Last time I mentioned how my Debian GNU/Linux system needed to be upgraded due to a malfunctioning video card.
I am happy to say that my system is running quite fine now. Here is a listing of some of the upgrades and changes:
- nVidia GeForce2 GTS to nVidia GeForce FX 5500
- Linux kernel 2.4.24 to Linux kernel 2.6.11
- Deprecated OSS sound drivers to the new standard ALSA
- A restrictive hard drive partition scheme to a less restrictive one
The video card runs amazingly well, although my true test is to verify that Quake 3 Arena will run on the system. So far, Tuxracer and Frozen Bubble runs fine. The 2.6 kernel is a good iteration over the 2.4 kernel since it allows the system to respond faster and has more supported hardware under its belt. The OSS sound drivers, for example, have been deprecated in 2.6, but I’ve always used them before since ALSA was iffy at best, requiring a separate download and kernel recompile. Now ALSA is actually part of the kernel, and I am pleased that my system is so much more up to date. Debian is the distro that people make fun of for being less than on the cutting edge, but it makes up for it by being stable.
The hard drive partition scheme I had before made it difficult. I had a lot of space for my home directory, which is where I keep data files and the like, but less space for /usr, which I need for programs, and /tmp, which made installation of new programs difficult. The new scheme doesn’t differentiate between /usr and /tmp, and they share a LOT more space, since I have a bigger hard drive to store any data anyway.
So my system is faster, more convenient, and more compatible with what’s new in the world of technology. Games that were out of reach before are now playable. Not bad for an emergency repair.