Re: X11 {no}retro modifications

[David Holland <dholland-tech%netbsd.org@localhost>]

On Sun, Jan 15, 2012 at 10:37:12AM +0100, Martin Husemann wrote:
 > Xorg upstream changed the default X background from the gray stiples it
 > had for years to a simple dark black. This basically is good for finished,
 > working installs, but together with the X server hiding the mouse untill
 > the first client attaches, it gives a perfectly black screen when manually
 > running X without any configuration.
 > 
 > We received several bug reports about this "system hangs with black screen
 > when starting X", so localy restored the default background and added an
 > inverted "-noretro" option (retro = stiples). This is good to avoid bug
 > reports as above, but the upstream change was done for a reason: while
 > starting up X, after the display switches to the proper graphic mode, it
 > takes a while untill the desktop (or the window manager) are far enough in
 > their startup procedure to properly redrow the configured background. This
 > is visually a lot more pleasant if the screen stays black (after a potential
 > mode switch), and is most anying if the screen flickers once for the mode
 > switch and then gets filled with ugly gray stiples, only to be replaced
 > with the real background seconds later.
 > 
 > The attached patches keep the debug behaviour of unconfigured installs, but
 > provide the "noretro" style for working setups.

I think this is a good idea, FWIW.

It would be better if we could get it to display something else, like
a daemon image or even a gradient fill, but as I recall from the last
discussion that isn't entirely trivial.

-- 
David A. Holland
dholland%netbsd.org@localhost