I found what I believe to be the earliest reference of me using Linux on the internet.
Via Google Groups, I had posted a question asking for help configuring X on Debian 1.3.1 (released July 1997):
I hope I haven’t missed an obvious solution to this problem somewhere - but it’s slowly driving me mad… I’ve installed Debian 1.3.1 (older version, I’m sure, I’ve had the CDs for about a year) and am trying to configure Xwindows.
I can successfully start XF86Setup and even get my intellimouse to work but I can’t seem to find a happy configuration for my Permedia 3000 graphics card. There is no preset for my card and I’ve tried to ‘hand-configure’ it but every time I finish configuring and XF86Setup exits and tries to fire up the server my monitor goes blank (even the power light goes from green to amber(stand-by mode) - the first 2 times I had no choice but to power off (OUCH!) and run e2fsk manually to recover - since then I’ve learned to exit Xwindows (Ctrl-Alt-Bkspc) blindly (the video never does come back - but at least I can hear the exit beep and shut down nicely)
Obviously, I’d like to take full advantage of the capabilities of my card - but I’ll settle for just being able to see the screen 🙂
If anyone can offer some advice as to where to start, I’d appreciate it! I’ve got ‘LINUX - The Complete Reference’ the book with all the HOWTO’s and stuff - although I don’t know if that’s totally accurate because of it’s age either (also about a year) but any refernces to HOWTO’s or web pages or just a message from somebody who has a Permedia 3000 card working under LINUX would be great!
Thanks for helping….
I remember getting that book (LINUX – The Complete Reference. It would have been the 2nd Edition, I believe) when I was still working at my pre-computer career. The book was so big (1059 pages!) it wouldn’t fit in the mailbox and they had to deliver it to the office at our apartment building.
I am fairly sure I never did get the Permedia card working (damn Windows-only drivers) and went back to Windows 9x shortly thereafter.
I tried installing Linux again though. Multiple times. Eventually severing my connection from Windows in 2006
And now I make my living doing a thing that wasn’t even a thing until I was married with a family.
In general, I am glad that all of my childhood isn’t stored online somewhere (a’la Facebook), but it’s fun to have found this evidence and remembering the days when what I am doing today was just a dream.