Running in Root

[mshepp]

I am just trying to install a new display driver and as a linux newbie im not to sure how to do it. I have got the file downloaded and type the command line to install provided in the readme but it comes up and says i need to run it in root. Firstly how do i do this and is there anyway to make my account the root account as im the sole user of the laptop.

Thanks

[Nashy]

What distro are you using?

[mshepp]

  Nashy said:

What distro are you using?

Ubuntu

[Nashy]

Type 'sudu' infront of your command in terminal. When you hit enter it will request your root password. Hope this helps :-)

[mshepp]

ERROR: Unable to find the system utility `ld`; please make sure you have the

package 'binutils' installed. If you do have binutils installed,

then please check that `ld` is in your PATH.

I get that error when trying to install, can anyone shed any light on it?

thanks

[Nashy]

What are you trying to install, and what's the command you are using?

[mshepp]

I am trying to install the Linux display driver for a geforce go series 6 graphics card. I am trying to run the file by using this command:

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-7167-pkg1.run

The error i posted above is not being displayed now as i installed the GCC using Synaptic Package Manager. It is now coming up with a different error:

ERROR: You appear to be running an X server; please exit X before

installing.

[Nashy]

Edit: Don't do that

Hang on

[well...]

It wants you to install it from a command line (the x server is like the windowing system) Im sure there is an easier way as i don't remember having to install the drivers for my 6200 from a command line. I think you can just install the nvidia drivers from the add/remove applications. If i remember correctly there are 3 drivers; Nvidia Legacy, Nvidia, and Nvidia new. I think you want just Nvidia

[Nashy]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=281358

Have a look on there, it might help. Actually read through it first though. Some steps may not need to be done if later posts are followed. Hope it helps

[well...]

Ah yes i remember now, Envy http://albertomilone.com/nvidia_scripts1.html

'Envy features both a GUI (which you can launch only inside a Desktop Environment) and a textual interface which you can use if, for example, you cannot start the Xserver'

[mshepp]

  Nashy said:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=281358

Have a look on there, it might help. Actually read through it first though. Some steps may not need to be done if later posts are followed. Hope it helps

I have followed the steps in there and installed all the packages in there but it keeps throwing an error about the kernal and how there is no precompiled kernal. I never thought installing a display driver would be so complicated lol.

[rson451]

it should say something along the lines of "there is no precompiled kernel module for your hardware. would you like to create one" something like that. then you just say yes and it builds one for you. does ubuntu not have an nvidia package available in it's repos for you? you really should not install things this way unless there is no package available.

[offroadaaron]

  littleome said:

I have followed the steps in there and installed all the packages in there but it keeps throwing an error about the kernal and how there is no precompiled kernal. I never thought installing a display driver would be so complicated lol.

everything is hard to install in ubuntu or any linux its not all simple your going to get alot of this! you need to google and find out things for yourself, im sure someone with ubuntu is having the same problem.

you can just go to restricted drivers in administation or system (cant remember atm i dont have ubuntu up) and tick the nvidia drivers and install it that way.

[Nashy]

^ Don't go saying things like that.

Not everything is hard, actually, I think judging by the things I've seen, this particular problem and nvidia drivers is probably the most annoying thing, and it doesn't happen to many people.

Linux should be tried by anyone wanting a change, and telling people everything hard will just deter people.

[Kudos Veteran]

  offroadaaron said:

everything is hard to install in ubuntu or any linux its not all simple your going to get alot of this!

That's bull****, you can install almost anything you want with the package managers. Compiz and graphics card drivers are about as complicated it's going to get for joe average.

[Joel]

  Nashy said:

^ Don't go saying things like that.

Not everything is hard, actually, I think judging by the things I've seen, this particular problem and nvidia drivers is probably the most annoying thing, and it doesn't happen to many people.

Linux should be tried by anyone wanting a change, and telling people everything hard will just deter people.

So, it's easy then? Or you're just supporting the idea of not telling them the facts? Most distros today are not so difficult to deal with, until you hit a driver install issue like this. Then you can break your install if you're not an expert.

[markwolfe Veteran]

  Joel said:

So, it's easy then? Or you're just supporting the idea of not telling them the facts? Most distros today are not so difficult to deal with, until you hit a driver install issue like this. Then you can break your install if you're not an expert.

