TechNotes: Fixing SuSE 7.3

When Little Problems Get Big

Those who read this week's .comment column on LinuxPlanet.com learned of the difficulty that I and some others have encountered in installing, configuring, and using SuSE Linux 7.3. These problems are not universal, but for a substantial number of users they render a nonfunctioning or barely functioning system.

As it turns out, at least two significant problems can be relatively easily solved, even by users who have little Linux experience. A third problem is not a critical issue but still one for which a solution remains elusive.

The problems are these:

• Difficulty of installation and limited usability on machines using the Matrox G-400 video card and perhaps other cards in the MGA series.

• Unattractive rendering of anti-aliased fonts for video cards that can use them, for users who choose the KDE desktop.

• An inability to apply the Ext3 journaling filesystem to existing partitions.

The first problem was solved through a suggestion made on the SuSE English-language mailing list. The second has been solved by a SuSE employee who encountered it while preparing the Japanese language version of the distribution. The third problem, well, remains a problem. But because this is Linux, that will probably be sorted out within a day or two.