xfree86 configuration notes

Also xorg sometimes

Command on RHEL 3 is redhat-config-xfree86
Command on FC3 is system-config-display

it let me choose 1280x1024 at millions of colors, but may not have enough
video ram

The video card on consrv2 has 4 meg of video RAM, and:

1280x1024 at 16 bpp: 2*1280*1024 = 2621440 bytes
1280x1024 at 24 bpp: 4*1280*1024 = 5242880 bytes

(Most 24 bpp implementations use 4 bytes per pixel, because it's faster
to retrieve four bytes than 3)

choosing 16 bpp

logging in as dcs

getting 800x600 at 16 bpp

monitor is a dell ultrascan 1000hs series, model d1025htx.  Selected this
monitor in redhat-config-xfree86's "advanced" tab - this apparently
allowed the monitor to provide higher refresh rates.  I intentionally
selected the specific monitor, instead of autoprobing, because I figured
autoprobing would be marginally more likely to make a mess of things.

ctrl-alt-backspace to restart X

On ubuntu 5.04 with x.org:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
...or for xfree86:
dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

Looks like Debian 3 (3.x) is the same as on ubuntu 5.04.  Tri's trying
it on an alpha today, 2005-05-13

DRI stuff:

xdriinfo
glxgears
glxinfo
/var/log/Xorg.log.0
system-config-display bpp to 16 (thousands of colors) sometimes helps