graphic drivers?

[vivendi]

Hey, i just installed kubuntu but my screen resolution is still 800 x 600.
I can't change it to a higher resolution, i can only go down to 640 x 420. So i assume that my videocard drivers aren't installed yet.

I have kubuntu installed on my laptop and my videocard is a NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300.
I couldn't find any drivers on the internet that works for my laptop. A few said the my GPU wasn't supported.

So i was hoping anyone here could tell me what drivers i need.

Thanks for any help.

[dibl]

Re: graphic drivers?

Start here:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=122606

Download the driver for your architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).

Follow the process here:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...4892#msg164892

Disregard the obsolete version number, but pay attention to the process. Post back if problems.

[tafi]

Re: graphic drivers?

Why is it Hardware Drivers in X offer 180.44 only at the moment? I'd like to update that way to 185.

[vivendi]

Re: graphic drivers?

Thanks, i tried to install the driver but i got some problems during it.

Like in the tutorial i got asked if i want to download a kernel interface that matches my kernel (or something among those lines). So i pressed Yes.

After that it said that it couldn't find a precompiled kernel interface on the NVIDIA ftp site. So the installer was gonna compile a kernel interface for my kernel.

So it compiled a kernel module for me.

And after that i got the following error:

http://i28.tinypic.com/2vdk2zd.jpg
[img width=400 height=218]http://i28.tinypic.com/2vdk2zd.jpg[/img]

Any idea what i should do next??

[vivendi]

Re: graphic drivers?

*EDIT*
Nvm, just installed the correct headers, but the error remains

After doing some research i found out that i probably have to install my kernel headers. But these headers must also be in sync with the current kernel (logically). So i guess that if i screw up by installing the wrong kernel headers my Linux may become unbootable.

Since my knowledge is very slim about linux, it's better if i wait till someone tells me what to do.
For instance, how can i find out what headers to install..? Or what kernel i'm currently using so i can pick the right one from the apt-get list...

Can someone please help me with this?

[vivendi]

Re: graphic drivers?

Slight update, the driver installs when i use this command:

sh NVIDIA-blahblah -k $(uname -r)

But when i reboot after that the driver still fails to load...

[img width=400 height=253]http://i30.tinypic.com/2r43j1y.jpg[/img]

[dibl]

Re: graphic drivers?

OK, well it looks like you had a learning experience while I was otherwise occupied -- not an entirely wasted day!

Yes, you must install both the kernel headers and the build essential packages for the kernel that you have booted. So,

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install kernel-headers-`uname -r` build-essential

Do that, and then run your installer again. I hope you followed the other steps -- removed any other nvidia packages, shut down KDM before you started, paid attention to your architecture, etc. etc.

[Snowhog]

Re: graphic drivers?

Don't forget the obligatory 'dance around your PC' to the Monkey God either.

[dibl]

Re: graphic drivers?

Don't forget the obligatory 'dance around your PC' to the Monkey God either.

hah!

Or, if you're old like me, just burn some chicken feathers and say a chant to the little Monkey God.

[Snowhog]

Re: graphic drivers?

...just burn some chicken feathers...

I did that - once. The police showed up at my door. Apparently, my neighbor, having witnessed what I had done, called the ASPCA and they called the police. Apparently, you need to have the chicken feathers off of the chicken before you burn them.

[dibl]

Re: graphic drivers?

Yeah, I hate neighbors ... and most other people too!

[jpc2769]

Re: graphic drivers?

I am having a similar problem, just installed Kubuntu 9.04 on a machine with a Nvidia Geoforce 4 MX 420, used Envy to get the driver (96.43.10) but can't go above 800x600 or sometimes 640x480 (depends what mood my computer is in when I turn it on). I am using a Samsung 23" flat screen with VGA cable input as a monitor, so 640x480 is ridiculous. Can anyone help me?

[dibl]

Re: graphic drivers?

Couple of pointers:

-- do not open System Settings > Display, once you're using the nVidia driver

Exit the X server, with Ctrl-Alt-F1, log in to the console there, and then shut down X with

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

now run

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

Next, start the X server with

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start

and log in.

Do Alt-F2 "kdesudo nvidia-settings" to run the nVidia settings utility in root mode. Click the X configuration item. Click "Detect Displays". Leave the "Refresh" rate set to Auto, and change the resolution to what you want for default ("Apply" or "OK" or whatever to accept the screen change). Now click the "Save to X Configuration File" button, and click "OK".

At this point, you should have changed the desktop to your desired default resolution, and it should come up that way at every login.

[jpc2769]

Re: graphic drivers?

I followed your directions, and it did something, but whatever it did my computer and/or monitor did not like because when I restarted the X server the screen went blank and then the monitor said "unsupported mode." I restarted in recovery mode and ran the graphics fix option, which brought me back to the beginning again. I then tried running nvidia settings as root, but I can't "auto-detect monitors" because the window is larger than 640x480 and that button is off the screen. I also can't change the resolution because the "apply" button is of the screen as well. The only thing I can think of is to reinstall Kubuntu, at least that got me to 800x600, any thoughts?

[dibl]

Re: graphic drivers?

I suspect the issue is in the interface between the graphics card and that LCD TV that you are using for a monitor. Real monitors use something called Display Power Management Signalling (DPMS) and I don't know that a TV normally has that feature, even though it certainly can be used as a monitor. That's how the driver learns what monitor you are using.

You might want to open (as root) for editing your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, and check that the 3 following stanzas look similar to what I'm pasting here:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 30.0 - 80.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 75.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "True"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

I don't know what the horizontal and vertical refresh rates would be for your Samsung -- you'll need to google the specs to find out. Also, depending on the shape of it, you might want to add other modes. But this is the typical look of the xorg.conf file for a configured nVidia driver.