GUI problems

Hi, I just installed Sarge from netinst. I have an averatec C3500 laptop which is meant to work at a resolution of 1024x768. I have a few problems/questions:
1) Gnome seems to have been installed by default, how do I install and run other desktop programs like KDE and the rest?
2) I may have set my screen info incorrectly during installation, but gnome won't let me raise the resolution above 800x600 (it's a dropdown menu). Does anyone know how I can change this?
3) If there is a game on the net and the game isn't listed in the database when looking through synaptic, can/how do I instal it?
Thanks everyone.

Hi

1.
a.
Use synaptic to install kde or whatever other window manager you are interested in.
b.
install a desktop manager eg gdm (gnome desktop manager) or kdm , xdm ... etc
reccomend kdm or gdm.

when you boot up the desktop manager will have a facility to switch window managers. I know kdm & gmd do . Havn't recently used any of the others.
so you just select kde ,gnome or xfce or whatever before you login.


2.
There are gui tools to do this. Sorry havn;t ever used any.

i normally use xf86cfg from xbase-clients
i usually run it text mode.
eg
xf86cfg -textmode

you can use this to change your maximum resolution

3.

a. if you can get it in .deb file format.
download and install
eg
dpkg -i game.deb

b. if a self installer.
eg quake 3 , doom3
just execute it .(probably need 2 be root to install it though(naturally))
sometimes there is a little extra you have to do after.
eg
doom3 needs the base files.


c. if in rpm file format.
suppose you can use alien to convert to rpm.
Then install the resulting .deb file
I haven't ever bothered to do this.
if I cannot do (a) then I will usually go straight to (d)

d. install from a tar ball.

usually very simple
in most cases is like this

tar zxvf game.tar.gz
cd game
less INSTALL # read install instructions.

./configure # configue the make file
make # compile the game
make install # install the game files in the correct places


This should cover most cases for installing games.
most of all just RTFM .
Documentation is your friend.

cheers

HCl