How To Install Grahpics Driver? Need Help.
 

Hey,

If this has already been posted then sorry. The search function is totally screwed:

An error occured while loading http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/sear...er=descending:

Timeout on server
www.nvnews.net

I also, tried downloading the readme but it just times out too. Connect to the ftp server fine but wont download it.

All right this is my frist time ever installing Linux what soever.

I've decided to install Linux Mandrake 9.2. I just got done installing it.

So now I went here to get NVIDIA drivers. Are these the correct one?:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_d..._1.0-5336.html

I believe they are. Anyways I run the command like it says and then I get this error message. I have no clue what it means.

ERROR: You appear to be running an X server; please exit X before installing. For further details, please see the section INSTALLING THE NVIDIA DRIVER in the README available on the Linux driver download page at www.nvidia.com.

So I went to find the readme but the link just times out like I've said. I've been trying to get it for over an hour now so I decided to just ago ahead and join this forum and hopefully someone can help me.

I've very very new to this so please don't be mean or just terms you dont think I understand. I'm very open to understand new things, but please dont get mad if you say something and I dont know what you mean. But either way I will and do appraicate any and all help. So thank you very much.

Anyways this x server thing. When I installed Mandrake I did not see any option about X server so not sure.

I was told to install binutils so I did that. I just picked the defult development options when I installed linux. I also choose not to install the office package since I wont be using linux for that.

I did not change anything else at all.

So I'm lost and don't have a clue what to do. I just wish the readme came along with the download then I would not have to download it sperate. Maybe that should change.

But anyways any help would be appricated. And if someone could can you please post a mirror for the readme.

Thanks a ton,
Will

Your gui runs on an X server, in our case XFree86. To install nvidia drivers you must get out of X and proceed in console mode. Console mode by choosing the failsafe boot option, or changing to runlevel 3: init 3

Um ok I understand part of that. Ok so I just restart computer in failsafe and then open a console and type in the command and all should be good? Simple as that.

About to try it then I guess. What is the run level thing? Guess you just don't run it in konsole.

But ok thanks man. Hope that works.

Take Care,
Will

Well now I'm back into windows because I ran the safe option and its text based and I dont have a clue what to do.

Tried running the command like it says:

STEP 3: Install

Type "sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-5336-pkg1.run" to install the driver, then edit your X86Config file as appropriate. See the text README for more detailed instructions.

Tried rebooting and picking just standard linux but same thing as safe now. :( WTF

If it's this hard then its not even going to be worth it. I can see why windows lovers hate linux. I still want to try but now I'm just pissed. :(

Any help?

Thanks,
Will

For runlevels look at the file /etc/inittab. I see you need some help with Unix commands, OK:

ls list files in current directory
pwd print working directory
cd change directory
cd .. up a directory
cp copy a file
rm delete a file
mv rename or move a file
less look at a text file

You are most likely using the Bash shell. This is a goodie with tab command and filename completion - it saves typing heaps.

ok thanks for that...figured out part of it...

So what about the command. How to i look at the file now since I cant get back into liunx or access the partion via windows... :(

when you boot into linux you shuld now be presentedt with a black screen that says this (to some degree)

yada yada yada

computer name login:

at that point type root enter followed by the password

now using the cd navagate to the folder you saved the NVIDA*.run file (mostlikey /home/"user login"/
Once you are in the same directroy as the NVIDA*.run file type this

bash (or sh they do the same thing as far as youare concerd) NVIDA(hit the tab key to auto fill teh file name) then enter. that should get you into the insalation program.

once done type vi /etc/X11/XF(tab) then hit the i key to edit as stated in the readme file ie change "nv" to "nvidia" and place a # infront of the lines with dri and GLcore and make sure in the same set of comands that Glx is listed. then hit the Esc key followed by the :wq keys then enter :wq = write quit. that should return you to the comand line.

now type exit to logout as root

now login as your user name

now type startx and if all went well you will be in X with a gui.

I would also sugjest typing this in a console window

cat /etc/inittab|grep id

it should print out tot he screen this
id:3:initdefault:

if that is so edit the /etc/inittab as root in the same way as above. and change the 3 to a 5. now then next time you boot to linux it will go strate into the gui login screen.

Hey,

All right thanks a lot blata well try that when I get home. Much appricated. Damn readme link still dead though.. :(

Update: Got home already and tried it.

I install the drivers and it said it was succesfully and to edit the config file like you said to do.

Ok so I got there to the config that that is and pushed i to edit it and i can see you edit it now successfully.

But I dont see any "nv" to change to "nvidia" nore do I see the other lines you were refering too. The dri and glcore and the glx things.

Dont see any of that. So that would be great if you could explain a little more. Wuld be very helpfully and very gratefull for both of your help so far. Very appricated. Almost there.. :)

So thanks again m8s.

Thanks,
Will

So, you DO have a file in /etc/X11/ called XF86Config, but it doesn't have the entries for "Section 'Device'"?

Why don't you copy and paste XF86Config here?

who do you want to post there XF86config?

# XFree86 4 configuration created by pyxf86config

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "DevInputMice" "AlwaysCore"
EndSection

Section "Files"
# RgbPath is the location of the RGB database. Note, this is the name of the
# file minus the extension (like ".txt" or ".db"). There is normally
# no need to change the default.

# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
# By default, Red Hat 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
# the X server to render fonts.

RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
FontPath "unix/:7100"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "fbdevhw"
Load "glx"
Load "record"
Load "freetype"
Load "type1"
# Load "dri"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# Specify which keyboard LEDs can be user-controlled (eg, with xset(1))
# Option "Xleds" "1 2 3"

# To disable the XKEYBOARD extension, uncomment XkbDisable.
# Option "XkbDisable"

# To customise the XKB settings to suit your keyboard, modify the
# lines below (which are the defaults). For example, for a non-U.S.
# keyboard, you will probably want to use:
# Option "XkbModel" "pc102"
# If you have a US Microsoft Natural keyboard, you can use:
# Option "XkbModel" "microsoft"
#
# Then to change the language, change the Layout setting.
# For example, a german layout can be obtained with:
# Option "XkbLayout" "de"
# or:
# Option "XkbLayout" "de"
# Option "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"
#
# If you'd like to switch the positions of your capslock and
# control keys, use:
# Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:swapcaps"
# Or if you just want both to be control, use:
# Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"
#
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# If the normal CorePointer mouse is not a USB mouse then
# this input device can be used in AlwaysCore mode to let you
# also use USB mice at the same time.
Identifier "DevInputMice"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Gateway Vivitron 17"
HorizSync 31.5 - 64.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 120.0
Option "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "Videocard vendor"
BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce 4 (generic)"
VideoRam 131072
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Group 0
Mode 0666
EndSection

oh ok i got u this:

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
VendorName "NVidia"
BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce4 (generic)"
Option "power_saver"
EndSection

Nor do i have the Section "Module" part.

Its currently this:

War, it looks like XF86Config is all screwed up for you. For starters, in the device section, if you don't have 'driver "nvidia"', then it won't even know to load the nvidia drivers.

In fact, I don't even know how the computer knows what drivers to load at all.
It may be that you're actually using a different configuration file all together.

Check out /var/log/XFree86.0.log, early in there, you should see a line like this:
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/XF86Config"

Except, you might be using a different config file. Whatever it says it's using, take a look at that file, and see if it makes more sense (i.e., you have place to load those modules, you have a driver that you can change to nvidia)

Also, look through the log file--there may be errors in there that can give you a clue as to what's up.