COMPUTER HELP AND TIPS.

Showing posts with label X Windows. Show all posts

Using XrandR to control video projector

This is the 2nd part of my entry of xrandr. I have written a previous entry Using xrandr to change screen resolution and orientation

This blog entry essentially is to how how we can control monitor and projector.

Note 1: Firstly do a query on the connected port (ie projector)
# xrandr --query (You should be able to get your graphics output status whether it is VGA, HDMI etc)

Note 2: Setting the best resolution for the connected port (ie projector)
# xrandr --output VGA --auto

Note 3: Cloning mode for both internal monitor (DVI) and external projector (VGA)
# xrandr --output VGA --mode 1024x768 --same-as DVI --output DVI --mode 1024x768

Note 4: Switching Off the Video Projector and turn off the Internal Monitor
# xrandr --output VGA --off
# xrandr --output DVI --auto

Further Readings:

Project XRandR

Using xdpyinfo to display information utility for X

According to the manual page, xdpyinfo is a useful utility for diaplaying information about an X server. It can be used to examine

Capabilities of the server
Predefined values for various parameters in communicating between clients and the server
Different types of screen and visuals available

Commands to use

# xdpyinfo -display :0

Using VNC Server on CentOS with Windows VNC Viewer

Virtual Network Computing (VNC) allows user to have access to remote GUI console. For CentOS, the vncserver comes installed.

Step 1: Starting a VNC Session on Vncserver

Step 1a: Remember to turn on the services by issuing the commands

# service vncserver start

Step 1b: Enter the VNC Password

# vncpasswd

(Type and confirm the password)

Step 1c: Test the VncServer

# vncserver

New 'xxx.yourserverdomain.com:2 (root)' desktop is xxx.yourserverdomain.com:2
Starting applications specified in /root/.vnc/xstartupLog file is /root/.vnc/xxx.yourserverdomain.com:2.log

Step 2 - Connecting to VNC session using VN Client

Step 2: Use an TightVNC or RealVNC for the Client

Step 2a: Type into the VNC Clients the VNC Server connection

xxx.yourdomainserver.com:2

You have your connection.........

Step 3 - Changing default Windows Manager to Gnome Session
(Change the default twm windows )

# vim ~/.vnc/xstartup

# Type the following at your xstartup:

unset SESSION_MANAGER
exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid greyvncconfig -iconic &xterm -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &
gnome-session &

Step 4: How to kill VNC Server Connection
At the VNCServer,

# vncserver -kill :2

Gnome evine - Document Viewer

Evine is a simple document viewer that support a number of format such as PDF, Postscript, DjVu, DVI, tiff. he goal of evince is to replace the multiple document viewers that exist on the GNOME Desktop with a single simple application.

Evine comes by default when you install GNOME for most Linux Distribution. If evine is not installed by default, just do a
# apt-get install evine (for debian variants) OR
# yum install evine (RH variants)

SSH over Nautilus GUI file manager

You can navigate remote file server using Nautilus File Manager via SSH Protocol (sFTP) and FTP Protocol in Gnome

Enter the necessaru information and you will able to see your remote file system on your Nautilus File Manager

Xming, X Windows Server for Microsoft

Use this tools very often when I'm using a Windows OS and need a X Windows to my LINUX Server

Xming is the leading free unlimited X Window server for Microsoft Windows (XP/2003/Vista). It is fully featured, small and fast, simple to install and being standalone native Microsoft Windows, easily transported portable as a Pocket PC X server.

At the download page, download the Xming-mesa instead of Xming. Most versatile so far....

Using nautilus to display icons at Fedora 9

On a clean install of Fedora 9, you will not be able to see icons on the Desktop, as the nautilus package is not install by default.

Just do a "yum install nautilus"

Conky System Monitor for X

Conky is a free, light-weight system monitor for X, that displays any information on your desktop
URL: http://conky.sourceforge.net/

Using xrandr to change screen resolution and orientation

X RandR is a useful tool to configure display ports, display modes and properties such as orientation, reflection and DPI.

Some simple usage of xrandr
$ xrandr -v (Server reports RandR version 1.3)
$ xrandr -q (query what screens are connected)
$ xrandr -s 1280x800 (screen resolution)
$ xrandr -o inverted (orientation inverted, left, right, normal)

Do note that for xrandr -0 , your screen might freeze after the command, you may want to use xrandr --verbose to check the error.

