Top 7 Linux Distros 2014

[SHEEPMAN!]

I did it again.
Loaded fresh install of Mint 17 XFCE. Tried to tweak the desktop and finally did

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install cinnamon

Ahh that's better. Deleted Firefox, Thunderbird, Pidgin and that other thing.

From synaptic installed xinput-calibrate. Ran it through terminal and saved calibration to /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-calibration.conf.

Code: Select all

sudo nano  /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-calibration.conf

Added chromium.

The only other package I like at this point in elemetaryOS. (sp)

Still looking at some light packages but for a CF-30MK3 (means any CF-30) I'll stick with cinnamon.

I gave up on the flicker issue for now. Common denominator again is Intel 15.0. (from /var/log/xorg.0.log) I set the bios screen to internal LCD. I'll stick this in a MK1 tonight. May still be a flicker issue there.
THE MISSION
What I am looking for is any package that is new user friendly during install to keep the "old" Toughbooks in business.

What say you?
MINT 17 CINNAMON
1. Easy to install. (for dual boot with M$ let Linux do the partitioning...means install M$ first)
2. Good menu with favorites on the left for thumbnail press.
3. Off switch is easy to find.
4. Type partial program name and hit enter to launch when your selection highlights.
5. Menu launches from Superkey.
6. For SSD I put new ssd in caddy and a dvd in the drive and launched it. This is me....I tweaked nothing on ssd.
7. Extras...I run trim weekly from terminal command FSTRIM. Read then run it. (O.K. its sudo fstrim -v / ) This means file system trim verbose of the root partition. Check me out.

[kode-niner]

Just for fun I ran an

Code: Select all

apt-get -s install cinnamon

on one of my Debian installs and it only wanted to install 58 packages.
Surprisingly no removals.

[SHEEPMAN!]

I could look it up but what's -s?

The packages seem to be "packaged" IOW in blocks rather than individuals.

Hey Kode...do you know how to write a config file for LVDS1? Goes in /etc/X11/xorg....

Too strapped to think about it.

Thanks man,

J'd............

[kode-niner]

-s is simulation, so you can see what it wants to do without actually doing anything. It's mostly useful when apt-get automatically installs a single package without prompting you for Y/N.

LVDS1 goes under Section "Monitor" and LVDS1 is usually declared as VendorName
Why do you need this?

[SHEEPMAN!]

I need this because of screen flicker in Mint 17. Multiple units except 29 all marks and MK2 19 and 30.

The fix is to set to LCD in bios or to shut re-open the lid after OS loads.

Intel 12,13 don't have an issue...Mint 16 is fine for instance.

For the newbies I want to be able to recommend a package that works out of the box with minimal tweaking.

Thanks,

J'd If you want I will send you a MK3 CF-30 to play with.

[kode-niner]

Sorry for the late answer, I was writing from a pub last night.

Assuming you don't already have a:

Code: Select all

/etc/X11/xorg.conf

then add and edit:

Code: Select all

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/00-monitor.conf

You need a Screen section to declare what your display is using as a monitor then the Monitor section for tweaking the actual settings.

This is likely to work for you for your 00-monitor.conf file. Notice I'm not tweaking anything, just declaring:

Code: Select all

Section "Screen"
            Identifier      "Screen0"
            Device          "Card0"
            Monitor         "LVDS1"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
            Identifier      "LVDS1"
EndSection

Above the Monitor EndSection or below the Identifier "LVDS1" line you can add various Option "whatever" for tweaking your monitor settings if necessary. There should be plenty of examples on the net for switching on default resolutions, refresh rates and specifying monitor capabilities. If you want to make sure this is actually doing anything, then add

Code: Select all

            Option         "PreferredMode"    "800x600"

And reboot the system to see if your monitor defaults to 800x600, which would mean what you now have full control of your monitor through xorg.

[SHEEPMAN!]

Thanks man.

Everybody except me is wanting a screen section for a large monitor.

I'll let you know.

Jeff

Edit: So as in some of the touchscreen tutes I need to add

Code: Select all

mkdir /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d

Re-reading you said that.

[SHEEPMAN!]

The test worked...800x600.

Still flickers,

We need 60Hz.

Now what?

Thanks.

[kode-niner]

Post the output of the xrandr command here. You should already be at 60hz if you commented out the 800x600 option and you're back at 1024x768
Otherwise add

Code: Select all

VertRefresh "60"

to the Monitor section and remove or comment out the 800x600 option.



You could always just type

Code: Select all

xrandr -r 60

just to immediately check if that stops your flickering before editing any file.

[SHEEPMAN!]

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 32767 x 32767
LVDS1 connected primary 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
1024x768 60.0*+
800x600 60.3 56.2
640x480 59.9
VGA1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VIRTUAL1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

I'll do a battery pull reset before making the above changes. BTW xrandr is disabled according to xorg.0.log.

Be right back.