Yet Another Install Report

[Pete Ryland]

On Thu, Aug 26, 2004 at 12:57:58 -0700, Matt Zimmerman wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 26, 2004 at 03:37:48PM +0100, Pete Ryland wrote:
> 
> > * Missing finger client
> 
> Finger is part of the supported distribution, but not installed per
> default.

Yep, sorted, thanks.

> > * Missing NIS/yp client/server (when using client-side yp, I always run
> >     a yp server locally and use it as a secondary in case of server or
> >     network failure)
> 
> nis is now part of the supported distribution.

Cool, thanks for that.  Strange, though, that it didn't ask for the server
hostname, then couldn't find it!  Had to fix all the config files by hand.

> > * Once the CD is installed, no apt repository is set for updates or further
> >     package installs
> 
> The details of this are being worked out.
> 
> > I was (pleasantly) suprised to see it default to US keyboard layout
> > despite me living in the UK, but that's what I use (even with a UK
> > keyboard).
> 
> Interesting; I don't think it's quite _that_ smart.  On the console or in
> X?

This was for X.  On the console it (quite rightly) defaulted to UK layout,
not that I really use the console that much anyway.

Another thing, actually.  When I rebooted after the big update, X was
reconfigured in a strange way - my modes and all were all still intact, but
the monitor definition was now wrong.  When I first did dpkg-reconfigure
after installing off the CD, it detected my monitor perfectly and sorted it
with ease, but now it doesn't ask the Simple/Medium/Advanced question even,
so I had to look in the /var/log/XFree86.log file to glean the monitor
[vh]sync ranges before being able to use a decent res again.

On yet another note, back before when nautilus was broken I could do a
"killall nautilus" to get my root window back and run something on it (like
"/usr/lib/xscreensaver/ifs -root" for example), but now that doesn't work
since it keeps respawning (and with no discernable parent process to kill
either).  Is there another way I can reclaim the root X window, or do I have
to forgo the whole GNOME desktop and window manager thing?

Thanks,
Pete