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Frank Peters posted on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:54:35 -0500 as excerpted: |
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|
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> On Wed, 21 Jan 2015 02:29:41 +0000 (UTC) |
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> Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@×××.net> wrote: |
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> |
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>> With xorg.conf.d directories now being the preferred configuration |
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>> method, eselect-opengl now uses that, changing the 20-opengl.conf or |
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>> whatever file it drops into the xorg.conf.d dir, instead of changing |
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>> symlinks. |
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>> |
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> I would hesitate to use the term "preferred configuration." |
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> |
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> Although I am venturing into philosophical areas with this comment, |
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> Xorg has taken the stance of being very versatile in its configuration |
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> scheme, and that is how it should be. |
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> |
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> According to the xorg.conf man page: |
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> |
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> "Xorg supports several mechanisms for supplying/obtaining configuration |
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> and run-time parameters: command line options, environment variables, |
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> the xorg.conf and xorg.conf.d configuration files, auto-detection, and |
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> fallback defaults ..." |
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> |
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> IMO it is an excellent design to allow the user so much choice in |
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> handling how his X server is configured. To suddenly single out a |
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> "preferred" method from this versatile approach is a definite injustice. |
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|
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The user may, of course, use whatever configuration method _they_ prefer, |
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including dynamic via commandline, likely via script. |
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|
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However, in the context I was using it above, that is, in regard to |
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eselect, "preferred" applies as much to the distribution's normal default |
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config, as variance from the upstream-shipped builtins, as much as to the |
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user's config, as variance from the distro-shipped configuration. |
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|
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... Tho of course with a meta-distro such as gentoo, there's a distinct |
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blurring of the lines, because gentoo-user/admins build their own using |
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ebuilds, which expose many of the traditionally upstream and distro level |
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build-time choices directly to the user/admin. But the general upstream/ |
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distro/user level config roles still apply to /some/ extent, and as such, |
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remain useful characterizations. ... |
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|
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Anyway... |
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|
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The distro-level flexibility (and thus preferred status) of the *.d drop- |
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in-directory approach is that it's dynamic and largely automated -- and |
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upstream too has been tilting toward dynamic/automated configuration, |
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thus expanding support for this sort of thing dramatically over the |
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years, see the hotplug dynamics of inputclass sections as opposed to |
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(legacy) individually configured input device sections, for instance, as |
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well as the whole *.d dropin-directory thing, etc. |
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|
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At the distro level, then, what we see is that if someone for instance |
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has a touchpad, and the synaptics driver is installed (either by the user |
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or in some automated fashion, say due to detection at installation |
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pulling in the driver), that driver drops a config file in the |
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appropriate xorg.conf.d dropin-dir, that has an inputclass section, that |
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automatically switches any touchpad style devices, touch-screens, etc, to |
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the synaptics driver, instead of the otherwise default evdev. |
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|
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Tho of course that pre-supposes udev, etc, which the distros generally |
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ship, tho of course particularly on a meta-distro like gentoo, users are |
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free to uninstall and avoid if they like... |
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|
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Similarly, video drivers dropin their configlet file, with an appropriate |
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device section file, and any graphics chips now are automatically handled |
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by that driver. |
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|
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User/admin perspective now, they plugin a mouse and the evdev driver |
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handles it, but the resolution is off and they need to either speed it up |
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so it doesn't take 20 moves to get across the screen or they need to slow |
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it down as it's far too jumpy. Instead of having to look at the entire |
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config file and potentially destroy an otherwise working config with a |
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wrong edit, they add one little device-class section, and if they make a |
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mistake, it's just one bit of the config that's bad and they can safely |
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delete the entire file they just added to get back to where they were. |
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|
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Similarly, I just added a logitech t650 touchpad, and after trying the |
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synaptics driver I decided to go with the mtrack driver instead. But now |
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I have 20 different gestures, interpreted by the mtrack driver as |
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"buttons", to configure. Still, while that one deviceclass section to |
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configure all that gets a bit complex, it's a file all its own, and I |
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don't have to worry about the rest of the xorg config. |
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|
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Similarly again, my graphics card has three outputs and I have them |
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attached to three different monitors, but I have them stacked, while the |
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default config has them side-by-side. A single file with monitor |
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sections configuring the position of each, and I'm good to go. |
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|
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In each case, neither the distro's driver packages nor me as admin/user |
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are editing a monolithic file with all sorts of unrelated X settings in |
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it. If the driver doesn't work or when the device is upgraded and that |
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driver uninstalled and a different one installed, the dropin automagic |
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config file gets uninstalled and a new one installed at the same time. |
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If I screw up my config, I can delete the entire file I created, and be |
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back to the otherwise generally working, just needing a few tweaks, |
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configuration I had before. |
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|
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That's the sense in which I meant "preferred". Preferred by the distros |
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as the various packages can ship their own dropin configs, without |
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worrying about editing a monolithic file containing unrelated settings. |
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Preferred by the distros AND the users because now the configuration |
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exposed to user edits is more modularized and edits less likely to damage |
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the config of unrelated modules. Preferred by the users because now they |
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don't have to worry about everything at once, and because most things |
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"just work" without much more than minor tweaks. Preferred by support, |
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whether it be professional distro support, or peer user support via irc/ |
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forums/lists/newsgroups, again because of the modularity, because now |
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they can have the user they're supporting create a new file with a few |
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lines, all directly related to what they're trying to configure, instead |
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of dealing with a much larger file with unrelated settings, so, again, |
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worst-case, simply delete the file and start over. |
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|
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But that's *NOT* to say that individual users can't choose to do the |
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monolithic xorg.conf file, or even scripted commandline config, if |
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they're used to it and prefer all the settings in one place where they |
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can see and edit them all at once. |
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|
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That's an entirely /different/ level of "preferred"! =:^) |
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|
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-- |
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Duncan - List replies preferred. No HTML msgs. |
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"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master -- |
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and if you use the program, he is your master." Richard Stallman |