gmusicbrowser

This is all related to the, how I find, rather annoying changes in Xorgs x-server...

As many users are still scared of coming a console closer than 3 meters, the guys on Xorg put their effort in deprecating the xorg.conf.

For display (OUTPUT) devices this is rather difficult. Basically thats what we have a X server for at all. Binding INPUT-devices, such as mice, joysticks, scanner, cams and so on to OUTPUT-devices, (video devices, printer and so on) and thus creating a INPUT-OUTPUT System which isn't basic anymore
(BIOS= basic input output system ==> monitor (OP) and keyboard (IP))

That's the basic issue. And what follows inevitabely is difered behaviour since an option was implemented into Xserver called
X-ALLOW_EMPTY_INPUT

pretty self explainatory, before you had to configure at least a core pointer (mouse), a core keyboard and a screen (--> a screen in X is NOT equal to a monitor, more likely you can configure multiple monitors and video devices to draw only one screen)
If you didn't have any component specified, the Xserver used to reject starting (traumatizing whole generations of users)
Well, however, this has been changed. The only sections left are Device, Monitor and the Screen they form. Plus the ServerLayout section, which is wrapped down to a single line tho for one screen setups.


Maybe it sounds a little bit complicated, but it really isn't much magic.

However, I liked the times when I had to specify everything way better than the gui'ish degeneration taking place atm.

It used to be way more logical, low latent and straight forward before, but I guess we have to deal with it. I just tried to give some insight into the actual reasons you experience the "bugs" (which is the wrong word, as it actually was intented behavior)


Since 2.6.29 kernel was released, KMS is implemented into the upstream kernel. This basically means a complete deprecation of our beloved xorg.conf (thus creating some very very smooth tty changes, DRI on boottime and thus nicely animated bootsplashs, 2 & 3D video enahncements on the lower shell level and so on.) So, for those of us who have an intel based video device, get 2.6.29, you won't regret.

AtI cards are under heavy development from both, AtI and the open source project, while nvidia users, like I am, will have to wait some more months.
The issue: nouveaus devs did some massive evolution lately, but, hence nvidia won't open their hardware source, it is pretty impossible to get 3D working.
Reason: a common kernelmodule like most of the modules our kernels consist of are creating a layer, or, more likely, upion boot, the modules are brought up if a matching device was found.

You might have read kernel alive or so on boot. This means exactly that. There is a 0byte file allowing you to interoperate with your hardware.The modules are, even if alive, usually sleeping and only working if they are called. Thats why you may seamlessly bring most modules down, up, deconfigure or reconfigure them without having to reboot.
--> The nvidia dirver now to mess it up for open source devs creates a layer itself to interact with your kernel. This means its a running binary (similar to windows apps, if you reconfigure anything, you'll have to relaunch the app)

That's it, that's why nvidia drivers won't get open source supported 3D enhancements, and thats why your mouse bugs you.


But, concerning that (really odd) issue with the different displays, just use the fifo to do what you want. It doesn't care about displays.
For instance, this is my config for compiz-deskmenu
http://www.ubuntu-pics.de/bild/14227/shot_059__87lnsk.png

Independent of the current display. You could simply create a drawer or an icon for each desired action on your panel too. The fifo does what you want it to do, and once gmusic is shown you still may use the GUI obv.


---->> Gentoo, x86_64, gnome-light-2.24.1 <<------
This is another branch of development. As I mentioned, such issues are related to the latest efforts in favor of users who think their PC is broken if no desktop/display manager will start and they're facing a console login.
The Display manager however, is just some common eye candy, but I'm a lot faster using a terminal for most things (installing apps, searching apps, mass file conversion/alteration and so forth.


Alright, I hope someone will read this thread, and I'd be glad if it even helped understanding most recent behavior.

HINT: You may want to create some handy alias to have your apps easily launched on another display if desired.
For instance, I created an alias pointing to my TV, allowing me to launch any app on my TV by simply prepending TV to the command.

