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Re: Does linux support my new widescreen monitor

____/ Judge Dredd on Saturday 22 September 2007 21:05 : \____

> 
> "peterwn" <peterwn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1190491070.498178.115470@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> On Sep 23, 7:40 am, "Judge Dredd" <go_a...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>> I'm thinking of buying this widescreen from NewEgg
>>>
>>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009101
>>>
>>> The monitor is advertised as being "Windows Vista Certified" so it will
>>> obviously work with Vista. But I'm concerned if it will work with linux
>>> because it doesn't say anything about being "Linux Certified."
>>
>> Manufacturers are too scared stiff to indicate Linux suitability of
>> their products for fear of upsetting Bill & Steve (all these nice
>> little kickbacks for station "... recommends Vista' just mysteriously
>> dry up.
> 
> Thank you Peter. It's just that just about all of the monitors at NewEgg
> claim to be "Windows Vista Certified" and I didn't know if it was like a
> winmodem or something where you need Windows for it to work.

It's an advert thingie and a gimmick (among other, more practical things). I
spotted that sort of stuff about a year ago -- Vista motherboards, Vista
monitors...

It makes Microsoft happy, but it's moronic. An O/S has nothing to do with such
peripherals and components. These are fairly standards.

>>> Will linux be able to automatically use the 1920x1200 resolution or will
>>> have need to tweak some config files to get the full resolution. I worry
>>> about editing config files becase I don't type too good and if I make a
>>> mistake I worry that I will have no video at all.
>>>
>>
>> Cannot directly help, but two things.
>>
>> 1. Keep a copy of the config file before playing around with it.
> 
> Thanks for reminding me. I always mean to do this but I'm usually in a hurry
> and I forget.

A simple drop-and-drop or 

cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf ~

would do (note: the location and filename may vary depending on your
distribution)

>> 2. Have some means of starting Linux by an alternative means so you
>> can restore a fatally damaged config file.
> 
> I have a couple of live (bootable) cds that I can use.

Command-line works well in the case of X failure, but there are new techniques
(developed by Ubuntu, among others, IIRC) to ensure you have fallbacks for a
broken X Org file.

>> I also keep a backed up image of the Linux partition (using partimage
>> etc) so I can quickly restore things in rthe case of a mess-up.  To
>> make things easier, put all user stuff (ie /home ) on a separate
>> partition.
> 
> Here you lost me. I'm not that technical so things like backing up
> partitions and using separate partitions are beyond my current comfort
> level. But I don't think that plugging in a monitor will be this complicated
> where this will be needed.

I think the Linux distribution will often divide your hard drive in this way by
default.

> Thank you again. I'm going to order my new monitor tonight!

Widescreen questions are common, so in case your distribution of choice does
not work magically with the monitor (as in plug-in-play for correct
resolution), mess with the GUIs or search the Web. That type of stuff is
mature in Linux (with nice GUIs for multi-head diplays), unless you use Ubuntu
(which is overhyped).

I can assure you that Windows isn't any easier. 2 years ago I struggled to find
drivers for my mom's monitors on a Windows XP box. After wiping the (OEM's)
existing installation^1 because of virus issues^2, the whole system needed
builing from scratch, so to speak, with many pertinent drivers, things
refusing to work, etc. Not so with a Linux Live CD on the very same PC
(everything gets detected well)....

Anyhoo... I've drifted off topic just to explain that nothing is perfect and
it's something to be born in mind.

___
1 - The "Windows is easy to install" part is often to do with the fact that
people buy a PC with Windows preinstalled.

2 - Which recur, and recur, and recur.

-- 
                ~~ Best of wishes

Roy S. Schestowitz      |    Play Reversi: http://othellomaster.com
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