Title: Displays, Video Drivers, USB Devices and Driver Management
Course: CIS 121: Linux/UNIX I: Fundamentals ~ For IGNITE Review > Section: Learning Modules

Displays

There are two display modes - text-mode and GUI. GUI mode relies on X Windows System which must:

- Init the video card.
- Allocate sections of the display to various apps.
- Manage overlapping windows.
- Manage the pointer.
- Direct input from devices.
- Resize and move windows.
- Manage menus and scroll bars in windows.

Video Drivers

There are different drivers for different chipsets.

- NVIDIA video hardware - nv, nouveau, nvidia drivers
- AMD/ATI video hardware - ati, fglrx
- Intel video hardware - intel
- Generic - fbdev, vesa (low performance)

Many manufacturers release their own drivers. If a driver isn't auto-detected, you can set the resolution and refresh rate for your hardware.

USB Devices

Always remember to unmount USB devices. From the command line, use the umount command. These devices can include:

- keyboards
- mice
- flash drives
- scanners
- printers
- phones
- cameras

Driver Management

- Drivers exist in the kernel or a library. Most drivers are in X, except for:
  - new hardware
  - old hardware
  - proprietary drivers
- If you have trouble, seek out bug fixes related to your driver and hardware.