Total Linux newbie needs help

[shorty]

OK.. sorry.. ive searched this forum high & low first.. incase I could solve this problem myself.. been on nvidia site.. the works.. but IM just stuck!

Installed Redhat 7.2.. on an Athlon XP box with a 128mb GeForce 4 (dual head)... dont know which driver to pick in the X config during install.. so Ive picked generic & geforce. both which gave me no X windows .. although it correctly detects my primary monitor (AOC)..

Install completes.. no resolution will work in the test... and on reboot.. black screen & prompt. OK.. im a total newbie with Linux.. so can someone tell me carefully.. how to get the drivers installed.. so I can actually have x windows? I can log into root @ command line level... but where do I go from there??

Thanks in advance for help.. cause I feel so dumb.. a windows admin.. who cant even negotiate this.. duh.. says it all I suppose... :rolleyes:

[29inchut2003]

windows admin?!?!?! get out!
nah sorry. had to say it. welcome to a abetter way :)
well, im no linux genius either, but a good place to start assuming you can get to network shares is to download the drivers from nvidia.com for linux. these are vastly different from the pre-installed ones.
run nvchooser.sh for help choosing which ones to use. (its on the same page as the drivers.
start by installing the kernel:
rpm -ivh (kernel name)
then the glx (again, nvchooser will tell you what to use)
rpm -ivh (glx name)
then dive into your XF86config filke (most likely /etc/X11/XF86Config-4), pico shoud be an easy enough text editor.
you want to change
driver "nv"
to
driver "nvidia"

im not very familiar with rehad 7.2,
but thats the guts of it.
maybe someone else can elaborate further?
again, chances are those generic drivers arent picking up that card right, the nvidia ones should do the trick.

[FishTech]

You probily did, but just in case: Did You try the 'startx' command?

[shorty]

Thanks for the considerate replies guys :D

However, im stuck on 8-bit colour at 600x800...

Downloaded and installed the good 'ol RPM's (used NVchooser).. used the XFree86 - configure .. and boom .. Xserver dies

Damn this OS... I so so want to get into this.. but after 3 hours of tryin just to get a display driver to work.. my interest is whaning.. Ive read the threads on installin Nvidia drivers.. but.. despite my best educated attempts.. im failin here!

So.. all I need to kno is why does Xserver die on me? it was "suppose" to just spit out a new XF86Config file at me.. but instead crashes...

help!.. lol.. thanks

Shorty

[29inchut2003]

well, as far as im aware, you should absolutely not to create a new xf86config file.
oh, and make sure its xf86config-4 youre dealing with (if it exists)
all you should have to do is look through that file and make some common sense judgements as to what refresh rates etc to use.

worst case:
get youre mits on a copy of mandrake 9 :)
i hear its remarkaeably user friendly and picks up all these cards fine.

sorry, but thats me out of ideas

[shorty]

7.2 or 7.3 are the only distros that support (with linux dd added device drivers) for my motherboards RAID controller (highpoint 374 - 4 channel) .. so I gotta use one of those distros...

Well im gonna try (again).. and see if I cant figure this damn thing out... but thanks.. shame there are no drivers for mandrake.. ive heard so many good things about it :)