To extend xrandr to utilise and join 2 monitor together, you may want to look at http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Xorg_RandR_1.2 for more information

Using Gnome Guake

Gnome Guake is a sniffy little tool that help you access your command line. Once you launch the launch the Guake, it is tucked nicely in your bottom-right hand tray. Just press F12 and you have the command line. You can have tab functions for several command line screen similar to Mozilla.

To install just
# apt-get install guake

For more information on Guake, you can look at Guake Website

Using CentOS GUI Package Manager

If you wish to X forward the CentOS GUI Package Manager to your Windows Terminal ot Linux Box, you may wish to do the following first....

Step 1: Establish the Remote Connection

Using Putty, Xming to forward X11 (For Windows Terminal)
Speeding and Compressing X forwarding Traffic (For Linux Box)

Step 2: Install pirut

Using yum effectively (Part 2)

Installing Cairo-Dock for Fedora 11

Cairo-Dock is an animated application launch bar for the desktop, comparable to the dock in Mac OS X. Cairo-Dock. You can use Cairo-Dock with OpenGL and is compatible with Compiz-Fusion, Beryl, Compiz and Xcompmgr,

Currently Cairo-Dock packages are available on rpmfusion-free repositories.. To install cairo-dock, simply
# yum install cairo-dock\*

For further information

Integrated Development Environment for C, C++, Python and GTK

Anjuta is a versatile Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for C and C++ on GNU/Linux.

Anjuta also works well with Glade fro building Gnome Apps GTK. Do note that there is also support for Java and Python.

The application wizards is a wonderful feature as it guide you along to setting up all the files for the project.

One limiting feature is the lack of quality documentation.

To install for Debian distro derivatives
# apt-get install anjuta

To install for Red-Hat Distro Derivatives
# yum install anjuta

Troubleshooting X Windows at CentOS

When you run startx and nothing happens, the error is written into the log file of the X windows usually located at /var/log/Xorg.0.log. Errors are usually marked with "(EE)". You can extract information Error in Xorg.0.log with this command
# grep EE /var/log/Xorg.0.log

If you do not have a xorg.conf file, you can install by running
# yum install system-config-display
# system-config-display

If system-config-display setup GUI is not able to solve the issue, you can use command line
# system-config-display --set-resolution=1280x960 --set-depth=32 --set-driver=nvida (For more options, run system-config-display --help)

Goldmine of GUI Admin Tools - GadminTools

For first timers to Linux, you may just want to start with some cool GUI Admin Tools, look no further, go to GadminTools (http://gadmintools.flippedweb.com/) and you can download stuff like Gadmin-ProFtpd to configure your Linux FTP

Using glxinfo to diagnose 3D acceleration issues

glxinfo is a command-line tool that can help you diagnose problems with your 3D acceleration setup.

How do we check that our 3D Acclerlation are working, you can use the command.

# glxinfo |grep render

--------------------------------------------------------------

direct rendering: Yes
OpenGL renderer string: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 Series
---------------------------------------------------------------

The OpenGL rendering tells you what driver was used in the rendering. It distinuishes between software and hardware rendering.

The article from dri.freedesktop.org titled glxinfo provides a good articles on how glxinfo information canbe interpreted to understand on hardware / indirect / software rendering which will help to understand 3D Acceleration Issues.

For 3D Acceleration performance hardware is the best. The slowest is software obviously.

If you are using Ubuntu, you can go to the Ubuntu X/Troubleshooting to take a look

Compiz and Emerald to make Linux Desktop cool

Emerald is a custom window decorator that is shipped with Compiz. It is one of the most and easily configurable window manager.

Emerald is usually available as an additional package and has to install seperately.
# aptitude install emerald

Once installed you can launch the Emerald Theme Manager and choose your preferred theme or customise your look and replace. Once configured
$ emerald --replace

To import interesting theme, you can go to http://www.compiz-themes.org/ to download the latest theme. To load the theme, simply use the Emerald Theme Manager to import in the .emerald file

Awesome.

Using Xrestop to troubleshoot X applications

Xrestop is a lesser known "top-like" tool to query information on the clients connected to X11. It shows the X clients programs that are using the most resources organised by pixmap memory usage. In addition, it provides administrators to quickly locate problematic X Windows Application, but not the tool to kill it.