Well, that was an experience#

Thu, 09 May 2002 23:17:26 +0000

Well, that was an experience. For the benefit of Google, to get XFree 4.1.0 running on a Debian GNU/Linux new-world Imac, I needed (1) not to use the kernel framebuffer support, because the kernel is determined to use the OpenFirmware console, which is apparently not much cop, (2) to configure for 1024x786 at 75Hz, because any other resolution results in a black screen (the power button goes orange, so I guess this is DPMS cutting in) with no explanation, and (3) that the XkbModel should be macintosh_old, contrary to what the debconf thing says.

In the spirit of cargo cult configuration file hacking (and when has Xkb been anything else?) I reproduce the revelant sectionn here

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver          "keyboard"
        Option          "CoreKeyboard"
        Option          "XkbRules"      "xfree86"
        Option          "XkbModel"      "macintosh_old"
        Option          "XkbLayout"     "ma"
        Option "XkbTypes"        "default"
        Option   "XkbCompat"       "default"
        Option   "XkbSymbols"      "macintosh/us"
        Option   "XkbGeometry"     "macintosh"
EndSection

I spent as long working this out as it used to take to calculate modelines back in the bad old X386 days. Yay progress!