29th June I accepted a Fedora 13 update, as I have many time before. 30th June I booted up.... to a blank screen. I'd lost my x-server.

Background. Prior to FC13 (64bit), on Fc12, 32bit, I used to have this stupid dance each time I got a new kernel. I'd have to build a new version of the graphics card driver, let it do something to one of the kernel modules then start all over again. On installing FC13, I found I didn't need kmod-nvidia, the Nvidia commercial driver or anything special. Woot (I think is the current phrase). I was happy. Fedora was doing what I thought it should have done all along and detecting the graphics card and using an appropriate driver. I don't want the latest and greatest graphics, I just want a clear display. I don't play games and stuff that requires Gflops of GPU under the bonnet. I want ... Linux, to work? Is that too much to ask?

Questions on the Fedora forum. One guy in .ru answered, seemed not to know what to suggest. Ah well. Try another distro.

Downloaded Debian stable. One CD. Good for them. Ran the install on a spare disk I had. It downloaded the packages I said I wanted. Ah well. Only 30 minutes though. Good for them. Reboot. tick tick tick. No 'kin graphics. Sigh. Whilst it booted I was thinking... I'd selected ext3 as the disk format. Remembered that I'd taken the latest (neck out?) ext4 when I'd installed FC13. Wonder if debs can read ext4? Why was i doubtful?

Where next? I wonder..... When I bought this latest machine I chose a fifty bucks ATI graphics card. ATI 4770. I had it in the loft. Stuck it in. Swapped back to the FC13 disks. Booted. Hey, graphics!

I have two screens. Trial and error I found out that Nvidia have the 'prime' display on the socket nearest the PCB. ATI have the 'prime' display away from the PCB. WTF?

Lots of swapping about and I now have twinview working, menubar on the LHS monitor, same graphics as before. Hey, win. Except:

Should I start being doubtful of Fedoras graphics card support? I've always thought the 'Only free' a bit too strict for most. I now wonder if they are starting to blacklist Nvidia or something. Heck I don't even know what darned driver I'm using. Either way, this idea of Linux 'competing' with Windows for ease of use takes another knock in my book. ATI and Nvidia. Probably supply [some large percentage] of the worlds graphics cards. Fedora makes you dance around to get them to work. Something fishy there.

My one day working with a cli only was 'interesting'. Emacs is there... but I'm darend if I know how to setup two sessions, side by side. I (finally) got Lynx to read my emails from gmail (hey that is a great product). I just could not envisage working without my graphics now, at least without a lot of pain.

Put it down to experience? 'spose so.