not able to create xorg.conf file

Question

I want to change my colour depth. I posted this, and got the following answer:

Create an xorg.conf file by running Xorg -configure. Then edit the Depth entry in the Display subsection of the Screen section.

You can start an X server with a non-default depth by running e.g. startx -- -depth 8.

So I run sudo Xorg -configure, but I get this error:

Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
        If this server is no longer running, remove /temp/.X0-lock
        and start again.

So I run sudo rm -rf /temp/.X0-lock.

And then I run sudo Xorg -configure, but get this:

_XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener: ...SocketCreateListener() failed
_XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running

Fatal server error:
Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an X server isn't already running

What do I do? I have a PowerBook G4 running XFCE Debian.

Ctrl + Alt + Backspace doesn't (seem to) do anything. (?)

Solution 1

Ah, if you already have an X server running, you need to specify a different display number (a display number uniquely identifies the X server, so each X server must have its own display number). Try

Xorg :1 -configure

(executed as root, i.e. sudo Xorg :1 -configure or su -c 'Xorg :1 -configure' if you're starting from your own account).

Solution 2

First of all make sure you run Xorg -configure when not running X, as the errors hints against. Try killing X with Ctrl+Alt+Bksp and switch to a tty with Ctrl+Alt+F[1-6]and login - or if you use the GDM display manager (your login program), login to a tty and issue /etc/init.d/gdm stop from there to kill X. If the command completes successfully it should generate a default /etc/X11/xorg.conf which you should edit. After editing you start X with startx and do the testing needed.

Comments

[gadgetmo]

Ctrl+Alt+Bksp doesn't do anything.

[Admin]

If you use GDM as a display manager (your login program), try /etc/init.d/gdm stop from a tty to kill X.