[ale] Some Headway RE: Configuring X11 on SuSE-9.3

[Geoffrey]

Mills, John M. wrote:
> All -
> 
> Thanks for the leads. I decided to bite the bullet and reinstall from
> scratch. This was mostly successful: this time I got to configure X11,
> but still have problems with the desktops.
> 
> In the "aww...shucks" category:
>  7. Only two desktop panes instead of the four I expected.

I assume you mean desktops?  Anyway, depending on what wm or desktop 
you're using (kde,gnome) that is configurable by simply right clicking 
ont the image of your switcher/pager.

>  6. "Plain vanilla" (or rather, light gray) login screen instead of the
> more SuSE-esque motif that comes up on my laptop.

I believe that the 'pretty' one that comes with SuSE could well require 
certain parts of either kde or gnome (possibly gnome2-SuSE or 
kdebase3-SuSE).  At any rate, look to install either kdm or gdm and I 
would think you'll be happy with either.  If you really want something 
k00l go for Enlightenment 17 and entrance!

>  5. Some "cute, fuzzy" details seem missing (decorations here and
> there).

See above. :)

>  4. Always opens a console terminal on-screen (until I kill it); fine
> for the sysadmin, but this box is going to a non-geek user who doesn't
> need gratuitous error messages.

Again, depending on which desktop you're using, you should be able to 
'save current desktop' as you want it to boot to.

>  3. Only screen choice I got was lots of resolution (don't recall
> exactly what), but only 8-bit color - perfectly usable here, but I
> expected some depth:resolution choices. (Video is the built-in Gateway
> 2000 VESA.)

Unfortunately, I've found some bit of grief accompanying the latest 
rework of Sax2 and SuSE 10.0.  You may well end up editing the config 
file by hand.

> 
> In the "serious nuisance" category:
>  2. Missing features ("save setup", "restart" and "stop computer"
> buttons on the logout widget).

Hmmm, again, desktop dependent, but should be tunable.  Not much help 
there, sorry.

> 
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> In the "#$%^&*!! showstopper" category:
>  1. Mouse sensitivity disabled when the [modal] logout widget comes up,
> so the user _can't_ log him/herself out from the window - at least not
> from the toolbar. Totally unacceptable for the average user!

This sounds like a bug.  I've not had this problem.

> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Somewhat frustrating all in all, since my first SuSE-9.3 installatin
> dropped perfectly onto a potentially troublesome laptop and gave me a
> setup that looks great, even for the Windows-gazers of the world.
> 
> I ran the full SuSE auto-update in hope these issues had been fixed
> (Maybe I had simply not used the 'out of the box' setup on my first
> installation), but the update seems to have stalled. Maybe it just ran
> out of disk space - I'll look more closely this evening.

Not a good thing for sure. :(

> 
> Any suggestions welcome for housebreaking this machine!

Sounds to me like it had a minimal install to start with.  I hate to see 
you do a reinstall, but you can go to:

Yast2->System Update->update mode

And then select a standard kde or gnome install.

I've not done this, so I don't know if it might remove software you've 
installed that doesn't come with that particular Mode.

-- 
Until later, Geoffrey