A graphics driver question and comments from an "old" windows user

[Pafos]

Hello folks---I am 69 years of age and have lived and breathed computers and uses of since I was 20 !!. Starting with machine code and DOS then of course Windows came along. I use computers all the time, build and repairs and use for my business. I know Windows inside out and backwards but several friends of mine (professors etc.) have tried to get me to use or at least look at Linux OS. I looked around at the various Distros and decided to try Kubuntu 13.04 Raring.
To cut a long story short I finally managed to get a system up and running with the help of may hours Googling and was pleasantly surprised how good it was once I had managed to sort out all the problems and missing packages and software that I need to do all my "stuff". Windows comes with everything installed ready to use by anyone but I am afraid that I could not let Kubuntu loose on any of my customers PC's as they would not have a clue what to do. That said I got a very good system installed with full networking and Printer driver that worked (built in one did not). One important point that I discovered was that I had to change the Kubuntu computer name that was generated at install to have less that 15 letters as windows networking will not see it at all.
Now for my question.
I installed Kubuntu onto a clean HDD on one of my computers that use NVIDIA on board Graphics and used Additional Drivers to load up the best one for the system. I then decided to transfer the HDD to another computer exactly the same as the one used for installation BUT this one had a Radeon HD4350 adapter used in dual monitor mode.
The system booted up ok but I ended up with one monitor giving full resolution but the other one working in low res mode. Now try as I may I cannot get the driver changed over to the radeon one. I have spent days--believe me trying but to no avail. Fortunately I had created a disc image so could revert back to a working system very quickly.
I then decided to put in another HDD and do a new installation on the Radeon driven PC. Istallation went smoothly and I ended up with a full twin monitor system working perfectly. So. I worked out that there must be an in-built Raden driver in Kubuntu and when I checked up on the driver in use it was indeed a Radeon Hd driver.
Now I spent a long time getting the first system as I like it and am loathed to spend hours setting up the 2nd HDD as I have forgotten exactly what I did to get it all running. At my age I cannot remember all the command line entries !!.
So, is there anyone out there who can tell me in SIMPLE terms how I can get my first HDD to dump the NVIDIA driver and use the inbuilt Radeon driver thus saving me hours of "fiddling".
I am very impressed with Kubuntu but it is not for the non technical unless it is set up before letting other users actually use it in a workplace environment. In Windows I can install any new driver in a few minutes with one or two mouse clicks but not so for Linux it seems.
Sorry for the long "waffle" but I really would like to progress as I see some advantages in this open source environment.
Thanks for any help but remeber my knowledge of Linux is virtually zero but slowly advancing.

[Arash]

hi Pafos

check out this link.
http://askubuntu.com/questions/20628...ver-completely

just copy-paste the terminal line entries.

[Pafos]

hi Pafos

check out this link.
http://askubuntu.com/questions/20628...ver-completely

just copy-paste the terminal line entries.

HI Arash thanks for the info.
Just one question before I do it----once the NVIDIA driver has gone will the RADEON (inbuilt) be loaded at nexrt boot ?
Kind Regards

[Pafos]

Hello Arash again
Well I did all that Link referred to and it took about 30 minutes as it had to re do the whole desktop. Anyway on re boot the Radeon Drvier was working but not in dual monitor mode and impossible to get it to work als all the windows were screwed up so that you could not drag them nor resize them and the sizeing buttons were missing so system was totally unuseable !!.
I replaced the HDD with the one that I did an actual new installation and that is just fine. So the removal of the NVIDIA stuff basically screwed up the whole PC windows handling.
I have enjoyed my experience with Linux as it has been interesting to learn something new but until it becomes user friendly I will be sticking with Windows.
Thanks again my friend.

[Arash]

Hi Pafos

Certainly, If I were in your shoes, I would unplug the second monitor for OS to figure out what changes were made, what packages were missing, and what packages had to be downloaded to reconfigure everything; then, after everything was in order, I would plug the second monitor back to configure it in driver settings. It would be much easier. things are a little different here in Linux, but believe me if I tell you the story of how Windows 7 once had no clue how to assign display 1 and 2 to the graphic card ports, you will seriously give working with Windows a second thought. it finally did it ( through pure chance or what, something I never figured out ) but I was so freaked out I never dared to swap the displays after that