This "issue" is self-inflicted. He's downloaded an executable from the nVidia website and wants to run it (which requires the commandline, and killing X temporarily). The executable looks for precompiled kernel modules, if none exist, it wants the source code for the kernel to compile it itself.

In other words, he's chasing that wild goose.

When Ubuntu installs and sees you have an nVidia card, a little pop-up bubble appears and asks if you want to enable the repos for the proprietary drivers. Click it and say yes. It then installs it for you.

Telling them the "facts" is saying that "yes, doing it the hard way is hard". Not very informative or helpful, is it?

If he missed that little pop-up when it happened on first boot, the solution is here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDri...a0367b58a9fe866

  Quote

As of Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) the recommended way to install the binary drivers is to use System → Administration → Restricted Devices Manager. This will try and automatically choose the correct version out of:

• nvidia-glx-legacy (corresponds to the 71xx driver)
  
• nvidia-glx (which corresponds to the 96xx driver)
  
• nvidia-glx-new (which at the time of writing corresponded to the 97xx driver)
  

Then if there is a problem with that (very simple) method, we can look at it.

[Nashy]

  Joel said:

So, it's easy then? Or you're just supporting the idea of not telling them the facts? Most distros today are not so difficult to deal with, until you hit a driver install issue like this. Then you can break your install if you're not an expert.

Doing a manual petition setup for someone who's not an expert in Windows can break your install. I would hardly say everything is difficult in Windows, would you?

Saying over 200 operating systems are difficult to get thing installed because yes, a few things are hard to do for someone who has no idea is stupid.

[mshepp]

  markjensen said:

This "issue" is self-inflicted. He's downloaded an executable from the nVidia website and wants to run it (which requires the commandline, and killing X temporarily). The executable looks for precompiled kernel modules, if none exist, it wants the source code for the kernel to compile it itself.

In other words, he's chasing that wild goose.

When Ubuntu installs and sees you have an nVidia card, a little pop-up bubble appears and asks if you want to enable the repos for the proprietary drivers. Click it and say yes. It then installs it for you.

Telling them the "facts" is saying that "yes, doing it the hard way is hard". Not very informative or helpful, is it?

If he missed that little pop-up when it happened on first boot, the solution is here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDri...a0367b58a9fe866

Then if there is a problem with that (very simple) method, we can look at it.

Since i last posted i have been trying many different things to try get this driver installed. I was viewing that link you posted and saw the how to fix resolution article. I followed the article but now it seems like the whole display has gone a bit screwed. It wont show the GUI and keeps going straight to text login. After 90 odd seconds it pops up and says there is an error with the display. I think i will install Ubuntu again just to get it displaying properly and then take it from there.

With regards to that pop-up bubble appearing im sure i didnt see it both times i installed Ubuntu, but then maybe thats something that only happens in a newer version of the software.

I have found out that the version i am installing is version 6.06.1 LTS.

[mitch00]

Well there's your problem. You're using the Ubuntu version from June of 2006. That's what 6.06 means. Its Year.Month. I highly suggest going to get 7.10, which is the newest version. It will support your graphics card out of the box and as other people have said, it will have a pop up box when you first boot up asking if you'd like to use nvidia driver.

[offroadaaron]

  Kudos said:

That's bull****, you can install almost anything you want with the package managers. Compiz and graphics card drivers are about as complicated it's going to get for joe average.

oh yes you can how did i forget that... hmmmmm..... until something doesnt work then how is your stupid package manager going to help lol.

I dont have a problem with people asking questions but use the resources around you first as it'll be much easier and quicker and if you can't find any help then ask.

Edited December 16, 2007 by offroadaaron

[markwolfe Veteran]

  offroadaaron said:

oh yes you can how did i forget that... hmmmmm..... until something doesnt work then how is your stupid package manager going to help lol.

Ummm.. Kudo's post was in response to your statement that everything was hard in Linux, which is simply not true. Some things can be, yes. But some things are quite easy (and even automatic).

[Janitor]

  Joel said:

So, it's easy then? Or you're just supporting the idea of not telling them the facts? Most distros today are not so difficult to deal with, until you hit a driver install issue like this. Then you can break your install if you're not an expert.

Restricted drivers worked fine for me in Buntu