Taking A Break from Ubuntu

[Chris Rees]

On 16 May 2010 13:31, Michael Haney <thezorch at gmail.com> wrote:
> I've decided to take a nice long break from Ubuntu.
>
> This wasn't an easy decision for me because I really like Ubuntu.
> What I don't like is having to fight with the desktop screen
> resolution every time I install a new version.  I refuse to fight that
> battle again.  Every time it happens its NEVER really fixed.  Oh, I
> get the resolution I want (1024x768) but only via a down-and-dirty
> workaround that ends up breaking something else.
>
> I depend on the Desktop Zoom and color inversion capabilities of
> Compiz Fusion because of my visual disability.  The problem is NOT
> getting the Nvidia drivers installed.  Its getting a desktop
> resolution of higher than 640x480.  My monitor is non-standard.  Its a
> Sun Microsystem CRT with dual inputs, one is a huge plug for a Sun
> workstation, and the other is for standard VGA.  Prior to Ubuntu 7.10,
> where you selected your screen resolution there was a tab where you
> could scroll through a list of hardware manufacturers and select your
> specific model Monitor.  If it wasn't listed you could at least select
> one of the Default options.  I usually selected Generic 1024x768
> Monitor from the list, and I was good to go.  This feature was
> removed.  I issued bug reports about it, made complaints, and not a
> GODDAMN thing has been done to address the problem.
>
> This is such a simple problem.  Why can't Canonical just make a
> separate GUI for selecting your monitor's make and model?  WHY THE
> FUCK HASN'T THIS BEEN FIXED YET?  I'm not the only one with this
> problem.  Don't they pay attention to the bug reports?  Didn't someone
> look at it and think "hey, that feature we removed that let you change
> what kind of monitor you from the screen resolution GUI is causing big
> problems for a lot of our users, lets fix it!"  But, no, it just sat
> there for more than a year with barely any activity and no
> announcement at all that anyone was going to try to fix it or propose
> that it should be fixed.  This is a crippling problem keeping a lot of
> people from using Ubuntu and its been ignored.  WTF?
>
> The Nvidia X Server Configurator doesn't fix this problem.  You cannot
> select your monitor make and model or change anything about your
> monitor in any way from that GUI.  I tried using my down-and-dirty
> workaround by editing the xorg.conf file using my monitor settings
> from a version of Ubuntu that does this correctly.  I searched Google
> for solutions too.  I've tried randr, I've tried tried running the
> setup wizard for X.org from the command line after finally getting
> X.org to shut down.  The wizard didn't even give me the option of
> choosing my monitor, just the keyboard.  In many instances X.org
> wouldn't even start afterward.  So, for now and until this is fixed
> I'm done.
>
> Maybe one of you has more influence in the community or knows the
> right strings to pull to get this issue looked into and corrected.
> For now, I refuse to go through any more frustration and pain to fix
> something that is so basic.  I can't just run out and get a better
> monitor or video card, not on my budget.  One day maybe Canonical will
> get a clue and fix this problem.  Until then I have to so goodbye to
> Ubuntu.
>
> I've found that many other distros DO THIS CORRECTLY, and Mandriva
> actually installs Compiz Fusion with the Nvidia drivers installed at
> 1024x768 by default.  So, I have Mandria 2010 running on my machine
> right now.
>
> If anyone has a "known to actually work" solution to this specific
> monitor problem I'll reinstall 10.04 and try it.
>

Actually, I agree with you that fighting it like this shouldn't be
necessary. I'm
sorry you've been ignored, and I can only assume that not many people have
the kind of specialist hardware you have (how the hell did you get hold of one
of those???).

Keep on with the PRs, and consider me a supporter on this issue.

Can other people just voice their support here?

One suggestion Michael is that you could try writing/locating a driver for the
screen, and getting them to include that...

Chris