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Re: A couple of small questions



On Sun, Oct 20, 2002 at 07:38:40PM +0100, Steve Hargreaves wrote:
> Hi there, shaulka@bezeqint.net
> 
> On 20-Oct-02, you said:
> 
> s>> i) After much difficulty installing, and eventually having to do a hybrid
> s>> Debian 2.2/3.0 install to get a working system, and then playing about
> s>> (probably not a
> s> 
> s> 
> s> Couldn't you use 3.0? It is the stable distribution now.
> 
> Oddly not, nor can I use 2.2 by itself either. To install in the first place I
> had to use Amiboot from the 3.0 distribution and the 3.0 kernel, but the 2.2
> ram image. Installing 3.0 exclusively produced errors after the first reboot
> when trying to install the base system, using 2.2 exclusively caused a hang.
> 
> The method I used allowed me to get a working system installed, but then if I
> subsequently allow the full upgrade to Woody, X Windows refuses to start
> complaining of not being able to find the screens (as I learned when I
> downloaded 103 meg upgrade over a dial up connection that subsequently bombed
> my system, forcing me to start again from scratch). I dare say these problems
> may be fixable with FBSet, but I'm sure that I got other errors during X
> startup after (possibly) fixing this. For the moment, I'm happier to stick with
> what works.
> 


Not sure but this might be X 4.1 vs X 3.3 issues.


> s>> good idea) the dselect database is in a bit of a state rgarding the
> s>> selection state of the various packages. Is there any way to reset this to
> s>> reflect the "Status Quo". ie - so that nothing will be installed/uninstalled
> s>> or upgraded without my say so?
> s>> 
> s> Can you be more specific? You might copy/paste and post here to show
> s> what you mean.
> s> Basically nothing is never installed/uninstalled or upgraded without
> s> you say so. However it could be that you are a bit confused by dselect
> s> or other utilities so that you don't fully understand what is going on
> s> and ends up with undesirable results.
> 
> OK - when I first run dselect, it marks all installed packages for upgrade
> (which for th reasons mentioned above, I don't want to do). If I then decide to
> "Hold" all packages, except any I'm specifically requesting, I get several
> dependancy conflicts. Whilst trying to cure this to avoid the upgrades, I've
> made a complete mess of the selection states in dselect (which are preserved
> across sessions), effectively meaning I can't use dselect to install anything
> without it trying to upgrade my system. It could well be that it's down to my
> lack of understanding, but what I want to do now is run dselect in such a way
> that nothing is marked for upgrade, removal or installation, without the
> dependancy errors. Then I could install any additional packages I want without
> the worry. If these specifically selected packages produce dependancies on
> upgrades themselves, I can make a decision about whether or not to continue
> myself, without the system deciding for me.
> 


You might explore 
    dpkg --get-selections
and 
    dpkg --set-selections

Basically I am thinking about dpkg --get-selections, then marking the
list of packages to reflect the exact current situation and then feeding
it back to dpkg with dpkg --set-selections. I guess that the 
--get-selections stage should be carried as soon as there is a minimal
set of packages that constitute a stable system of your liking, probably 
before X is installed. The process in between should probably be carried
manually with the help of traditional Unix tools.
I am also very loosely remember the installation process. I expect that
another installation with your situation wouldn't select any task at
all. Hopefully a minimal Debian system can run on your hardware so that
by installing such a minimal system the initial dselect session wouldn't
ask for anything that is not desirable or acceptable.


> s>> ii) I use FBDev to manage my display under X Windows, and have managed to
> s>> amend fb.config to give me a working 1024x768 16 bit display. However, since
> s>> I boot into a 800x600 8 bit display initially, this is the mode that X
> s>> Windows starts in. To change I need to log in, open a terminal, run FBDev
> s>> and then logout before the new screen mode opens (when I run FBDev from the
> s>> terminal, the display is trashed until XWindows restarts). Is there a way to
> s>> start X Windows in my preffered screen mode immediately?
> s>> 
> s> I don't know anything about FBDev. Hopefully it is not different from 
> s> other displays in the sense that all you have to do is put the right
> s> defaults in /etc/X11/XFConfig* file. If this is indeed the case and
> s> that file has the right lines for the higher resolution then all that
> s> needs to be done is to modify the
> s> 
> s>    DefaultColorDepth
> s> 
> s> line appropriately. Perhaps you should try it and post here what 
> s> exactly did you change and what happened. I believe /var/log/XFree86
> s> might be of further help.
> 
> Unfortunately, the logfile doesn't help much. (well, not me anyway :o/). If
> anyone would really like to see it, let me know, but bear in mind I currently
> have to use AmigaOS for email, since I have no mail client installed on linux,
> which would mean printing it out from linux and then re-typing it in AmigaOS.
> It seems that on Amiga Hardware with a CV64/3D FBDev is necessary. If anyone
> has this working with XF86Config, then could you let me know how you have the
> screens/monitor/screenmodes set up (perhaps let me have a copy of your config
> file as a working reference point). Please :o)
> 


Here is my /etc/X11/XF86Config. Please note that i have the feeling 
that you are using X 4.1 while this is for X 3.3. My video card only 
get supported with 4.2.

