(not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

[teastman]

Okay - I'm officially and publicly embarrassed.

Did a BUNCH of updates this afternoon. I'm on 7.04 Beta and I thought the icon in the lower right corner meant that the items I already had installed on my system had updates to install. So I gleefully installed all of them.

Aaaanyway. My Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 card went and got confused when I went to switch users right after that. Seems the x window (xserver?) restarted and loaded up the updated drivers.

Hence I am now experiencing 600x400 resolution. I haven't missed it.

Downloaded the NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run package from Nvidia.com and proceeded to run it from a Konsole with the;

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run command. System started checking things and unpacking and *Boop*

It gives me an error telling me I have an x server running. Which I do - I'm logged in as a user in graphical mode.

Here's where I show my stupidity; how do I stop the xserver to install this driver from Nvidia? Start from my GRUB menu and run as safemode?

Is this something I can do from a Konsole?

Should I not even try that driver install package from Nvidia?

Humbly yours,...

[MepisReign]

Re: God I'm stupid - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

You need to be actually on the desktop (graphical) then press....

Ctrl + Alt + F1

Here you will have to login again..... then

type

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop (it is most likely that the system will look frozen) just press Ctrl + Alt + F1 again if that happens

then type

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run --uninstall

When back to the command prompt, type

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run, during installation just say OK to everything,

once that is done type

sudo reboot

If you see the NVIDIA splash screen we are good to go, once on the desktop open a Konsole and type sudo nvidia-settings, type ur pass and make the necessary adjustments, SAVE, that will save the settings in xorg.conf and reboot to make sure that the settings will remain.

If something different happens after the NVIDIA driver installation, please let us know

Greetz

MepisReign

And you are not stupid, you would if you don't ask for assistance

[teastman]

Re: God I'm stupid - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

(snip)
When back to the command prompt, type

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run, during installation just say OK to everything,

once that is done type

sudo reboot
(snip)

Had some errors with that. Seems there was some raw code missing from my beta install. something to do with kernel not available for this program install. Then it asked if it could compile.

But I did write this down;

Error; You do not appear to have libc header files installed on your system.
Please install your distributions libc development package.

I could not find libc packages in the install - Addremove Programs. I assume that's the c++ development libraries and codecs?

The next panel said this;

Error: installation has failed. Please see the file /var/log/nvidia-installer.log for details.

There was no file there of that name.

But I was able to do the /etc/init.d/kdm/stop like you said. Just not sure what to do with this NVivida install.

tnks

[dibl]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

In addition to doing the installation of your downloaded driver from a true text screen (not a console window), and stopping the xserver with

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

there is one more secret ingredient in the recipe.

Before all of that ...

sudo apt-get install build-essential

to get your libc library files.

HOWEVER, seeing that we are under the Feisty topic here, do you know that Feisty has the latest Nvidia driver (-9755) integrated in the nvidia-glx-new package, and the -9631 driver in nvidia-glx? -- one of those is the right one for you card, so you really do not need to directly install the downloaded Nvidia driver.

Hope this helps -- there's lots of information about this over on Ubuntu Forums too.

[claydoh]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

Do you currently have the Ubuntu-built nvidia driver - nvidia-glx - installed via Adept or apt-get?

I would suggest using that driver, it works well with that card, and you will have no problems in future kernel upgrades. Using the sh file directly from nvidia, you have to recompile it every time there is a new kernel.

But first, the real issue is your resolution, and that may not be due to any driver problem at all, may be just a detection issue.

Try reconfiguring the xserver. You can do this before trying any nvidia driver installation:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

and follow the prompts. Most of the data is autodetected, and you can verify and click 'ok' for most, but it is a good idea to have your monitor's horiz and vert refresh rates handy.

If you have not installed any nvidia-specific 3d drivers, you should make sure that the driver 'nv' is selected.

Once that is all finished it will write a new /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. You may want to make a backup copy just in case.

Another option is to post the contents of the xorg.conf file, maybe there is a quick edit that may get you running even easier.

