Why does Ubuntu 10.10 try to change my graphics card driver?

[Winchester44]

Firstly, apologies: this is not a problem report but a request for information in order to avoid a problem!

I want to be able to use simple desktop effects in my Ubuntu 10.10 system. The last time I tried this, via <Control Panel>, <Appearance Preferences>, <Visual Effects> Ubuntu went and found a new graphics driver that caused my system to boot to a CLI. I couldn't solve this problem and had to go through the very painful process of re-installing the system.

Having now installed Nautilus Elementary plus the Orta Theme and Faenza Icons, I wish once again to invoke some Visual Effects. Currently that setting is at 'None'; I would like to try the 'Normal' option, but I am not going to do this until I can be sure my system will not be destroyed again.

I an somewhat confused in general about what is the latest graphics card driver for my system. The configuration is:

Ubuntu 10.10 with kernel 2.6.35-25-generic , Gnome 2.32.0 for AMD64.
Quadro NVS 280 card (NV34 engine; AGP interface)

[This appears to be part of the source of the problem: both my system and NVIDIA Settings list this as a GeForce FX 5200 card - but I suspect that that card has more functions than the older Quadro NVS 280 card]

Current driver: <Control Panel>, <Additional Drivers> lists 2 drivers:

1. NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver 173 (recommended)
2. NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver 96.

It is the second of these - the 96.43.19 driver - which is enabled.

Ubuntu says that to use 3D features (which is what I want to do) then the 173 driver has to be enabled. It says the same about the 96 driver too - so I have left that enabled. But this begs the question of why Ubuntu goes looking for an updated driver when I select 'Normal' visual effects in place of 'None'.

Further more I do not understand the driver numbering scheme. '173' looks, intuitively, to be a later driver than 96. But 96 was released some 6 weeks after the 173 driver. So which is the most up-to-date for my hardware? And how do I proceed to invoke Visual Effects safely?

[AireTamStrm]

This is better placed in the Ubuntu forums - not an NVIDIA issue, this is an Ubuntu driver installer issue.

[dk75]

Ubuntu is like Windows for Linux - you have freedom of choice from options prepared by developers = no choice (PulseAudio is again broken in 10.10 and make lags at video playback).
It seems that Simple Desktop Effects Preferences is dependent at drivers version greater than 91 ( or else... ) ;P

Ditch that and install CCSM - more to configure but it won't popup driver installation script.

As for "what driver for my gfx card", here, find it - http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree8...rtedchips.html

[jeisom]

Originally Posted by Winchester44

Further more I do not understand the driver numbering scheme. '173' looks, intuitively, to be a later driver than 96. But 96 was released some 6 weeks after the 173 driver. So which is the most up-to-date for my hardware? And how do I proceed to invoke Visual Effects safely?

Those driver are considered legacy drivers. The reason that 96 was release after the 173 driver is that it was updated for newer kernels more recently. 173 has more "Features" than 96 that may not apply to an older card. However 173 support more newer cards than 96.

[McCleod]

Originally Posted by Winchester44

try the 'Normal' option, but I am not going to do this until I can be sure my system will not be destroyed again.

Ubuntu is "Debian made easy". As with Debian you can lock a package so that the system doesn't automatically upgrade it.