Re: (newbie) how can I change the display resolution???

[Justin B Rye <jbr@datacash.com>]

Pietro Cagnoni wrote:
> 1) make a backup copy of XF86Config, just in case;

This can be a riskier step than it sounds - let me share a tale of
an obscure gotcha.  It goes like this:

1) gather a collection of interesting XF86-related files to study
2) put them in a directory called ~/XF86Config
3) come up with a new idea you want to try out
4) cautiously stash a copy of /etc/X11/XF86Config as XF86Config.bak
5) even more cautiously decide to restart X before editing anything
6) run "sudo /etc/init.d/xdm restart"
7) boggle as X dies with unedifying errors

Turns out, the reason it was dying was that it was choking on an
invalid XF86Config.  No, not the pristine /etc/X11 copy - *first* it
checks ~/, and since I didn't say "sudo -H", it was trying to use
the directory /home/jbr/XF86Config as its configfile!

I don't know if passing that on will save anyone from an unnecessary
panic, but at least people here might find it funny.
-- 
Justin B Rye - writing from but not for Datacash Ltd