Bug or paternalism in screen resolution?

[Brian Astill]

As mentioned in an earlier post 
(Re: :FW: X resolution too low 22/01/07)
I could not obtain the rsolution I wanted (1600x1200), even though 
that was well within the monitor specs.
Card: NVidia GeForce FX 5200
Monitor: LG Flatron T910B

In Daooer, usig KDE, all the recommended changes to xorg,conf that 
I tried to overcome this problem were ineffective because When X 
is restarted, xorg.conf is reproduced by ???? (in Ubuntu Dapper 
using KDE) so all the editings I tried are removed.  :-(
The screen resolution app in KDE Control Centre does not respond 
to a setting higher than 1280x1024.   :-(

However....
In Dapper/KDE as I have it now, the KDE applicatins menu 
contains "Debian" wherein nice "rescue" Gnome goodies reside.  
The Gnome screen resolution app DOES work.  Yeah!  :-)
I can obtain any resolution I want up to the maximum my 
Card/Monitor is capable of 2048x1536.
However, after using the Gnone tool,  CTRL-ALT-+ (or -) doesn't 
work effectively - you have to make any change using the Gnome 
tool.  :-(

In Edgy, it's worse.  KDE doesn't even HAVE a screen resolution 
tool.  There is no "Debian" menu.   ALT-F2 
and /usr/bin/gnome-control-center (if you know that location) is 
your sole option.  Furthermore it will not offer a reso;ution 
higher than 1600x1200.

Niether system will allow virtual screens.

OK, so 1600x1200 IS available - albeit in a most awkward way - and 
this IS as high as one would want to go nearly all the time in a 
19" monitor BUT who the fsck is it who refuses to allow me to 
tailor xorg.conf to MY requirements?   

I use Unix-based systems and FOSS because it gives ME control of 
MY system whereas Mr Gates wants to make all my decisions for me.  
The LAST thing I want is Ubuntu taking options out of my hands - 
what I do with my system is surely my responsibility, not 
Ubuntus.  Or is my experience the result of a bug?

-- 
Regards,
Brian