optimizing xorg.conf

caljoe · n00b Joined: 07 Aug 2004 Posts: 59

Hi!

I'm running xorg with a nvidia driver on a toshiba laptop. Nvidia is loaded as module into the kernel. It takes about 6s to start xfce4. Do you think it's too much?

I tried to play around with the xorg.conf file but that did not really speeded things up. Besides, I don't understand what I'm doing...

How could I optimize this config file? Up to now, there is a lot of "Modelines" commands that I copied from a knoppix box, but I don't think they are used at start up.

Should I use the "UseEdidFreqs" Option? The log file says it cannot read the frequencies...

How can I find the "real" values of hsynv and vrefresh? The default values (48kHz and 60Hz) seem to work all right but what I have in my knoppix-config file is broader than that.

thanks for any advide,

joe -

El_Presidente_Pufferfish · Veteran Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1179 Location: Seattle

iakie · n00b Joined: 07 Jul 2004 Posts: 23

Check your xorg log under /var/log/ I think nvidia driver will attempt various configuration at start up, if u don't specify H/V. and it will set to optimum. my log gave me a bunch of configure. the only problem is that i don't know which one is H, and which one is V. (in fact, i think there was 3 3 different values. that is, u have to pick 2 number out 3, then figure out which one is which)

headache · Apprentice Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 226

caljoe · n00b Joined: 07 Aug 2004 Posts: 59

the nvidia driver does indeed tries several configurations at start up, but they all depend of the given range for hsync and vrefresh... If I don't give it, it starts with some default values. I don't know if these values are reasonable enough and googling does not bring any solution, as usual with laptop screens...

torchZ06 · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:04 am Post subject:

caljoe,

i lived with/fought with the standard X configs for years before i did anything about it, because i figured it was too complicated... i was so wrong. the display is your interface to your box and you use it for everything you do on your cpu, so it makes sense to take the time to make it right. go thru your config file and pare it down-- cut out all the comments and useless stuff so that it doesn't look so daunting. copy it if you want to read some of the comments later, but get it into a manageable form with less cruft. then research the limits of your hardware-- especially the max horiz and vert refresh rates and the max dot clock for both your graphics card AND monitor.

here's two threads that really helped me:
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=89527&sid=66d127723a7a6cdb8874f60c026a8e9b
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=127469&highlight=

and i don't like having X guessing at resolutions-- i want them explicitly specified by me in the config file. the gtf utility is a lifesaver-- it generates perfect modelines (unlike those websites that claim to do the same) and its so simple to paste them into your config file once you get the knack for it. it's probably a little like making your first few kernels-- seems wicked complex at first, but once you get the hang of things not too bad.

and here's my config file for reference:

caljoe · n00b Joined: 07 Aug 2004 Posts: 59

thanks for your advice torchZ06!

I'll start to work on it now!

joe-