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#1 2005-04-21 20:36:51

Carbono
Member
From: Quebec City, Canada
Registered: 2005-04-13
Posts: 54

xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

Dear Helpful Community-

My arch system is getting well on it's way to perfection, and I'm grateful to all of you who helped.

I installed and upgraded several packages on my system (firefox, cups, xorg, etc).

I managed to configure adequately the xorg.conf file, generated using Archie's mkxconf that I edited based on phrakture (http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … =1400x1050)  and adapted for my 1400x1050 LCD screen.

I have two questions:

1) Is it possible to use graphical applications such as firefox and thunderbird without having a graphical environment installed (e.g. Gnome, KDE), just by typing ''firefox'' or ''xmms'' at the command line, for example? When I issued the command ''firefox'', I get the following message:

(firefox-bin:4863) : Gtk-WARNING ** : cannot open display :

When I try ''xmms'' I get this one:

** CRITICAL ** : Unable to open display

Do I get these because I don't have Gnome or else installed? It seems like my X server is working because when I type ''startx'', the X server starts and the resolution is good.


2) When I exit the X session (Ctrl+Alt+Backspace), I get some error messages:

The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
>Error:                                No symbols named "nodeadkeys" in the include file "pc/us"
>Exiting
>Abandonig symbols file "defaults"
Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server


Then I get several lines of:

Warning: font renderer for ".pcf" already registered at priority 0
Warning: font ...
...
...
Fontconfig error : "local.conf", line 6: not well-formed (invalid token)



The error in the local.conf file comes from the line (line 6) I uncommented after one of the upgrades/installed I made with pacman: I don't know how to uncomment an xml file!!! I deleted the "!" at the beginning of line 6 where it says "Use the Auto-Hinter". Maybe that's wrong...

I don't have a clue why I get al the "Warning : font..." errors nor why I get the xkbcomp error.


Does anybody have some clues  or is knowful enough with Xorg to help with these questions?

Thanks a lot!

Gui

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#2 2005-04-21 20:45:15

phrakture
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From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

ok, to #1 - no, you need an xserver to use any graphical app... though you can sort of do something like "xinit firefox"....

for the next two:
a) can you post your keyboard section from xorg.conf
b) can you post your local.conf

FYI xml files are commented just like HTML:

<!-- this is a comment -->
<this>
   <is>
      <some>xml</some>
   </is>
</this>

in local.conf, you need to make sure the comment tags remain around the text above each comment... like this:

<!-- uncomment this
<here>
   <is>commented xml</is>
</here>
-->

turns into:

<!-- uncomment this -->
<here>
   <is>commented xml</is>
</here>

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#3 2005-04-21 20:46:35

phrakture
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Posts: 7,879
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

also, post your modules section of your xorg.conf - that's where the "font renderer for .pcf already registered" is from...

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#4 2005-04-21 21:09:24

Carbono
Member
From: Quebec City, Canada
Registered: 2005-04-13
Posts: 54

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

Thanks phrakture :

I uncommented the local.conf file as you showed me and I sarted and stoped X : Now the error about the local.conf file is gone, so I guess you won't need this file.

From xorg.conf:

Section "InputDevice"
            Identifier  "Keyboard0"
            Driver      "Keyboard"
            Option      "CoreKeyboard"
            Option  "XkbRules"   "xfree86"
            Option  "XkbModel"  "pc105"
            Option  "XkbLayout" " "
            Option  "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"
EndSection


BTW, my keyboard is a 87-keys french keyboard.

For the modules section of xorg.conf, I'll post it later tonight since I got to back home right now!

Thanx a lot for your quick reply, as usual.

gui

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#5 2005-04-21 21:20:41

phrakture
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From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

ok, the "nodeadkeys" error has to do with the missing layout.... IIRC, the layout defaults to "us" and the "us" mapping doesn't have settings for "nodeadkeys" - try setting:

Option "XkbLayout" "fr"

or something to that effect... I don't know if FR is right.... and I can't seem to find much on google...

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#6 2005-04-22 00:19:56

Carbono
Member
From: Quebec City, Canada
Registered: 2005-04-13
Posts: 54

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

Ok. I tried :

Option "XkbLayout" "fr"

With this setting, I don't get this message anymore:

The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
>Error: No symbols named "nodeadkeys" in the include file "pc/us"
>Exiting
>Abandonig symbols file "defaults"
Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server

BUT, my keyboard turned from Qwerty to Azerty, which they use in France but not here in french Canada (where I live). My keyboard is french canadian I guess: Qwerty, with french characters (e.g., "É").

When my Option "XkbLayout" is set to " ", my keyboard has the right configuration (i.e., most of the keys do their character on the screen) but I get the error message. Also, there are some characters I can't print in X (e.g., "]" or "[").  Could it be because of the Option "XkbModel "pc105" and the fact I have 87 keys?