[teastman]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

(snip)
HOWEVER, seeing that we are under the Feisty topic here, do you know that Feisty has the latest Nvidia driver (-9755) integrated in the nvidia-glx-new package, and the -9631 driver in nvidia-glx? -- one of those is the right one for you card, so you really do not need to directly install the downloaded Nvidia driver.

Hope this helps -- there's lots of information about this over on Ubuntu Forums too.

I'll look over there too. I had it installed correctly once right after I first installed Kubuntu 7.04. Then I told the updates to run (lower right hand corner icon) and it hosed everything when I switched users. Big fat mouse icon - 600X400 res - very ugly.

I had to completely re-install Kubuntu to get my resolution back - the glx drivers (after the updates downloaded) would not let me change the resolution back to 1024x768 no matter what I did.

[dibl]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

A real disadvantage to installing the Nvidia driver manually is that a kernel upgrade will bork the driver installation, and you will have to re-install it manually (again).

nvidia-glx (and nvidia-glx-new and nvidia-glx-legacy) are "packaged" for (K)Ubuntu, and accommodate kernel upgrades without breakage. So that's a good reason, IMHO, to prefer the packaged driver. Only a sucker for misery like me would discover that the new 64-bit driver can ONLY be installed via a manual installation, so I'm sitting here preaching what I have not practiced on my 64-bit system. :-X

Somewhere recently I wrote the sequence of things that you probably need to do to get back to happy. It goes about like this:

1.a. Backup xorg.conf.
1.b. Get into a console window and

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

but on the first screen choose "no" to audodetecting, and on the second screen choose "VESA" graphics mode. This will let you work in a GUI, but not have anything Nvidia running or dependent on running stuff. After the script dumps you back to a text prompt, type

startx

2. In Adept, scroll down to the linux packages and make sure that linux-restricted-modules for your kernel version is installed --- if not, mark it for installation. Scroll on down to the nvidia packages and mark anything that is installed for removal. "Apply" your changes.

3. At this point the gurus say you don't have to, but I usually do a warm re-boot of the system, which will bring you back to your VESA GUI with no nvidia drivers present or in xorg.conf or anywhere. Open Adept again, and mark nvidia-glx-new for installation. NOTHING ELSE NEEDED! "Apply" your changes.

4. Now comes the magic -- open a console window, and execute

sudo nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals --composite

That will write a new xorg.conf file with glx and composite enabled. Now re-start the xserver (Ctrl-Alt-Backspace) and log in again.

5. Open a console window and enter

sudo nvidia-settings

This should bring up the Nvidia xserver configuration utility. If so, near the top you will observe a menu item named XServer Display Configuration. This is where you fix the problem in your original post. In the lower right of this panel, set your monitor resolution and refresh rate as you want them. Then click the "Save to X Configuration File" button, which will open a window and you will click "save". This will overwrite xorg.conf with your chosen default display mode. You needed to be "su" to do this just this once -- hereafter you can just run nvidia-settings to play with your display mode for each session.

Now, if all has proceeded according to specs, you will have a fixed Nvidia driver and display configuration.

I hope this works for you.

[MepisReign]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

Sorry for the delayed answer my system got broken (I did it )
I hope that resolution problem got solved by now, any further questions feel free to ask!

Greetz!

[teastman]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

A real disadvantage to installing the Nvidia driver manually is that a kernel upgrade will bork the driver installation, and you will have to re-install it manually (again).
(snip)
I hope this works for you.

Well Dibl - I printed off your post.

I've re-installed 7.04 three times now on re-formatted partitions so it's clean. Every time I even breath on an Nvidia setting it wigs out beyond my grasp.

I've re-installed it again and I'm going to try your instructions verbatim. If I can't get it right this time I'll just leave it alone until I educate myself enough to not break this.

Thanks for tryin' to help. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tim

[teastman]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

Ok - I'm putting on the brakes.

I see my NVidia GeForce 5200 and the -9755 drivers are causing quite a hairball in the Ubuntu forums as recent as a few hours ago.

I'll just wait on the updates.

