11. Miscellaneous Resources

11.1. Release Notes and Available Documentation related to the XFree86 X Window Server

This documentation accompanies each version of XFree86, and is available at the XFree86 website. Whenever you have trouble with your X environment, peruse the notes applicable to your videocard and chipset. These typically provide details about the configuration of the X Window System relative to your card, and will enumerate any "options" you have to include in theXF86Config file that governs X.

11.2. GNU Software and Manuals

Many important programs that are frequently utilized by the Linux user are GNU utilities - for example, the tar (archive) and gzip (compression) programs. Descriptions of these programs are located at the GNU.org website where many Online Manuals may also be found.

These manuals typically provide a lot more information than is found in the corresponding man page on your system. For example , compare the man page and online manual for the tar utility.

11.3. A detailed Guide to Personal Computers

The Topic Index to the voluminous hardware guide at PC guide.com will give you a great idea of the contents of this website. I used it quite frequently when first installing Linux and configuring the X Window System. I learnt a lot about videocards and monitors, including the concepts of screen resolution, color depth etc., useful when troubleshooting X display problems.

11.4. An online dictionary of computer and technology terms

The PC Webopedia consists of a large online dictionary of computer-related terms and a search engine that provides links to documents that discuss each item in more detail. For example, I used this site to learn the differences between ISA and PCI buses.