On Sunday 22 June 2003 16:26, Karsten M. Self wrote: > on Sun, Jun 22, 2003 at 01:07:21AM +1200, cr ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) 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 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]