Here are the modules in my xorg.conf:


Section "Files"
            RgbPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11rgb"
            ModulePath    "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc :unscaled"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi :unscaled"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi :unscaled"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/PEX"
#Additional fonts : Locale, Gimp, TTF...
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
#            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/75dpi"
#            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/100dpi"
#True type and type1 fonts are also handled via xftlib, #see /etc/X11/XftConfig!
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
            FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/western"
            FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/decoratives"
            FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/truetype"
            FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/openoffice"
            FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-bitstream-vera"
            FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/latex-ttf-fonts"
            FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/openoffice"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/CID"
            FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/TrueType"
EndSection

Section  "Module"
             Load "ddc"  #ddc probing of monitor
             Load "GLcore"
             Load "dbe"
             Load "dri" 
             Load "extmod"
             Load "glx"
             Load "bitmap   #bitmap-fonts 
             Load "type1"
             Load "freetype"
             Load "record"
EndSection


As I mentionned at the beginning of this thread, I edited xorg.conf based on one of the settings you  (phrakture) gave, but I only edited the "Screen" section and the "Display" subsections  to improve the resolution of my LCD screen (this worked). I also commented the "DRI" Section at the end but I don't know what that does?


I hope these suppl. infos will help you. Thanx again!

P.S. What IIRC means?

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#7 2005-04-22 01:10:34

fetreney2000
Member
From: Malaysia
Registered: 2005-02-01
Posts: 81

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

Just use

Option "XkbLayout" " " 

and delete the line

Option "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"

The "nodeadkeys" will make it impossible to switch to other VC (ctrl + alt + F{1,2,3,4,5,6,7}).

IIRC = If I Recall Correctly smile

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#8 2005-04-22 01:53:20

iphitus
Forum Fellow
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2004-10-09
Posts: 4,927

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

If you are getting cannot open display errors try:

export DISPLAY=:0.0

before you run them in the console

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#9 2005-04-22 04:56:15

Carbono
Member
From: Quebec City, Canada
Registered: 2005-04-13
Posts: 54

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

fetreney2000 wrote:

Just use

Option "XkbLayout" " " 

and delete the line

Option "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"

The "nodeadkeys" will make it impossible to switch to other VC (ctrl + alt + F{1,2,3,4,5,6,7}).

Option "XkbLayout" " " worked. But you have to put no space between "".

Now I have an english keyboard, so no "é", è", etc. I'll look for other possible XkbLayout that would give me a french canadian keyboard.

I commented the "nodeadkeys" line. Now I can switch between VC. But how do I get back to the X Window VC?


And finally, I can run xmms and firefox, and opera (and a lot more I guess!). But to run them, I need to be in xterm first, I cannot start them from the VC. Why? Is there a way to do it directly from console?

Thanxs

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#10 2005-04-22 05:01:16

shadowhand
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From: MN, USA
Registered: 2004-02-19
Posts: 1,142
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

You can't start X applications from a VC because it requires a running X server.

VC/7 is the default X server VC.


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#11 2005-04-22 05:04:01

Carbono
Member
From: Quebec City, Canada
Registered: 2005-04-13
Posts: 54

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

iphitus wrote:

If you are getting cannot open display errors try:

export DISPLAY=:0.0

before you run them in the console

I tried this command followed by the command firefox, and I still got that Gtk-WARNING** : cannot open diplay

I don't know why...

I also tried:

  xlsfonts*.bdf.Z

since this font is among the font names listed in the multiple warnings issued after xterm is shut down (see first post of this thread). This issue is still unresolved...

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#12 2005-04-22 05:15:21

shadowhand
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From: MN, USA
Registered: 2004-02-19
Posts: 1,142
Website

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

Comment out 

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/CID" 

and see if it makes a difference.

If it helps, heres the font section from my xorg.conf:

Section "Files"
    RgbPath      "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
    ModulePath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
    FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
    FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/"
    FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
    #FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID/"
    FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
    FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
EndSection

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#13 2005-04-22 05:19:46

phrakture
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From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

Ok two things:
If you haven't run "startx" or anything you cannot run graphical apps.  You don't need gnome/KDE to run them, you can use a smaller window manager (try fluxbox?), but you have to be running X

Secondly, the font render issue is from the modules section or xorg.conf:

Section "Module"
  Load "ddc" #this is fine - for determining resolution
  Load "GLcore" #this is fine - for openGL
  Load "dbe" #this is fine - for double buffering when rendering
  Load "dri" #this is fine - for DRI (remove this if using nvidia)
  Load "extmod" #this is fine - for random X stuff, like the Shape extension
  Load "glx" #this is fine - another openGL module

  Load "bitmap" #font module for bitmap fonts
  Load "type1" #font module for type1 fonts
  Load "freetype" #font module for alot of stuff...

