Just can't configure X right

[Koral Maze]

I have finally been able to install Debian 3.0 on my imac g3, but now I
can't get X to run. I have looked at many configurations of the XF86
config file online, but have not been able to get mine to work. When I
try to start it, the screen just goes blank, it had been giving an error
about the mouse, but now it doesn't do that. If anyone has an imac g3
and has gotten this to work for them, could you please post your XF86
config file here so I can see what I am doing wrong? thanks a bunch.

[jim bob and joe bob]

I had a similar hair pulling experience with my beige g3. What I
finally did was keep running dpkg-reconfigure x-server changing one
parameter at a time and then doint startx. After about a dozen or so
tries it finally worked. I think I posted my XF86Config-4 file on here
somewhere. Check messages about a month back to the present. If you
don't find it I will repost. The mouse problem reported seems to be a
false indication. The problem lies elswhere in the config. From MacOS
do apple system profiler to see what graphics chip you have. That will
help. I found that setting the max frequency value really high seemed
to help at one point. I don't remember what exact thing I changed made
the difference but I now believe it is possible.
KK

Post by Koral Maze
I have finally been able to install Debian 3.0 on my imac g3, but now I
can't get X to run. I have looked at many configurations of the XF86
config file online, but have not been able to get mine to work. When I
try to start it, the screen just goes blank, it had been giving an error
about the mouse, but now it doesn't do that. If anyone has an imac g3
and has gotten this to work for them, could you please post your XF86
config file here so I can see what I am doing wrong? thanks a bunch.

[Koral Maze]

I couldn't find your XF86Congig-4 file, but I have seen other ones. Even
with checking my config against other people's, I still haven't been
able to get it to work. I'm sure that I will figure out what's wrong
eventually, but this is very frustrating. If you could repost your
XF86Config-4 file I would really appreciate it.

Post by jim bob and joe bob
I had a similar hair pulling experience with my beige g3. What I
finally did was keep running dpkg-reconfigure x-server changing one
parameter at a time and then doint startx. After about a dozen or so
tries it finally worked. I think I posted my XF86Config-4 file on here
somewhere. Check messages about a month back to the present. If you
don't find it I will repost. The mouse problem reported seems to be a
false indication. The problem lies elswhere in the config. From MacOS
do apple system profiler to see what graphics chip you have. That will
help. I found that setting the max frequency value really high seemed
to help at one point. I don't remember what exact thing I changed made
the difference but I now believe it is possible.
KK

Post by Koral Maze
I have finally been able to install Debian 3.0 on my imac g3, but now I
can't get X to run. I have looked at many configurations of the XF86
config file online, but have not been able to get mine to work. When I
try to start it, the screen just goes blank, it had been giving an error
about the mouse, but now it doesn't do that. If anyone has an imac g3
and has gotten this to work for them, could you please post your XF86
config file here so I can see what I am doing wrong? thanks a bunch.

[jim bob and joe bob]

It should be at the bottom of this message in all it's glory. I hope it
is of some use to you.
kk

Post by Koral Maze
I couldn't find your XF86Congig-4 file, but I have seen other ones. Even
with checking my config against other people's, I still haven't been
able to get it to work. I'm sure that I will figure out what's wrong
eventually, but this is very frustrating. If you could repost your
XF86Config-4 file I would really appreciate it.

Post by jim bob and joe bob
I had a similar hair pulling experience with my beige g3. What I
finally did was keep running dpkg-reconfigure x-server changing one
parameter at a time and then doint startx. After about a dozen or so
tries it finally worked. I think I posted my XF86Config-4 file on here
somewhere. Check messages about a month back to the present. If you
don't find it I will repost. The mouse problem reported seems to be a
false indication. The problem lies elswhere in the config. From MacOS
do apple system profiler to see what graphics chip you have. That will
help. I found that setting the max frequency value really high seemed
to help at one point. I don't remember what exact thing I changed made
the difference but I now believe it is possible.
KK

Post by Koral Maze
I have finally been able to install Debian 3.0 on my imac g3, but now I
can't get X to run. I have looked at many configurations of the XF86
config file online, but have not been able to get mine to work. When I
try to start it, the screen just goes blank, it had been giving an error
about the mouse, but now it doesn't do that. If anyone has an imac g3
and has gotten this to work for them, could you please post your XF86
config file here so I can see what I am doing wrong? thanks a bunch.

# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 server configuration file) generated by dexconf, the
# Debian X Configuration tool, using values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# If you want your changes to this file preserved by dexconf, only make
changes
# before the "### BEGIN DEBCONF SECTION" line above, and/or after the
# "### END DEBCONF SECTION" line below.
#
# To change things within the debconf section, run the command:
# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
# as root. Also see "How do I add custom sections to a dexconf-generated
# XF86Config or XF86Config-4 file?" in /usr/share/doc/xfree86-common/FAQ.gz.

Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
Load "xie"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "macintosh"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Technologies Inc 3D Rage Pro 215GP"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:0:18:0"
Option "UseFBDev" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "IBM"
HorizSync 28-85
VertRefresh 43-90
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI Technologies Inc 3D Rage Pro 215GP"
Monitor "IBM"
DefaultDepth 15
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

### END DEBCONF SECTION

[jim bob and joe bob]

It would surprise me if you were able to use my config file as is. It
may be of some help as a reference. Note that the 'configured mouse' is
a logitech trackball.
In the long run I think you will have more success running
dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 as suggested in the comments of the
config file. That was what finally did the trick for me. I wish I
could be of more help but I do not remember the specific change that
finally made it work. I just kept running it and changing one thing at
a time and then running startx to see if it worked. As you well may
imagine, once it finally came up in X my enthusiasm shifted to exploring
what was possible from within X.
Good luck anyway.
kk