resolution issue on kubuntu 8.10

[flarson]

Re: resolution issue on kubuntu 8.10

Interesting. It may be that 8.10 is different. It may also be that aptitude would do better than synaptic.

[dibl]

Re: resolution issue on kubuntu 8.10

Huh -- remind me to steer clear of a Quadro NVS 280! :-X


Yes, I saw that installing the nvidia-glx-xxx package is forcing removal of the nvidia-xconfig package on your system -- that's an odd, unexpected behavior. However, the downloaded installer (when it works correctly) installs the nvidia-xconfig utility automatically, so it's not normally a problem when you install the driver that way. But there are clearly some issues with this chip and the proprietary driver version information -- probably relates to the various answers I got when searching for an appropriate driver on nVidia.com ....

I was about to blithely write instruction to install the "nv" driver. Hmmm, it's going to be a bit complicated if the only display you have is using nvidia-glx-96. I will first write "what" you need to do, and then let you give it a shot, and maybe you can post back if you get stuck. You need to do everything but the first step in the console with the X server shut down.

1. In case you need a CLI text editor that is slightly friendlier than vi,

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install nano

2. Remove the nvidia-glx-96 package, and all nvidia* files.

3. If you have a file /etc/default/linux-restricted-modules-common, check it and make sure that the last line does NOT show "nv" as a disabled module. If it does, open the file with nano in Super User mode and delete nv so it looks like:

DISABLED_MODULES=""

and save it.

4. Install the xserver-xorg-video-nv package.

Make any necessary edits to /etc/X11/xorg.conf to indicate that nv is the driver.

Restart X and see if it will work.


Here are some further notions, that you may want to try first, before attempting the reversion to "nv":

Why don't you download the new 185.18.08 Beta driver that is listed at nvnews.com and give it a shot:

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

Soooooooo, if that doesn't work, what to do? Do you still have a Live CD of 8.10? Did your Quadro NVS 280 display correctly (at a good resolution) when you ran the Live CD? If so, it would be most interesting to see what the xorg.conf file looks like with the Live CD booted -- that might give a clue how to reconfigure your system.

Also, you might make a Live CD of 9.04 -- might as well check whether it seems to perform any better.

Finally, in the course of looking into this situation, I was unhappily surprised to read the final sentence on this page:

http://albertomilone.com/envyfaq.html#A

Too bad.


p.s. In looking further at the situation with nVidia driver support and X.org packages, I learned that Mr. Milone is now a member of the Ubuntu team with Canonical, and they are actively developing improved driver packages (but mostly for JJ, less for Intrepid). More here:

https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates

That's good news.