When I run xvidtune, it says Error: xvidtune cannot find display. I
don't understand this. X will run and display, but the picture is
severely messed up; it has vertical lines and the monitor sort of
repeats its image a few times side-by-side and not very clearly. It is
very difficult to describe, but if anyoe could give me help, preferably
by email, i would be grateful.
--
David Boyk
ky...@cryogen.com

http://www.**-**.com/
http://www.**-**.com/

    David> When I run xvidtune, it says Error: xvidtune cannot find
    David> display. I don't understand this.

Probably you're running xvidtune on a console.  You have to run xvidtune
from a terminal of X.  (More precisely, you have to run it when X is
running, when the DISPLAY environment variable is set to that display, and
when you have the permission to use that display and modify its parameters.
If you run xvidtune in xterm under X login by root, all these should be
satisfied.)

Isaac.

Actually, a more 'secure' and 'proper' way, in my humble (?) opinion,
would be to log in as a non-priviledged user, run xvidtune (which you
can do as a non-priviledged user) and then, once you get things the way
you want them, click on the 'show' button.

This will show you the line you need to insert into your XF86Config.  su
momentarily, add the line to your XF86Config file, and then log out from
the su.  This way, there's no chance of accidentally doing an 'rm -rf
/*'  --- not that you would, but I have disasterous things as root
before.

Root should be used only for things wich root _must_ be used for.  This
is a really good rule of thumb to follow.  Also, it makes you think more
about what it is you want to do.

Good Luck,

Eddie Bush

    Eddie> This will show you the line you need to insert into your
    Eddie> XF86Config.  su momentarily, add the line to your XF86Config
    Eddie> file, and then log out from the su.  This way, there's no chance
    Eddie> of accidentally doing an 'rm -rf /*' --- not that you would, but
    Eddie> I have disasterous things as root before.

First, thanks.  This is very right.  One don't need to be root to run
xvidtune.  In fact, after reading your words I immediately uncomment the
line in XF86Config which disable VidMode extension.  I really don't want
something which can cause permanent hardware failure to be allowed by normal
users, in particular, xvidtune.  Now I need to be root to modify the
XF86Config file and start a new X session before I can run xvidtune.

    Eddie> Root should be used only for things wich root _must_ be used for.
    Eddie> This is a really good rule of thumb to follow.  Also, it makes
    Eddie> you think more about what it is you want to do.

But I'm conservative about this.  I usually log into my machine as a normal
user.  All the modification to the window manager and the login shell are
only done for that account.  So logging in root from the X terminal will
give me a very strong "visual cue" (everything is so "primitive"!) that I
must be careful about everything.  In contrast, the "#" sign provide much
weaker visual cue, which might leave me forgetting the "exit" command after
doing the modification (as I always do when I multitasking myself).  Since
I'll have to restart the X server to try the new X configuration anyway, I'd
rather make an X session solely for tuning X and nothing else.

Of course, that's personal taste.  Everybody has his own way.  Just don't
criticize without thinking in an alternative way.

Isaac.