x server not reading xorg.conf?

[Mike A. Harris]

Jason Dravet wrote:
>> I don't know about the mouse side of things, but your 'preferred'
>> resolution is actually set in Gnome using System > Preferences > Screen
>> Resolution.
>>
>> The xorg.conf file tells the system what your screen is capable of, but
>> the use of user defined screen resolutions allows each user to set what
>> they would prefer as there resolution, instead of being stuff with
>> whatever resolution the sysadmin for that machine thinks is 'Right
>> (TM)'.
>>
>> It may well be that your mouse behavior is also user defined.
> 
> I discovered an older copy of my xorg.conf in /root.  X seems to be 
> using that.  I did not realize X no longer defaults to using 
> /etc/X11/xorg.conf first.

It has never defaulted to looking at /etc/X11/xorg.conf first.

The X server's config file search path is documented in the
manpage for the config file (man xorg.conf).

Here is the path from XFree86 4.3.0 for example:

        When the X server is started by the "root" user, the config file
        search locations are as follows:

            <cmdline>
            /etc/X11/<cmdline>
            /usr/X11R6/etc/X11/<cmdline>
            $XF86CONFIG
            /etc/X11/$XF86CONFIG
            /usr/X11R6/etc/X11/$XF86CONFIG
            $HOME/XF86Config
            /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
            /etc/X11/XF86Config
            /etc/XF86Config
            /usr/X11R6/etc/X11/XF86Config.<hostname>
            /usr/X11R6/etc/X11/XF86Config-4
            /usr/X11R6/etc/X11/XF86Config
            /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config.<hostname>
            /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config-4
            /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config


If you were for example, starting XFree86 server, and did not pass a
config file on the commandline, the X server would go to the first
non-commandline location above, which is $XF86CONFIG, otherwise known
as "in the current directory".

So, if you are logged in as the "root" user, and start the X server,
and there is an X server config file in your current working directory,
the X server will use it.

It's been like this essentially forever, and that has also carried
through to X.Org, with appropriately modified paths.

"man xorg.conf" lists the paths searched by the Xorg server



-- 
Mike A. Harris * Open Source Advocate * http://mharris.ca

Linux fans:  Check out Tym Morrison's hit new heavy metal single
"Only Linux" at http://tymmorrison.com - If you would like to support
this great Canadian metal artist and open source fanatic, you can buy
a copy of Tym's Solo Project CD at the "Buy CD" link on his site.