  Load "record" #not sure what this is, but it doesn't deal with fonts
EndSection

if you look at my comments, there are only 3 font module there which could cause this - freetype is really important, so don't remove that.... that leaves bitmap and type1...

look here: http://wiki2.archlinux.org/index.php/XO … figuration

the top lists what each xorg module can handle...
    * freetype - support for True Type (ttf, ttc), Type1 (pfa, pfb), CID (cid), CFF, Open Type, bitmap (bdf, pcf, snf), Windows (fnt), PFR, and Type42 fonts
    * type1 - support for Type1 (pfa, pfb) and CID (cid) fonts
    * bitmap - support for bitmap (bdf, pcf, snf) fonts

so freetype overlaps both of them - go ahead and remove both bitmap and type1, leaving only freetype... then try again

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#14 2005-04-22 05:24:08

shadowhand
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From: MN, USA
Registered: 2004-02-19
Posts: 1,142
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

phrakture wrote:

Ok two things:
If you haven't run "startx" or anything you cannot run graphical apps.  You don't need gnome/KDE to run them, you can use a smaller window manager (try fluxbox?), but you have to be running X

Actually, I was intrigued by the idea that you might be able to do it without a WM, and I was right. First of all, you have to make sure you don't have a .xinitrc, then do this:

xinit -e application

And replace "application" with whatever app you want to run. Now, be warned, you can't move, or resize windows at all, but the app _will_ run. I tested it with Firefox, and used full screen mode (F11) to get it maximized enough to use it. Pretty neat that you can do it, even if it is useless.  lol  8)

For those that are interested, it appears that using "xinit" when no .xinitrc is present causes the X server to start and to only open xterm, so technically, you can use any option that you an pass to xterm. Since the -e option makes xterm launch an application, I used xinit -e firefox to start firefox from xterm, which was started by xinit. When I exited Firefox, the X session ended. Pretty interesting stuff or maybe just an ugly hack. 8)


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#15 2005-04-22 06:09:37

phrakture
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Posts: 7,879
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

yeah, I've seen that before... and used it once or twice.... it'd be cool for something like a thin client... have "xinit -e firefox" respawn on runlevel 5 and make sure to set the "DontZap" option and you have an internet terminal...

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#16 2005-04-22 06:24:24

shadowhand
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From: MN, USA
Registered: 2004-02-19
Posts: 1,142
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Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

phrakture wrote:

yeah, I've seen that before... and used it once or twice.... it'd be cool for something like a thin client... have "xinit -e firefox" respawn on runlevel 5 and make sure to set the "DontZap" option and you have an internet terminal...

Actually, last summer I was thinking of setting up a Linux laptop like this, but never played around with the idea for long. Find a way to make the menubar dissappear, make a script to start firefox in fullscreen mode and keep the process running, log in, startx, and boom, secure internet terminal. If someone finds a way to crash firefox and get the prompt, 99% of people will have no idea what to do in the 1/2 second that they see the terminal before the script restarts firefox. smile Maybe I'll get rich this summer. lol


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#17 2005-04-22 07:04:50

fetreney2000
Member
From: Malaysia
Registered: 2005-02-01
Posts: 81

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

You can also do that by creating a blank .xinitrc file and only put whatever application you want to run.
For example :

#!/bin/bash
firefox

Then type startx to execute X with only firefox. Its the same as xinit -e firefox. This way we can boot to run level 5 and has only firefox running without any window manager.

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#18 2005-04-22 14:12:10

Carbono
Member
From: Quebec City, Canada
Registered: 2005-04-13
Posts: 54

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

phrakture wrote:

the top lists what each xorg module can handle...
    * freetype - support for True Type (ttf, ttc), Type1 (pfa, pfb), CID (cid), CFF, Open Type, bitmap (bdf, pcf, snf), Windows (fnt), PFR, and Type42 fonts
    * type1 - support for Type1 (pfa, pfb) and CID (cid) fonts
    * bitmap - support for bitmap (bdf, pcf, snf) fonts

so freetype overlaps both of them - go ahead and remove both bitmap and type1, leaving only freetype... then try again

Thanks phrakture, It works perfectly (no error message at all).

One thing though: I tried Firefox and some characters (e.g., blue results in Google) look a little blurry, any idea why and how to fix this?

shadowhand wrote:

Actually, I was intrigued by the idea that you might be able to do it without a WM, and I was right. First of all, you have to make sure you don't have a .xinitrc, then do this:

xinit -e application 

For me at least, it works even with a .xinitrc file in my home directory.
The only line uncommented in this file is:

exec wmaker

.
What this file does? If for example I install flubox and uncomment the only line:

exec flubox

in the .xinitrc, is it flubox that will be launched with the startx command?

Gui

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#19 2005-04-22 15:53:41

fetreney2000
Member
From: Malaysia
Registered: 2005-02-01
Posts: 81

Re: xorg & local.conf file, along with other CRITICAL errors

Yes but you need to install fluxbox first by typing pacman -S fluxbox-devel

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