NEW USERS READ THIS

["Robert Collins" <robert dot collins at itdomain dot com dot au>]

To the list: please find a summary of Clemmitt's experiences and the
advice he's got from us...

So of this is already in the FAQ and home page (Point 1 in particular
:-])

And as a note. Experienced users _can_ use the startx script from within
cygwin. I do with great success. I don't know why some people have had
trouble :[

I will integrate this into the web pages shortly.


Thanks for contribution Clemmitt!

Rob


----- Original Message -----
From: "Clemmitt Sigler" <siglercm@alphamb2.phys.vt.edu>
To: "Robert Collins" <robert.collins@itdomain.com.au>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 8:43 AM
Subject: Problem solving tips for new users.


> Hi Robert,
>
> From browsing the mailing list archives, I read that you're the
on-line
> docs maintainer for Cygwin XFree.  I've been going through the Cygwin
> XFree new-user learning curve and have written down the common problem
> solving tips I've needed or have seen mentioned on the mailing list.
If
> they're helpful, please feel free to use them in any way.  They're
much
> more basic than the Installation and Troubleshooting items in the
current
> FAQ I think.  Maybe these tips would be something good to refer new
users
> to when they post to the mailing list with "newbie" questions?
>
> I'm sure I've missed a number of tips and pointers, so please send me
> any additions or corrections to what I've written.  Should I post
> this to the mailing list for feedback?  Thanks.
>
> Clemmitt Sigler
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>      Some Common Problem-Solving Tips for Cygwin XFree --
> Compiled from suggestions made on the cygwin-xfree mailing list
>
> 1.) At this time, Cygwin XFree only works with Windows NT and Windows
2000.
>     (For purely experimental support on Windows 9x/ME, please see
>     http://www.cygwin.com/ml/cygwin-xfree/2000-q4/msg00254.html)
>
> 2.) Carefully follow the instructions in the Cygwin XFree Installation
How-To,
>     http://www.cygwin.com/xfree/docs/howto/book1.htm.
>
> 3.) Install the latest version of Cygwin using the setup.exe app., and
the
>     latest version of the XFree .tar.bz2 files from the
>     cygwin/xfree/xc-4-binaries subdirectory following the instructions
in the
>     Installation How-To.  Older Cygwin versions like B20 don't work
with the
>     current and future versions of Cygwin XFree.
>
> 4.) If you install a new version of Cygwin over top of an older one,
make sure
>     that you don't have multiple Cygwin .dlls of the same name in your
PATH.
>
> 5.) Be sure to run the startxwin.bat MS-DOS batch command file from an
MS-DOS
>     command prompt, not a Cygwin command prompt!  For example, if you
installed
>     Cygwin to C:\Cygwin, then you should do this in an MS-DOS Command
Prompt
>     window:
>
>   C:\Windows> cd \Cygwin\usr\X11R6\bin
>   C:\Cygwin\usr\X11R6\bin> startxwin.bat
>
> 6.) If this doesn't work, try these tips:
>
> - Try changing the resolution and color depth specified in the
startxwin.bat
>   file.  Edit the file and look for the command:
>
>   "START /B XWin.exe -screen 0 800x600x16 ..."
>
>   Change the setting from 800x600x16 to 640x480x8.  This will
hopefully get
>   XFree running at a low resolution and color depth.  Then you can
increase
>   these values.
> - Be sure to set the resolution and color depth in the XWin.exe
command
>   to be different from the values you're using for the Windows
desktop.
>   At this time using the same values causes problems.  This will
likely
>   be resolved in later versions of Cygwin XFree.
> - Install the very latest version of the drivers for your video card
for
>   Windows NT or 2000 found at the card manufacturer's web site.  This
will
>   fix some problems, especially for newer video cards.
> - Install the xfree86-4.0-devel.tar.bz2 file from the
>   cygwin/xfree/xc-4-binaries subdirectory.  This seems to help in some
cases.
> - If you still have problems or see messages about vtwm.exe not found,
etc.,
>   edit startxwin.bat.  REM out all the lines you don't need, make sure
the PATH
>   and other environment variables are set correctly, change vtwm.exe
to
>   twm.exe, and so on.
>
> 7.) If you have questions about how X, window managers, etc., work,
check the
>     Cygwin XFree FAQ (http://www.cygwin.com/xfree/faq.html) for some
>     references.  Another basic intro is at:
>
>   http://www.mhpcc.edu/training/vitecbids/UnixIntro/XWindows.html
>
>