ctrl-Alt-Backspace key
combination) and examine the contents of /tmp/x.out. The X server reports any
warnings or errorsâfor example, if your video card doesn't have a dot
clock corresponding to a mode supported by your monitor. This output
can be very helpful in diagnosing all kinds of problems. Examine it
closely if your X server does not start up at all, does not provide
the resolutions you wanted, or shows a flaky, snowy, or otherwise
insufficient picture. Even if everything works to your satisfaction,
you might want to check this file for interesting information that the
X server has found out about your hardware. The lines starting with
(**)
contain data that ...
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