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On Monday, July 4 at 13:10 (-0500), Harry Putnam said: |
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> Are you saying it does not require `xorg-x11'. |
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> |
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> Step 2) says in large type: |
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> `2. Installing Xorg' |
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> |
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> Then a big note in a green box later on says: |
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> |
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> ,---- |
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> | Note: You could install the xorg-x11 metapackage instead of the more |
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> | lightweight xorg-server. Functionally, xorg-x11 and xorg-server are |
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> | the same. However, xorg-x11 brings in many more packages that you |
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> | probably don't need, such as a huge assortment of fonts in many |
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> | different languages. They're not necessary for a working desktop. |
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> `---- |
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> |
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> So I'm a little confused. |
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Perhaps pointing to the xorg documentation was a mistake. I only |
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pointed there because it had instructions on setting up KMS. |
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KMS (kernel mode setting) does not require X. It gives the kernel the |
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ability to set the modes of your graphics cards, more efficiently and |
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usually beyond the capabilities of what the *vesa drivers can do. |
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Perhaps a better, non X-centered explanation of what KMS is can be found |
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here [1]. |
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Regardless, KMS is the newer, better, what-all-the-cool-kids-are-doinger |
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way to what we've traditionally called "framebuffer console". It also |
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helps with X, especially switching between console and Xorg (faster and |
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more seamless). It also gives you some xrandr-like abilities for the |
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console. |
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E.g. my laptop does native 1366x768 but does not support that vesa mode |
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(it's not in the VESA standard afaik). But KMS can set that mode without |
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me even having to specify it.[2] |
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|
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Anyway some proprietary X drivers (I've heard) don't support KMS (some |
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still don't even support xrandr), but if you are not running Xorg then |
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that may not be applicable to you anyway. |
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|
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[1] |
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http://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_2_6_29#head-e1bab8dc862e3b477cc38d87e8ddc779a66509d1 |
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[2] http://ompldr.org/vOWN0cg/kms.png |