Re: debian

[cr <cr@orcon.net.nz>]

On Sunday 22 June 2003 16:26, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> on Sun, Jun 22, 2003 at 01:07:21AM +1200, cr (cr@orcon.net.nz) wrote:
> > On Saturday 21 June 2003 21:55, Alex Malinovich wrote:
> >
> > Well, I have no conscience whatever about stealing Micro$oft software.
> > The way I look at it, if I'm forced to use their software for any
> > particular application it's because M$ have managed to coerce almost
> > everybody into using it, squashed any competition, and got obscenely
> > rich by doing so.  However, other shareware I do have a conscience
> > about, I've even registered some.   ;)
>
> Fact is, you're *still* benefiting MSFT by using their software:
>
>    http://kmself.home.netcom.com/Rants/piracy.html

I know.   But at least I don't pay them for the privilege   ;)
More to the point, I've only used M$ software myself when it's unavoidable, 
which means (in the last two years) the rare occasions when I fire up Win3.1 
to use my old 'Snappy' video capture gadget.   And it only comes with Windoze 
drivers.

> > > And, just so I can join in the foray of the auto-detect flame-fest
> > > here, if a user doesn't know his hardware well enough to be able to
> > > pick it from a list he shouldn't be installing an OS in the first
> > > place.
> >
> > Errr, *wrong*.    Much of my gear is second-hand, and of course the
> > first thing the original owners invariably do is lose the manuals.  :(
> > My current motherboard is the first one I've ever had  a manual for,
> > ditto my S3 VGA card, and I've *never* owned any monitor of a brand
> > that's been listed in the 'X' config options.
>
> It's a simple matter, in most cases, to dig up the information you need.
>
> First step is to take a look at the physical cards and note significant
> markings.
>
> Second:  look at dmesg output, /proc/pci and other informational
> sources, most abstracted into my system-info script (see prior post in
> this thread).
>
> Google the identifiers you've found.  You'll turn up the specifics, in
> many cases including online manuals.

Tried that, on occasion.   Sometimes works, frequently doesn't.

> > Both with RedHat and Debian, I've found that  'X' configuration was
> > the biggest single problem.   Both RedHat *and* Deb failed to come up
> > with any monitor setting that would work, failed to start X with
> > 'generic' monitor, and I had to experiment extensively with XF86Config
> > before it would work.   In fact, if I run RedHat I use my S3 card
> > because I can't make it work with my on-board SiS/AGP video driver;
> > with Debian it's the opposite.
>
> SiS has a bad track record.  As with too many vendors, they're slow to
> present specs and configuration information, though this situation
> continues to improve.  There's information on SiS X driver support here:
>
>     http://www.winischhofer.net/linuxsis630.shtml

Well, while RedHat / X  works with my S3 Trio card, Debian (using the exact 
same XF86Config settings copied from the RH file) won't.   It *does* work 
with my on-board SiS630 chipset.   Why this is so, I don't know.   I suspect 
it would require a lot more expertise than I have to figure it out, but since 
it's working I'm content to let it.

> > Yet, both RedHat and Mandrake's graphical installers and Debian's penguin
> > logo display fine with *whatever* card I'm running - what is it the
> > installers know that they won't tell X config ?    :(
>
> Framebuffer != X11.

OK, this is technicalities I'm ignorant of.   

cr