Boldly venturing into new distros
So, I’ve decided to migrate back from using my laptop at work, to using the desktop that was initially provided for me. The only difference is that I’ve now partitioned my hard-drive, and I’m running Linux alongside Windows. I figured that, considering I’m developing in PHP, I may as well use Linux, which what most servers running PHP use.
I made the jump to using Linux a little while ago on my laptop, and the distro I choose to move to was Ubuntu. I’ve only been using it properly for about four months, so by all accounts, I’m still a relative n00b when it comes to Linux.
Imagine my excitement when presented with the opportunity to gain extra geek points by installing Linux on a second computer! Imagine my disappointment, when presented with a display resolution that refused to go any higher than 960×600.
Initially, I thought this was because I just needed to add the various modes into the xorg.conf file. However, this was not to be. No matter how hard I tried (and I even enlisted the services of the resident office Linux geek – Clifford), I could not get the screen displaying the correct resolution. Frustration! Especially considering I knew that the resolutions I wanted were possible – after all, I managed to achieve them in Windows; and what 19″ monitor can’t display a 1280×1024 resolution!?
Fast forward about two hours, and Cliff suggested we try install Debian. So, we use the NetInstall disc that he had lying around, install the OS and the Gnome Desktop Manager (GDM). After logging in, we make a few edits to the xorg.conf; restart the GDM a few times; and as sure as Bob is not my auntie, I had a screen resolution of 1280×1024. Heck, I could even push it up to 1600×1200, which is something Windows never let me do!
So, I’m now cutting my teeth in two different distros. Not bad for a Linux n00b. I feel rather special, I do. Do you have any useful tips, tricks or applications that you find makes your Debian experience easier, and that you reckon this n00b could make use of?