So you've got your linux running, and wanna use X..

Some tools do a good job of configuring your X.org or XFree86..
But we want to be cool and tweak it for some more cool stuff..

This small tutorial will allow you to enable some lesser known X11 features..


Open the configuration file in your favorite edditor..
Usualy the file is located (usualy) in /etc/X11/
The file is called XF86Config on systems using (the deprecated) XFree86 version of X.
Or xorg.conf on newer distro's

vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf ( or /etc/X11/XF86Config ofcourse )

Let's enable that scroll wheel (all mice have these now, right??) !!

Find the part where it says:

Section "InputDevice"

We'll add some options here and possibly replace some (you can cut-and-paste them)..

Option "Protocol"       "IMPS/2"
Option "Buttons"        "5"
Option "ZAxismapping"   "4 5"


This enables the weelmouse..


You'd want to be able to use the DRI (Direct Rendering Infrastructure) as a normall user..

We'll have to add something to the config for that too..
You can paste this at the end of the XF86Config file !!

Section "DRI"
       Mode 0666
EndSection


If you happen to have an NVidia card, you'd wanna get rid of that logo at startup, right?
Section "Device"
just add
Option        "NoLogo"                 "True"
nvidia has a whole list of options,
ofcourse you can play with the numbers 
Option        "DigitalVibrance"        "2"
Option        "NvAGP"    "8"
Option        "RenderAccel"            "True"
other cool trics you can do there
Option        "CursorShadow"           "True"
Option        "CursorShadowAlpha"      "70"
Option        "CursorShadowXOffset"    "2"
Option        "CursorShadowYOffset"    "2"

or better yet, use the nvidia-settings application

Xorg has some cool new stuff too, for example composite..
Don't try this unless you have a GeForce 5 (FX) series or better..
After enabling the composite extension in xorg with
Section "Extensions"
       Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection
If you notice that the new efects slow down your box.. you need to tweak..
Most important , in the Device section, add
Option        "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"
For NVIDIA cards, you might also need to add
Option        "RenderAccel" "true"
And for ATI cards, add
Option        "backingstore" "true"

the xcompmgr -c command should enable the OS X like shadows and transparancy.. also checkout transset !

enjoy