XFree Local Multi-User HOWTO

Svetoslav Slavtchev

<svetoslav (at) users.sourcefourge.net>

Sep 2003

Revision History
Revision 1.1.1	2003-09-04	Revised by: SS
update email, add "Known Limitations" & some info on : bug-reporting, X -probeonly, XFree PrefBusId version 2
Revision 1.1.0	2003-07-14	Revised by: SS
sync input agent with examples, a bit more about ruby, less Fix-Me's, additions to video compatibility
Revision 1.0	2003-05-13	Revised by: TP
Initial release, reviewed by LDP.

This HOWTO explains the shortest way to get a working, multiple, local X user-capable PC system. It is not intended to be a replacement of the existing documentation on the Backstreet Ruby home page, which you'll probably need to consult for more detailed information in case of problems.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1. About Backstreet Ruby
1.2. About this document
1.3. Related Documentation
1.4. New versions of this document
1.5. Copyright and License
1.6. Disclaimer
1.7. Credits/Contributors
1.8. Feedback/Bug Reporting

2. Before we begin

2.1. Known Limitations
2.2. XFree configuration files
2.3. Reusing Xinerama configured XFree
2.4. Binary packages

3. Installing the kernel

3.1. Installing the Backstreet Ruby kernel
3.2. Notes on building your own kernel
3.3. Creating needed device files
3.4. Notes on using multiple VT's
3.5. Keyboard numbering(order of detection)

4. Setting up the X servers

4.1. Installing modified X server
4.2. Creating symbolic links
4.3. Using independent keyboards with XFree
4.4. Using independent mice with XFree
4.5. For graphic cards without DRI
4.6. Nvidia GLX & DRI

5. More on configuring input devices

5.1. Finding the real devices
5.2. Using hotplug with input.agent
5.3. Using XFree with event interface support
5.4. Using the "Phys" descriptor and USB devices

6. Configuring display managers

6.1. Configuring xdm and kdm
6.2. Configuring gdm

7. Tweaking it

7.1. Using independent sound cards
7.2. Customising the login screen
7.3. 1st X server configuration file
7.4. Number X servers started by Display managers
7.5. Dynamically switching the number of X servers

8. Known problems

8.1. Hardware problems
8.2. Software problems

9. Special notes on some distributions

9.1. Mandrake
9.2. Red Hat
9.3. Debian
9.4. SuSE

10. Final words

A. Video Compatibility list

A.1. Graphic card pairs/triples that work perfectly
A.2. Graphic card pairs/triples that work, but with some glitches

B. Example configuration files

B.1. XFree86
B.2. Display managers
B.3. Configuration files for Input Agent

C.1. input.agent
C.2. input.agent for use with XFree supporting event devices
C.3. Wrapper for starting X using Nvidia libGL.so
C.4. For installing Nvidia drivers for parallel use with DRI

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		Introduction