I resolved my issues with Ubuntu hardy heron. Extensive googling revealed I was pretty much alone in my misery so I fixed it the Windows way, with a clean install. To be more accurate, I installed Xubuntu rather than Ubuntu and I'm glad I did. The difference is that I am using xfce rather than gnome and so I'm missing a lot of gee whiz features but, oddly enough, I've never found anything extra in gnome that I can't live without. Gnome development seems to be going in the direction of dumbing it down to make Windows converts feel at ease and all the brilliant new features of gnome are cunningly hidden in case Windows folk turn them on by mistake and their brains explode from the amazement and confusion.
I reinstalled as follows:
- backed up my xorg.conf in case I broke my carefully crafted X setup.
- backed up assorted irreplacable stuff in my home directory. How nice it is having a home directory, one place to store all my files.
- downloaded and blew xubuntu install cd
- swapped my primary and secondary monitor leads as I am sooo sick of my small secondary monitor being considered the primary monitor (despite my protests).
- booted cd
- selected install option
- cd booted and gaved me a totally orange desktop
- rebooted cd and pressed f4 for safe graphics mode
- ran install, carefully overwriting my old linux setup
- install complete.
- make sure the nvidia restricted (urgh nasty closed source) driver is installed.
-
Most importantly, run
sudo aptitude install nvidia-settings nvidia-settings
to set up the multi-monitor. I've learn from my last install not to touch the main display control panel.
Um, that's it. It was easy and took maybe 30 minutes (which didn't include downloading the cd image).
Xubutu has a great advantage over ubuntu: a crisp blue theme instead of that brown!
One problem I am having with all the (x)ubuntu work: I have to type my password about 300 times a day, both for ssh and sudo and it is driving me MAD.
Peter's Moblog
