tuckeratlarge Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 I decided to try out Ubuntu as a complete install and dual boot with XP. First couple of attempts were a washout (it tried to install on my external USB drive and Grub loader always came up with a "Error 17") Finally managed to get the thing installed on a partition on my C drive, after much head scratching and fannying about with swap disk and what-have-you. It boots up and yay, goes on interwebitubes no problems, detected and configured itself with my NIC and router. Now here is the trouble that ultimately made me ditch Ubuntu and Linux, OK if a solution is forthcoming I may give it a second chance. It didn't detect my 6600GT properly and therefore 800x600 resolution was all I could achieve. My LCD is 1280x1024. The built in driver manager said it was OK and wouldn't let me do anything. So off I goes on the web and tried to get a driver. Yeah that's easy I thought, but no. Yes there is a package from nVidia but it's impossible to install. I cannot just double click on it like in XP, and all attempts to do that SUDO crap and all the other terminal advice I could find out there failed. Forums were saying that you need to be ROOT, Ubuntu doesn't allow you to be ROOT so you have to do that SUDO dance to get the terminal to think your ROOT. Did it work? errr nope. Then I searched some more and a few solutions I found were so mind-bogglingly complicated where you need to be a Linux maven to understand, all of which didn't work, that I have given up. If Linux wants to go more mainstream, stuff needs to be easier to install. Do any of the Linux gurus here on the mighty Neowin know of a way of installing a graphics driver, help an old fart out please. By the way, "NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.12.pkg1.run" was the package and Type "sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.12-pkg1.run to install the driver" was the instructions from nvidia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moustacha Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Was it restricted drivers manager that said everything was OK? Cause by default it doesn't install nvidia drivers because their proprietary. You can try using restricted drivers manager, EnvyNG or doing it yourself. EnvyNG can be installed through synaptic then just run it and follow the instructions. For the binary blob from nvidia themselves you need to 1) Remove any nvidia packages from the system (I think it's specifically nvidia-kernel-common) and install linux-headers 2) Switch to a tty1 (Ctrl+alt+F1) 3) Login 4) 'sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop' to stop the desktop 5) 'sh /path/to/Nvidia.run' then follow the prompts 6) 'sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted September 21, 2008 Veteran Share Posted September 21, 2008 Ok, you shouldn't have needed to make partitions and set up swap yourself. It creates these for you, unless you try to take these jobs (and extra headaches) yourself. As for your nVidia card. My computer, and my wife's old desktop both have nVidia. In both cases, Ubuntu prompts you to see if you want the "restricted" nVidia drivers. If you are hunting down run files and needing to manually kill X and run it... then you are probably again taking on extra work manually. Plus, since you are installing manually, you won't automatically get updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckeratlarge Posted September 21, 2008 Author Share Posted September 21, 2008 Ok, you shouldn't have needed to make partitions and set up swap yourself. It creates these for you, unless you try to take these jobs (and extra headaches) yourself.As for your nVidia card. My computer, and my wife's old desktop both have nVidia. In both cases, Ubuntu prompts you to see if you want the "restricted" nVidia drivers. If you are hunting down run files and needing to manually kill X and run it... then you are probably again taking on extra work manually. Plus, since you are installing manually, you won't automatically get updates. 1, trouble is Ubuntu only wanted to do the auto install on my USB HDD drive so I had to do it manually. 2, I tried that, but that is what didn't work, the restricted drivers still only allowed 800x600 3, Manually was pretty much my only choice. I may try and re-install with the USB drive unplugged and then do as Moustacha suggested with that EnvyNG as the restricted drivers manager was a bust. thanks though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted September 21, 2008 Veteran Share Posted September 21, 2008 Ubuntu should have allowed you to pick alternate drive. If not, then unplug the USB If you had restricted drivers installed, then you ought to look into the resolutions, rather than picking a more difficult and less automated installation procedure. I have heard both good and bad things about envy. When it works, it's nice. When it doesn't, it can be a bear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elv13 Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 sudo displayconfig-gtk click on monitor. Don't use plug and play, your monitor probably send junk info to Ubuntu saying that his max res is 800x600. Use a generic monitor of the prefered resolution instead. Apply changes dans do ctrl+alt+backspace then you will be able to change resolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zape Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Try using nvidia-settings; You can search for it in synaptic if its not installed. Open terminal and type sudo nvidia-settings If it aint found, open synaptic up, search for nvidia-settings, install it, they retry the command. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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