$ cat /etc/X11/XF86Config
Section "Files"
	FontPath	"unix/:7100"			# local font server
	# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Keyboard"
	Protocol	"Standard"
	XkbRules	"xfree86"
	XkbModel	"pc104"
	XkbLayout	"us"
EndSection

Section "Pointer"
	Device		"/dev/ttyS0"
	Protocol	"Microsoft"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "MAG DX1495"
    VendorName     "MAG"
    ModelName      "DX1495"
    HorizSync      30-50
    VertRefresh    50-100
    Mode "640x480"
        # 640x480 @ 76.09Hz hsync: 38.04kHz
        DotClock        31.50
        HTimings         640  648  712  828
        VTimings         480  481  484  500
        Flags        	"+hsync" "+vsync"
    EndMode
    Mode "800x600"
        # 800x600 @ 75.86Hz hsync: 47.41kHz
        DotClock        49.50
        HTimings         800  808  888 1044
        VTimings         600  601  604  625
        Flags		"+hsync" "+vsync"
    EndMode
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"MiroCRYSTAL 12sd"
	VendorName	"Miro"
	BoardName	"CRYSTAL 12sd"
	Option   	"power_saver"
    
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Driver			"Accel"
        Device          	"MiroCRYSTAL 12sd"
        Monitor         	"MAG DX1495"
	DefaultColorDepth   	16
	StandbyTime		2
        SuspendTime     	3
        OffTime         	4
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		8
		Modes		"800x600" "640x480"
                ViewPort       	0 0
                Virtual        	1600 1200
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		16
		Modes		"800x600" "640x480"
                ViewPort       	0 0
                Virtual        	1152 900
	EndSubSection
EndSection
$

> Tho' as I've said, it's only a problem a boot time. Once X Windows is running in
> my desired resolution, it stays until I power down, so it's not a major
> problem. 
>     
> s> 
> s>> iii) Mozilla is painfully slow. Is there an m68k version of Opera (or any
> s>> alternative full featured web browsers) around?
> s>> 
> s> 
> s> 
> s> I don't run an m68k machine so I can't tell much. However
> s> http://packages.debian.org suggests that there is a galeon deb for
> s> m68k in testing. Installing it might necessitates you to install other
> s> packages from testing (or not install it at all), which is why you
> s> should take it with a grain of salt. On the other hand, I believe that
> s> testing is rather stable now, at least on i386. I am also not sure what
> s> performance gain you would get.
> 
> Thanks - when I fix problem 1 I'll have a look :o)
> 
> Regards
> 
> 
> 
> Steve
> -- 
> 
> You ask for "documentary evidences" of my having been at the Marquesas ... in
> Typee. ... Dear Sir, how indescribably vexatious, when one really feels in his
> very bones that he has been there, to have a parcel of blockheads question it!
> ... Not (let me hurry to tell you) that Mr John Murray comes under that
> category ... Oh no ... Mr Murray I am ready to swear stands fast by the faith,
> believing "Typee" from Preface to Sequel ... He only wants something to stop
> the mouths of the senseless sceptics ... men wh
> o go straight from their cradles to their graves & never dream of the queer
> things going on at the antipodes. ... I know not how to set about getting the
> evidence ... How under Heaven am I to subpoena the skipper of the Dolly who by
> this time is the Lord only knows where, or Kory-Kory who I'll be bound is this
> blessed day taking his noon nap somewhere in the flowery vale of Typee, some
> leagues too from the Monument. Seriously on the receipt of your welcome favour,
> Dear Sir, I addressed a note to the owners
>  of the ship, asking if they could procure for me, a copy of that part of the
> ship's log which makes mention of two rascals running away at Nukaheva ... to
> wit Herman Melville and Richard T. Greene. As yet I have nothing in reply ...
> If I think of any other kind of evidence I will send it, if it can be had &
> dispatched.
> -- Herman Melville, on Typee
> 
> 
> --
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-- 

    Shaul Karl, shaulka@bezeqint.n e t



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