[fudoki]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

A real disadvantage to installing the Nvidia driver manually is that a kernel upgrade will bork the driver installation

Am so glad someone pointed this out! Subsequent posts suggest there is a fix for us 64-bit AMD users (puzzling how those with the top computers are treated like they are "unwanted stepchildren" by most of the software providers...).

It would be so great if someone "in the know" could confirm/deny this so those of us who have had to go through the manual correction of this problem (caused by the distro maintainers this time) over and over again in the past can make a decision about whether to wait it out for an "automatic" fix through an update of the 64-bit NVIDIA-GLX drivers, or whether we should go back to the "stone knives and bearskins" of the manual solution...

I will admit the reliable, quality, integration of all the pieces that is usually the case with the *buntu family of distros has spoiled me rotten. I don't wanna go back to "roll your own" to make my graphics work again.....

Anyone with info about this - please feel free to shed some light, and if a fix is on the way, what kind of timefreme we might expect.....

Thx - and thx dibl for the well written instructions that should work well for anyone, should the manual fix be the only option in the foreseeable future.

At least I now know I am not losing my mind and others are sharing this unexpected "configuration change"...

fudoki

[dibl]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

fudoki, it's a heavy burden to be an "early adopter", but someone has to do it!

[michellembrodeur]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

Okay - I'm officially and publicly embarrassed.

Did a BUNCH of updates this afternoon. I'm on 7.04 Beta and I thought the icon in the lower right corner meant that the items I already had installed on my system had updates to install. So I gleefully installed all of them.

Aaaanyway. My Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 card went and got confused when I went to switch users right after that. Seems the x window (xserver?) restarted and loaded up the updated drivers.

Hence I am now experiencing 600x400 resolution. I haven't missed it.

Downloaded the NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run package from Nvidia.com and proceeded to run it from a Konsole with the;

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run command. System started checking things and unpacking and *Boop*

It gives me an error telling me I have an x server running. Which I do - I'm logged in as a user in graphical mode.

Here's where I show my stupidity; how do I stop the xserver to install this driver from Nvidia? Start from my GRUB menu and run as safemode?

Is this something I can do from a Konsole?

Should I not even try that driver install package from Nvidia?

Humbly yours,...

This is what I do everytime there is a new kernel update

First download the latest nvidia driver, this case its the 9755 one

logout and log into the console.

then


sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential gcc xserver-xorg-dev

sudo apt-get --purge remove nvidia-glx nvidia-settings nvidia-glx-legacy

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup


sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run -n -s --x-prefix=/usr/lib/xorg/ --kernel-source-path=/usr/src/linux-headers-`uname -r`

sudo nvidia-xconfig --no-composite --no-logo --only-one-x-screen --no-sli


"Change the line DISABLED_MODULES="" to DISABLED_MODULES="nv"



sudo nano -w /etc/default/linux-restricted-modules-common


sudo /etc/init.d/kdm
startx

That's it

[teastman]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

Okay - I'm officially and publicly embarrassed.
(snip)

Humbly yours,...

This is what I do everytime there is a new kernel update
(snip)

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential gcc xserver-xorg-dev
(snip)
sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run -n -s --x-prefix=/usr/lib/xorg/ --kernel-source-path=/usr/src/linux-headers-`uname -r`
(snip)

Michelle - I'm a little foggy on 'uname -r'. Is that verbatim or am I replacing that with something?

thanks
tim

[michellembrodeur]

Re: (not quite fixed) - updates broke my Nvidia - I'm maxed at 600x400

Okay - I'm officially and publicly embarrassed.
(snip)

Humbly yours,...

This is what I do everytime there is a new kernel update
(snip)

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential gcc xserver-xorg-dev
(snip)
sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run -n -s --x-prefix=/usr/lib/xorg/ --kernel-source-path=/usr/src/linux-headers-`uname -r`
(snip)

Michelle - I'm a little foggy on 'uname -r'. Is that verbatim or am I replacing that with something?

thanks
tim

exactly as is. remember that the ` is the one left of the 1 key.