Feature changed by: Genix Info (genixinfo) Feature #308357, revision 23 Title: Replacement for Sax2 in 11.3, and now for 11.4 openSUSE-11.3: Unconfirmed Priority Requester: Important openSUSE-11.4: Unconfirmed Priority Requester: Important Requested by: Tara Ikeda (taraikeda) Partner organization: openSUSE.org Description: We need a replacement for sax2 in 11.3, as a safety measure for when auto configuration fails to detect certain monitors/keyboards/mice. Relying on the Desktop Environment for this is not the best idea, as some DE's or window managers dont provide config tools for what you might need to work. So I propose instead of relying on xrandr, Hal, devicekit or whatever there should be a GUI to configure graphics cards, mice, and keyboards without depending on the DE or a WM to provide a tool for the end user. I mention this as I have had KDE 4 fail to detect my resolutions and sometimes keyboard, luckily SAX2 is there to aid me but if its going the way of the dodo then I propose a relacement tool so that the end user wont have to make a xorg.conf and spend some time setting it up. It takes skill to make edits to a xorg.conf file and one can easily mess it up So having a helpful GUI tool is needed sometimes. Business case (Partner benefit): openSUSE.org: Because of new users mainly, because we dont want them to install openSUSE and have it fail to detect their proper monitor resolution and default to a much smaller one. The goal here is ease of use, but also to have a a safety net just in case. With openSUSE being more geared toward KDE a tool like Sax2 becomes even more needed. KDE4's monitor detection tool sucks, its always given me headaches in Ubuntu, in Mandriva, in many other KDE4 distros. It has no feature to remember monitor settings, nor does it do a good job with enabling my resolution. But i am not doing this just for me, many others have issues with KDE4's monitor tool Discussion: #1: Bernhard Wiedemann (bmwiedemann) (2009-12-03 17:23:48) maybe XFdrake or drakx11 from mandrake would be an alternative. Also a big reason for keeping SaX2 or a similar tool is that by default no xorg.conf is generated, so that it is even harder to generate a working one from scratch. #2: Jan Engelhardt (jengelh) (2009-12-05 13:41:04) I doubt anything will be done - if tools like sax2 go, there is hardly any room for another ('cause otherwise one could have kept sax2). You can still download sax2 from its project page. #3: Shekhar Neupane (wildnux) (2009-12-09 09:15:42) users like me will be very happy if we don't have to search tools to configure our keyboard, mouse or monitors. I am using dell inspiron e1705 and wanted to configure my synaptics touchpad through kde4, but it messed it up more. so i had to revert back to the default. I would love to have sax or any tool do that in OS level rather than WM level. #4: Chris Cox (cjcox) (2010-02-24 18:29:27) xorg gets it WRONG a lot. A whole LOT. Autodetection simply cannot detect everything and certainly doesn't allow the user the ability to demand something on purpose. I'd like to see sax2 continue... or at least something similar. It's impossible for xorg to scan the brain of the user IMHO to figure out what is "right". #5: Lee Matheson (oldcpu) (2010-06-11 15:16:37) As an interim work around (to help openSUSE forum users) duing the the transition from no sax2 to a better Xorg automatic configuration I started a forum guide here: http://forums.opensuse.org/information-new-users/advanced-how-faq-read-only/... (http://forums.opensuse.org/information-new-users/advanced-how-faq-read-only/...) . But its inadequate, and a "wiki" is needed, and NOT a forum guide. I also raised a bug report here (suggesting a wiki as a work around solution) and I was assigned the action of doing so here: https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=608237 (https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=608237) . ... The idea of mine is NOT to replace any openFATE idea, but at least provide an interim solution for users until the way forward becomes more clear. Things are advancing very fast in the Graphical area for Linux and its hard to stay up to date. #7: Martin Seidler (pistazienfresser) (2010-06-22 22:18:34) (reply to #5) I propose to take a look at oldcpu's so called " draft - Configure Graphics - openSUSE (http://wiki.opensuse.org/User:Oldcpu/Configure_Graphics) " wiki article (and maybe also at http://forums.opensuse.org/community/opensuse-wiki-discussions/440807-propos..., http://forums.opensuse.org/get-help-here/pre-release-beta/440079-we-using-xo... and search for graphic card or sax2 in the forums) - especially to estimate how much an easy graphical solution for problem with graphic cards and their drivers may be needed. #8: Martin Seidler (pistazienfresser) (2010-06-23 08:58:28) (reply to #7) The great and enormos wiki work of L. M. is now at: http://wiki.opensuse.org/SDB:Configuring_graphics_cards (http://wiki.opensuse.org/SDB:Configuring_graphics_cards) as "SDB:Configuring graphics cards". #6: nick skeen (ns89) (2010-06-15 22:38:39) As bad as Sax2 was, when it did work it seemed to work well, especially when using it to configure the Nvidia proprietary drivers. I would really like to see it either come back, or be replaced by a tool of similar functionality. #9: Alexandros Sikamiotis (aleksandros) (2010-07-17 17:48:47) Unfortunately quality of SUSE has dropped enormously due to the loss of Sax2. Without hacking the console it's "you either get what I want (xorg detection), or nothing at all". We need a new GUI tool ASAP. I have 2 PCs and xorg autoconfiguration was a nightmare in both, while in all SUSE releases from 9.3 till 11.1 everything was perfect. #10: Joe D'Angelo (wolfspider2) (2010-07-18 03:40:44) I plan on looking into the writing of either a shell script or a Perl app that will write a good generic xorg.conf file. I will keep you all posted as things progress. If anyone else has some code to share I would encourage you to do it soon. We all see the need for a text level utility to do something rather than just see your x server fail. #11: Genix Info (genixinfo) (2010-07-19 09:17:24) I support the return or replacement of Sax2 (on openSUSE Linux 11.4), since many users are not able to configure the resolution of your video easily and fast, my video hardware is Intel and works fine (as far as possible: https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=623239 (https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=623239) ), but many users with video hardware SIS (among others.), are being affected by not having more Sax2. #12: H. Hansen (cyberbeat) (2010-07-23 20:56:50) an alternative (in kde case) would be to help fixing krandr to make it work properly. I also had to write bash scripts and modify config files in /etc/X11 in opensuse-11.3 to make my laptop screen setup work. + #13: Genix Info (genixinfo) (2010-07-24 06:23:21) + I see that there is a strategic discussion of openSUSE (http://news.opensuse.org/2010/07/21/timeline-for-opensuses-strategy-discussi...), + I'll be very happy if they (or you, or even the community, because it + will start talks between developers and community) in this discussion, + decide that openSUSE, now has more autonomy from Novell, and to take + major decision as the creation of the Foundation openSUSE (http://www.osnews.com/story/23474/openSUSE_Linux_Seeks_More_Autonomy_From_No...), + and that the foundation now has more autonomy from Novell, and decides + to return or replace the SaX2 (https://features.opensuse.org/308357) + because the removal of SaX2 (http://en.opensuse.org/Archive:SaX2) of + openSUSE, was a decision made by Novell, who preferred not to invest in + the development of SaX2, for business issues + (http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-factory/2009-12/msg00017.html), for + this and other reasons, I am in favor of creation, of Foundation + openSUSE, and also decide that the openSUSE, switching to versions LTS + (Long Term Support), and that support will last for more of three + years, among other points that must be discussed. I just want a better + openSUSE. -- openSUSE Feature: https://features.opensuse.org/308357