RedHat8.0 - X11 screen is scrambled after installing NVIDIA drivers

[chipixnew]

Hi,

I have installed RedHat 8.0 using the generic "vesa" driver with no problems.

I installed the latest 1.0.4349 drivers with no problem. I changed the XF86Config to the correct values and then tried to start the X environment (startx). My monitor's vertical frequency changes, but I only see a scrambled screen with strange symbols.

The system is unusable (cannot use any console) and only by pressing Ctrl-Alt-delete I have my system rebooted.

This occurs even with the 1.0.4191 and 1.0.3123 drivers. :confused:

Please find attched my XF86Config and the corresponding XFree86.0.log

My configuration is:
Card: GeForce4 Ti4200-8X
Distr: RedHat 8.0
bio revision (from windows not able to register nvidia in /proc yet) : 4.28.20.05.11
CPU: AMD Duron 750

Thx for your help in advance

[Andy Mecham]

Does disabling AGP allow you to start X?

--andy

[MDMoery]

I am having exactly the same problem. I starting having this problem with 4191 in RedHat 8.0. (3123 works fine, however, in RH8.) With no change at all in the XF86Config 3123 would work fine and 4191 would lock up with garbage on the screen as soon as X starts. So in RH8 I just stuck with the older driver and went on.

In RH 9, I have to use 4349 since 3123 won't work so now I have to deal with this problem instead of avoiding it by sticking with the older driver.

The XFree86.0.log file does not show errors - setting mode to 1024x768 was the last message. I even tried 640x480. The machine locks up tight so I have to push the reset button.

My stats:
Gigabyte 7VAXP Ultra; Athlon XP 2.4Ghz; 1Gb RAM
ASUS V9290/TD (Ti4200 8x)


Originally posted by chipixnew
Hi,

I have installed RedHat 8.0 using the generic "vesa" driver with no problems.

I installed the latest 1.0.4349 drivers with no problem. I changed the XF86Config to the correct values and then tried to start the X environment (startx). My monitor's vertical frequency changes, but I only see a scrambled screen with strange symbols.

The system is unusable (cannot use any console) and only by pressing Ctrl-Alt-delete I have my system rebooted.

[MDMoery]

Originally posted by Andy Mecham
Does disabling AGP allow you to start X?

--andy

I am still learning Linux. Could please tell me how I would disable AGP to test this? Thanks.

[MDMoery]

I should also mention that the RedHat 9.0 build was from scratch and was NOT an upgrade of the RedHat 8.0 I was having the earlier 4191 problem with.

Originally posted by MDMoery
I am having exactly the same problem. I starting having this problem with 4191 in RedHat 8.0. (3123 works fine, however, in RH8.) With no change at all in the XF86Config 3123 would work fine and 4191 would lock up with garbage on the screen as soon as X starts. So in RH8 I just stuck with the older driver and went on.

[Wolfman [TWP]]

I am still learning Linux. Could please tell me how I would disable AGP to test this? Thanks.

Add the following line to your XF86Config file (In the Device Section) And it's all documented in the README file.

option "NvAGP" "0"

This will diable the AGP support.

Wolf

[MDMoery]

Originally posted by MDMoery
I am still learning Linux. Could please tell me how I would disable AGP to test this? Thanks.

(OK - before the RTFM folks start.)

Thanks and never mind. I found out in the README how to do it and it did indeed solved the problem.

[MDMoery]

Originally posted by Wolfman [TWP]
Add the following line to your XF86Config file (In the Device Section) And it's all documented in the README file.

option "NvAGP" "0"

This will diable the AGP support.

Wolf

I found it just before you posted your reply. But thanks for taking the time to help me.

[chipixnew]

Disabling the AGP solved my problems too.

Thanks a lot.:clap:

Does this mean that the performance will be degraded?

How can enable AGP with no problems?

[Wolfman [TWP]]

Does this mean that the performance will be degraded?

AGP transfers are only used when textures are stored in MAIN memory. Due to the size of ram used on Video cards these days (32MB-128MB) for this to happen maybe very unlikely.(As textures are stored locally on the video card). As I don't know of, or come across any programs that are that heavily dependant on Textures. (To the extreme of needing more than 64-128MB's of texture memory). So basically you won't see much of a performance increase by using it.

Also a good example of that was when I had (I still have it though) my Voodoo 5, which had 64MB's of RAM on it, and it was also AGP, but a 1x AGP. I didn't see any performance decrease because of the fact that it was only a 1x AGP video card. (When at the time most of the others were 2x AGP).

I may be wrong, as other factors may very well come into it too.

Wolf