Dumb Linux newbie question
 

I did a quick search and didn't find anything on this topic and apologize if it was there and I missed it.

Anyway, I just installed Mandrake 9.1 on my system. So far I seem to like the OS. It's a good change of pace from Windows horseshit until I can afford my new G5. My question pertains to changing desktop resolutions. I tried right click > Configure Desktop > and all submenu's under that, but found nothing. Am I looking in the right spot? Any help would be much appreciated.

Try looking XFree86 configuration... (I'm runnig RedHat and it's redhat-config-xfree86 there...)

It's in the Mandrake Control Center, under the "Hardware" tab. You can launch MCC from the command line with the command "drakconf", if you don't know where it is in the applications menu. You'll need your root password.

Hey, and if anyone says to you, "Sure, go edit /etc/X11/XF689Config-4, and then startx," you have my permission to punch them in the teeth. I've used Linux on my primary desktop for five years and files like that still give me the creeps. Not that it's not necessary to edit them directly sometimes, but... Let the newbie use the newbie toolz. There's a command-line snobbery sometimes that I think gets in the way of mainstream desktop Linux adoption.

OK, I wasn't really clear with my answer... Actually the "redhat-config-xfree86" brings up the GUI...

I should've said: "Try looking for XFree86 options in the menus..." (and keep the config file editing as a last resort...) :)

lol, well, I mostly agree with everything that was said ;). You're probably better of just using any GUI tools that maay have been included with your distro (been awhile since I used Mandrake (8.2) so I don't remember what/where. But, sincerely, if you plan on learning about Linux, etc (which it sounds like you don't are are just waiting for your G5, which is fine) then I would look into how to edit the XF86Config file (as ratbastid said, I think it's XF86Config-4 that you'd want to edit with Mandrake). Getting in the practice of solving problems you have by going directly to the source - while daunting at first - can be a very beneficial and educational process. But, like others have said, I think in your case it probably is bestto just stick to whatever GUI tool is available.

i am glad I didn't answer this before you did. I would have told him exactly that, go edit the XF86Config.

not to try to dissuade people from GUI tools, but more the fact I don't know the Mandrake (Redhat or SUSE) GUI tools for editting the files.

sometimes just telling someone about the basic config is the easiest way so you dont confuse certain distro specific questions..

For a side note
(And I'm not completely sure, so correct me if necessary)

XFree86 is not capable of switching resolutions on the fly like Windows. Therefore you need to actually quit the windowing environment (not necessarily reboot, but that may be the easiest way) and restart it for changes to take effect.

That is correct... it even states that fact when you change the resolution within the GUI.

Ah, ok...
I don't have any desktop machines running linux atm, so I couldn't check... Thanx.

I think the newest version of XFree fixes that - if not it's the one that's coming out.

It is fixed in at least v4.

However, you must have a list of the available resolutions listed in your XFree86 config file.

to switch on the fly, it is CTRL, ALT, and either + or - to switch up or down on the resolution. It will skip a resolution if it isnt supported (and by skip I mean it will try it but fail, so it will take a bit longer) but it is listed in the config file.

Note: Use the + and - on the number pad.. Not sure if the others work or not.

Others don't work...

This makes me want to try Linux..Thanks for the thread.

lol that's the most unusual reason to try Linux I've ever heard :)

Changing resolutions may not be the easiest thing to do I guess, but I know that, at least for myself, I've never changed it after the initial install. So I really don't see any need for it to be easier.

Like SM70 above, I wonder: what exactly made you want to try it out?
Was it the question, the answer, or the fact that the response was adequate?

I'd really like more people to try Linux (although I'm only using it for my servers and not my desktops) fiddle around with it, get to know it. So what was it that pulled you over the line (so I can use that with other people ;) )

Ok. My faith in the "stability" and "reliability" of Linux has gone by way of the Titanic. My install crashed itself about a week after the initial install. I didn't even get a chance to check out the res changing tricks in this thread.

And when I say "crashed itself"... I mean it crashed itself. It ran fine the first several times I ran it to play with it, and then I put this thread up, then next time I tried to boot to it, everything went to shit. All my drives "unmounted" themselves and the only option is to reboot. My faith hath been damaged.

Any ideas? I deleted the partition it was on. Should I give it another chance?

Sounds like me and WinME during one drunken night on a spare computer several years ago. After a few hours of normal operation, I somehow corrupted the system kernel so badly it wouldn't boot. I have skills. :D

I'd say yes, give it another chance. You could always try either a different distribution of Linux or some distribution of BSD (Open! Open! Open!).

Linux isn't perfect, that's for sure, but unlike Windows it very rarely ever "works" and then just "doesn't work" for no reason at all. There must have been something that was not done correctly at some point.

I'd definitely give it another shot. If you haven't, I highly suggest you sift through these threads as well - especially the first one:

http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread....ighlight=linux
http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread....ighlight=linux
http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread....ighlight=linux
http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread....ighlight=linux

Linux is VERY different from Windows and Mac OS. Different distros leave various amounts of things to the end user to do, but one thing that can be consistantly said across the different distros is that they all generally require the user to pay FAR more attention to details and the inner workings of the OS than Windows or Mac OS.

Give it another try, but be sure to try it with the right mindset and for the right reasons.