.. default-role:: literal


Xorg documentation
==================

This contains some documentation about what I know on Xorg_.

.. _Xorg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xorg

.. contents:: Contents
   :local:

Disabling ctrl-alt-backspace and other annoying key sequences
-------------------------------------------------------------

``Ctrl-alt-backspace`` is supposed to kill the X server. This can be annoying,
especially when the display is supposed to be locked :-)

``Ctrl-alt-f1`` is supposed to switch to virtual terminal 1. There is no real
reason one would ever want to do this when using an X server.

To disable those bindings, modify the "ServerFlags" section in
``/etc/X11/xorg.conf`` as follows::

    Section "ServerFlags"
        Option  "DontZap"  "true"
        Option "DontVTSwitch"  "true"
        # ...
    EndSection


Taking a screenshot
-------------------

To take a screenshot, use ``import`` from ImageMagick_. The program takes the
name of the output file as argument. To take a snapshot in ten seconds, run::

    $ sleep 10 && import myscreen.png

then drag the mouse over the region of the screen you want in the
screenshot. 

Those instructions come from `this linux screenshot howto`_

.. _this linux screenshot howto: http://tips.webdesign10.com/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-ubuntu-linux
.. _ImageMagick: http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php

Xscreensaver configuration
--------------------------

xscreensaver_ is the "standard" Linux screensaving utility. This is how I
configured it on my laptop.

I had to add something like ``xscreensaver &`` in my ``.xinitrc`` so that it is
launched with the X server. To configure it, just run ``xscreensaver-demo`` . To
do some special action,  use ``xscreensaver-command``, e.g
``xscreensaver-command -lock`` locks the screen.

.. _xscreensaver: http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/

X over SSH with Xnest
---------------------

Assume you want to run GNOME_ remotely, but you want to continue working on your
window manager at the same time. The solution is to run it in a separate window
using `Xnest`. To do that, first start `Xnest` on display `:1`::

    $ Xnest -ac -geometry 1024x550 :1 

Then set your display, ssh to the remote host and launch gnome::

    $ DISPLAY=:1 ssh -X luser@example.com gnome-session

.. _GNOME: http://www.gnome.org/