Logan Shaw

Robin KAY wrote:

> Brandon Hoppe wrote:

>> Dangit, sorry guys, forgot to mention that I don't have root access.

> Then you need to ask the sysadmin to change it for you.

OK, I do not dispute that this is factual, but doesn't it seem
kind of, well, dumb?

I can understand if root access is needed to change to a screen
mode that isn't on a list of approved ones. Changing to some
untested mode could potentially compromise the stability of
the system (or at least access to it given whatever monitor
is hooked up). And I can see sometimes requiring the admin to
tweak a file that contains a list of supported modes, maybe
adding an obscure one that is not commonly used.

But basically, the system should come with a list of supported
modes and there should be an easy way of changing them without
requiring root access. Preferably without restarting the X server
either, although I know that's hard. But at least it should only
require logging out and in again, not calling up the system
administrator and waiting however long it takes to get a call
back.

Of course, it should require console ownership for a regular user
to change the screen mode. And the system should remember the
default state and set it back to that state when someone logs
out. But by gosh, it should at least be possible to do it when
it's reasonable.

Right now, the situation is such that this is a giant, giant
pain on Solaris. But on Windows, it only takes a right click
on the background and a little bit of navigation through obscure
menus to do it. And on the Mac it's even easier. And on every
other computer, it's also really really easy. But it's a pain
on Solaris. In the days where multisync monitors were a big
luxury and video modes had to be hand-tuned to avoid smoking
your monitor, that made sense, but it's not 1989 anymore.

By the way, I'm not trying to trash Solaris. I've been using
Sun machines and software for 15 years. I like it. But when
you get into an area that's so behind the times as this one,
it's just a little disappointing.

(Not that Linux is a huge amount better. On Linux, you have
to ALSO go through the step of concocting a workable XF86Config
file, a process which is just plain moronic IMHO.)

- Logan