Living without X

When GRUB showed me the boot options, I pressed e, down, e,...

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:32:39 -0400

When GRUB showed me the boot options, I pressed e, down, e, added vga=794, pressed enter, then b.

This sets the console resolution to 1280x1024, 16 bit for one session. The permanent solution is to add vga=795 (1280x1024, 24 bit) to the lines which start with kernel, after the line which reads ## ## End Default Options ## in the file /boot/grub/menu.lst. Search for grub vga modes to find out which number represents which resolution.

Now, it’s nice to have a hi-rez screen, but the fonts are too small. The next step is to increase the console font size.

Debian etch -> Debian sid

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:25:00 -0400

All is simple: I open the file /etc/apt/sources.list and put # in front of every line. Then I add the following two lines

deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ sid main
deb-src http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ sid main

and save the file. I run apt-get dist-upgrade. I wonder if it will actually be unstable.

The next step is to increase the resolution of the console to 1280x1024, which is my monitor’s native resolution.

I boot from the netinst CD and enter the parameter expert. Then...

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:13:00 -0400

I boot from the netinst CD and enter the parameter expert. Then I make some small decisions, which are no problem, if you have google access at the time of installation (for looking up words). The only important thing is to make sure that the computer has a network connection. I name my system qsid.

The next step is to make apt-get read from sid’s repository and to update the system.

My system is an ASRock P4i65G Motherboard, some 2 GHz...

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:52:00 -0400

My system is an ASRock P4i65G Motherboard, some 2 GHz Pentium 4 CPU, a 120 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 Hard Drive and some crappy loud old DVD drive. I use a PS/2 keyboard and a 17” flatscreen.

The next step is to perform a minimal Debian installation.

The story so far

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:22:00 -0400

GUIs make me waste time and crippel my right hand. ratpoison helped me a little, but I never dug deeper to make my computer ergonomic.

Now is a good time to ditch X. At least on my second machine.

My aim is to become effective in text-editing and to teach myself console-based applications for everyday use: messengers, bittorrent and email clients, music players.

I will use debian sid: an up-to-date, unstable system.

The next step is to introduce you to my machine.