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Date:      Fri, 12 Dec 1997 15:35:51 +0800
From:      Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>
To:        Drifter <drifter@stratos.net>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Making the X-Display Sane
Message-ID:  <19971212153551.29026@lemis.com>
In-Reply-To: <199712120425.XAA01566@stratos.net>; from Drifter on Thu, Dec 11, 1997 at 11:25:57PM -0500
References:  <199712120425.XAA01566@stratos.net>

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On Thu, Dec 11, 1997 at 11:25:57PM -0500, Drifter wrote:
>
> 	I recently posted this to comp.windows.x, but did not get a response.
> I was hoping to get some advice on a non-critical, but very annoying
> aspect of XFree86 (3.3.1.). running on FBSD-2.2.5
> 	My default resolution is set at 800x600, 16 bits, which I believe to
> be pretty standard. Unfortunately, many applications in X-land seem to assume
> resolutions of Hestonian proportions, as if every one has 1500x1500 video
> displays.

No, they're out of date.  Nowadays it's 2048x1536.

Seriously, 800x600 is rather small.  I don't know of any board/monitor
pair that can't be coaxed to do 1024x768x8, possibly in interlaced
mode.  I find it very difficult to work below that.  I'm currently
using such a display on a 14" monitor running off my laptop, and
though it's nothing to my setup at home, it's much better than the
Microsoft boxes around here which run 800x600 on the same monitors.

> 	Many applications are too large to fit on the screen, and with the
> virtual desktop disabled (I don't like it, personally), I have to do the
> ol' right-click-move, resize, right-click move routine on at least half of
> the applications.

Yup, that's about the best you can do with 800x600.

> 	Keep in mind, I *have* double-checked that I am in the right resolu-
> tion (I know about CTRL-ALT-KeyPad+, etc), and while 1024x768
> with 8-bit color is theoretically possible on a NEC MultiSync XV14 monitor,
> I am very uncomfortable with the weird oil-and-water pattern that warps
> my display if I try this. In any case, even that resolution wouldn't be
> enough with some apps.

Hmmm.  That's moiré.  You shouldn't be getting that.  Some kind of
different root pattern should help get rid of it.

> 	If I am lucky, the app. will remember my preferences when I resize
> (not likely).  Often, there are X-resources to set default geometries (often,
> this works but is a major pain) Some applications, however, (usually
> games like Xsoldier, Xboing, or xgolddig) refuse to be resized and don't
> appear to have settable geometries).
> 	In some cases, the window fits but the decorations are pushed off the
> side (I use AfterStep) but, as I said, some would not come even close to
> fitting on the screen.
> 	This wouldn't be a big deal, if it weren't for the fact that it
> seems that a disproportionately large number of applications do this.
>
> 	Is there any thing I can do to change this? (Short of buying a super-
> high res, 19-inch monitor with 4megs of video ram). Am I doomed to set
> *geometry resources all the time (if I'm "lucky")? Or will I have to
> just deal with it? Sorry about the length of this letter, but this is
> really getting to be aggravating.

Basically, if your applications need more than 800x600, I don't know
what alternatives you have.  I'd seriously suggest trying 1024x768 for
a while and using some kind of root screen pattern to get rid of the
moiré.

Greg



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