In the article in that link, there was a sort of warning clearly saying that some of the Nvidia files were shared. there were two uninstall options: one with that common file left behind and the other, the total cleanup. I think you have done the latter which has dragged you down with it in such a mess. In administration task in Linux, you should be extra careful to read the instructions thoroughly enough and of course there is always the option of restoring back to an earlier date to undo the changes made. you can always have a backup for such dark times. anyway, you should not get disappointed so easily. you see, Windows is three times easier to mess up and spin out of control, but since you know your way around it, it has given you a false sense of security, if you allow me to put it that way. if you get to know Linux, you will find to your amazement that it it takes a lot ( a lot more than Windows ) to screw it up; that's why nearly two third of all the servers on the planet and even supercomputers run on Linux. you can log in to your Linux OS day in and day out for years without missing a boot or stuff. with Windows, it is missing a pulse every time it is booting after splash screen past the windows logo. believe me, I am a 12 year windows user and that has been my feeling every time I watched Windows booting up. to cut it short, you should be persistent and resilient. just heads up and read instructions and warnings in case you are off to do something administratively :-) I hope my words have been persuasive.

[Pafos]

HI Arash---Thanks for your comprehensive reply.
You are right in that I removed all the NVIDIA stuff. Having now re-read the article I can see (now) what you are on about. I have disc images of all HDD's and it only takes about 8 minutes to put back into working order again.
I will get it back to original then do the stuff but I note that the article you referred me to was for Ubuntu 12.04 this is not KUBUNTU 13.04 Raring Ringtail which is what I am using---will that article still apply ? as an example you refer to "configure it in DRIVER SETTINGS but that option is not included with Kubuntu 13.04 or if it is I have yet to find it !.
I have noticed that you cannot assume that commands for one package will work for others so in my "Googling" it is difficult to decide what will work with Kubuntu 13.04 rather than other Distros. You also mention that "there is always the option of restoring back to an earlier date"---now, I cannot find any ref to a SYTEM RESTORE feature in Kubuntu but have seen on Google that it is possible but it, as usual, requires an A4 page of typed instructions. Perhaps I have chosen the wrong Distro !! for a first try out.
Believe me I want to be fully happy with Linux for MY environment and I am aware that Windows will crash out far easier than Linux will but you have to do a lot of typing and understand shed loads of console commands to accomplish what I can do (and my employees/customers) in Windows with a couple of mouse clicks. I have used Win 7 Pro since it was released and I can honestly say that it has never crashed on me (BSOD) and I have never had any driver related problems, a few other niggles but not major.
I realise that because there are so many Linux based distros out there and these are changing all the time that a request for a "book" on an OS is out of the question so I have to rely on the net for information and learning.
I have not given up as I hate to be defeated by a silcon chip and have just fitted the Linux HDD into my own PCso that I can continue my research before changing over from Windows which I would like in the future to do as MS is not my favourite company.
Best wishes and many thanks

[Pafos]

Hi Arash

Just for the hell of it I went through the removal process again (on a new image) and this time did not purger the NVIDIA-COMMON file. On re boot wtih ONE monitor connected all was ok. When I connected up the other monitor then it reverted to a low res' display on N0 2 monitor and a full res' display on No 1 monitor but once again could not drag and drop or resize windows and many apps would not open at all. So all screwed up again !!!!.
Am now using the corectly opertating HDD and will set it all up as I want again. It appears if the OS was not installed in the first place on my dual monitor set up then it seems unable to work poperly if the HDD was migrated from an single monitor NVIDIA PC.
Cheers

[Arash]

Hi Pafos

I think you are getting it. Ubuntu and Kubuntu are both based on Debian infrastructure. the difference is that Kubuntu comes with KDE desktop preinstalled, but Ubuntu is based on Unity desktop and Gnome. Of course, the desktop interface is different and some apps in one misses in the other but for instance, the Konsol package and the shell interface are the same.. the superuser is the same. About the restore package, I should say, It is not preinstalled, but in OpenSUSE which is also another OS I work with the package is installed by default. you can search the Muon package center in Kubuntu 13.04 and find a suitable package that can take care of the job. Once, I migrated from one hardware platform with a Radeon driver package installed to another with Nvidia 9600 GT. I didn't touch the Radeon driver package and everything went smooth. Next time, remember that there is no need to remove the previous driver. The OS takes care of the appropriate logical-physical driver layer and put aside the previous one. just stay out of trouble. Linux in general has lots of control over practically everything, from Kernel settings to administrative tasks and shell. you gotta keep your head on a swivel. if you are even a little bit in doubt about touching something, you should delve into knowledge base to figure out the correct safe setting and handling of the settings.

Just stay out of trouble :-)
I wish you the best with Linux

one day, you will be the best and I will see you prodding others into migrating to Linux or you will be a seasoned Linux tech geek. just keep moving on.


Ciao
Arash

[Pafos]

HI Arash
Sincere thanks for your kind message of encouragement. I WILL stick with it but at my age things take a little bit longer to comprehend !!!
Best wishes my friend
Peter