If you have a file ~/.bash_aliases in your home dir I assume I don't have to explain this to you. If you don't have such a file, you might want to consider creating one.

nano $HOME/.bash_aliases

add this to the file:

#!/bin/bash
alias TV='DISPLAY:0.1 '

save and close the file (ctrl + X if you used nano), make it executable (this has to be done cause it is not accessed directly but sourced into your .bashrc)

chmod +x $HOME/.bash_aliases

And finally, to populate it, you don't have to logout/close anything, just run

source $HOME/.bashrc

Now you should be able to run any app on your 2nd screen by invoking

TV foobar


If it doesn't work, go through your .bashrc and find the function where the .bash_aliases is called and make sure it is NOT commented out. Sample:

My .bash_aliases file:


########## bash_aliases ##########################################
#!/bin/bash

######################################## MEINE EINSTELLUNGEN
# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases
if
[ -x /usr/bin/dircolors ]; then
eval "`dircolors -b`"
alias ls='ls --color=auto'
alias dir='dir --color=auto'
alias vdir='vdir --color=auto'
alias grep='grep -i --color=auto'
#alias fgrep='fgrep --color=auto'
#alias egrep='egrep --color=auto'
# alias ll='ls -l'
#alias la='ls -A'
alias l='ls -CF'
#alias today=date +"%A, %B %-d, %Y"
fi

# some more ls aliases
alias lll='ls -alh'
alias ll='ls -l'
alias la='ls -A'
alias l='ls -CF'
alias today='date +"%A, %B %-d, %Y"'
## Packageprocessing
alias yum='sudo aptitude install'
alias yupg='sudo aptitude upgrade'
alias yup='sudo aptitude update'
alias yur='sudo aptitude remove'
alias yus='aptitude search'
alias yusi='aptitude show'
alias yurp='sudo apt-get --purge remove'
alias yusi='dpkg -l | grep'
alias autorem='sudo apt-get autoremove'
alias keyadd='sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver=keyserver.ubuntu.com '

## Misc
alias logout='gnome-session-save --kill'
alias sedit='gksudo gedit'
alias reboot='sudo reboot'
#alias opera='opera -nomail -notrayicon -nolirc -style Cleanlooks'

#alias shutdown='gnome-session-save && sudo shutdown now'
alias TV='DISPLAY=:0.1'
alias slist='gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list'
alias clist='gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/custom.list'
alias stopgdm='sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop'
alias startgdm='sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start'
alias clist-2='gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/custom-2.list'

## Xorg
alias xcat='cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf'
alias xnano='sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf'
alias xtree='nvidia-xconfig -c'
alias Xlog='cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep'
alias xgedit='gksu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf'

## Custom Misc,BU-/-RE
alias backup-deskmenu='cp ~/.config/compiz/deskmenu/menu.xml /opt/backups/Configurations/deskmenu/'
alias restore-deskmenu='mkdir ~/.config/compiz/deskmenu && cp /opt/backups/Configurations/deskmenu/menu.xml ~/.config/compiz/deskmenu/menu.xml'
#alias pidgin-icons='cd /opt/backups/Configurations/pidgin/status/ && ./install.sh && cd ../tray/ && ./install.sh && sudo update-icon-caches pidgin'
alias cdo='cd /opt'
alias HM='sudo /etc/init.d/postgresql-8.3 start'
alias moooo='apt-get moo'
#################### THE END OF bash_aliases ##################################

and the relevant part of my .bashrc

########## SNIP ################

# Alias definitions.
# You may want to put all your additions into a separate file like
# ~/.bash_aliases, instead of adding them here directly.
# See /usr/share/doc/bash-doc/examples in the bash-doc package.
#
if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
. ~/.bash_aliases
fi

########## SNIP ##################


Your .bashrc is a cinfiguration file, it shouldn't be executable (you shouldn't have to chmod it)


Enjoy like I will the prerelease now :)