All right Gang,
I've converted. I'm gonna start using my processing power the right way... the LINUX way. One thing I need to know though; where is the config file for PD? I downloaded the vanilla version with synaptic and it stuck everything in the right place (i think) but I can't add paths or binaries without using the app itself. any ideas?

I have everything in my startup script like so, with a -path entry for stuff

/usr/local/bin/pd -r 44100 -channels 4 -audiobuf 160 -audiodev 1 -midiindev 1,2,3 \
-path /usr/local/lib/pd/externs \
-path /usr/local/lib/pd/iemabs \
-path /usr/local/lib/pd/extra/bsaylor/ \
-path /usr/local/lib/pd/extra/choice/ \
......

and;

-lib /usl/local/bin/Gem \

right?

But, how to make a startup script? i'm trying to install Hans' extended version so that I can switch stuff on and off, I do believe that this comes with a config file right?

If he's paying attention, he may want to know that I couldn't install the debian-ppc version because libavifile isn't installed. As far as I know, this lib is only for other architectures, and I couldn't find a ppc version;

Preparing to replace pd-extended 0.39.3rc5-1 (using .../Pd-0.39.3-extended-rc5-debian-testing-powerpc.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement pd-extended ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of pd-extended:
 pd-extended depends on libavifile-0.7c2; however:
  Package libavifile-0.7c2 is not installed.
dpkg: error processing pd-extended (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 pd-extended

I think there's also a .pdrc or .pd-conf file That will be a hidden file only visible with
ls -al

I don't have one for some reason, both my pd machines run from a startup script. To make one just edit in a text editor and save as startpd or something, then make it executable with
chmod +x startpd

then link an icon to it or start manually with
./startpd

check:

/usr/local/lib/pd/default.pdsettings

hans' installs
/etc/pd-extended/default.pdsettings
and
~/.pdsettings or something too

also I just posted to the list about the libavifile thing, and hans is fixing it now. until then install the 0.39.2-rc5 version

Ok, this should be fixed in tomorrow's auto-builds. Let me know if it is not.

Sweet, now I just have to get my xserver reconfigured. I know this isn't a linux forum, but it is a linux thread, and I haven't had much help from the linux forums...

Does anyone know why I can't get Xorg to accept my config changes? My specific problem is that after booting into my new install, all I got was jumbled video. So after;

#dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

I noticed that the pci address for my vidcard was wrong in the xorg.conf file, so I changed it, as well as specifying the correct (ati) drivers and resolutions. When I restarted, X failed to start up and the debug stated that that there was no device at PCI:0:16:0; the incorrect adress which I had previously corrected. Does xserver look for configuration from somewhere other than /etc/X11/xorg.conf ? What am I missing?