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NVIDIA graphics card, X Server problems [solved]


tapksa
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Hi everyone,

 

It seems this problem has been asked everywhere a million times but I haven't found a solution which wouldn't cause my One (Live CD) to shut down. So I decided to post, hope you don't mind.

 

So, after writing this message twice already (both times I ended up searching for a trick that'd help, but none really helped), I'll be brief. Yesterday my Mandriva 2008 found video card driver's updates, and I installed them. Nothing unusual. Today I booted Mandriva for the first time after installing the new drivers, and guess what, it couldn't run the X Server.

 

I just saw a black screen asking me to log in. I logged in as root and typed "kde". All I got was a big bunch of text ending like "cannot run X.org due to missing NVIDIA (something). No screens found." If you need to know what it exactly said, just ask.

 

After that I tried "urpmi nvidia" but it couldn't install anything because a missing kernel-source file (if I remember correctly). I tried "urpmi nvidia" again later and it said that all packages were already installed.

 

I have the Live CD so I can do pretty much everything. I just don't know what to do about my drivers. I tried the FXconfig trick (FXconfig should have installed the correct drivers), but it installed nothing.

 

I'm stuck with bad drivers. If you know what I should do, please help.

 

My video card is GeForce FX 5200.

 

Thank you a million times!

-Tapksa

 

P.S

It seems I failed at being brief.

Edited by tapksa
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Yesterday my Mandriva 2008 found video card driver's updates, and I installed them. Nothing unusual. Today I booted Mandriva for the first time after installing the new drivers, and guess what, it couldn't run the X Server.

It's a bug. Here's the fix: 2008.0/Errata#Graphical_environment_fails_to_start

 

spinynorman keeps this info up to date for us in this thread: Mandriva 2008.0 Errata :)

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rpm -e --nodeps `rpm -qa | grep "169\.07"`

rpm -e --nodeps `rpm -qa | grep "169\.09"`

urpmi x11-driver-video-nvidia-current-100.14.19-1mdv2008.0 dkms-nvidia-current-100.14.19-1mdv2008.0

 

 

The first one returns "no package found to be removed" or something like that.

So does the second.

The third one started downloading a package and made my LiveCD crash compeletely.

 

It seems like that doesn't work. Any other suggestions?

 

It still says that NVIDIA configuration is not found and X.org can't run because there are no screens.

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Did you run XFdrade (as root)?

I did. I changed the video card to a randomly picked one (Riva TNT maybe) and changed it back. It asked me whether I'd like some drivers to be installed (so some special features could be enabled) or not. Of course I chose to install the drivers. It did something and later the LiveCD crashed. I tried it again after that, but it didn't seem to install anything anymore, so I presumed that the drivers were installed. It still doesn't work.

 

I can of course format my / partition and install Mandriva again, I wouldn't lose my /home/ stuff so it'd be okay but I'd rather just save my system.

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The third one started downloading a package and made my LiveCD crash compeletely.

Are you trying to do this using (booting with) the live cd? If so, please try booting from your install on your hard drive instead. Then when it ask you to log in, do so as root and follow all of the instructions I've linked for you.

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I'm using exacly the same card as you, here's what I did:

 

1. Log in as root and do init 3 to ensure X is not runing. (If no command prompt reappears just hit enter)

2. Run XFdrake

3. Select the GeForce 3/4 driver

4. Reply Yes to proprietary driver

5. After all packages are installed do a test

6. If test is successful init 5 to start up X

 

Don't forget to Alt/Ctrl & F1 and log out of the root console session. (Alt & F7 to get back to login screen).

Edited by {BBI}Nexus{BBI}
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Okay, I just now realized that I really don't need to do anything with the LiveCD. I thought I couldn't run XFdrake like that but I could. Yeah, I'm a bit dumb. Anyway, got it working now. I guess there are many different ways , I used {BBI}Nexus{BBI}'s.

 

Thank you all for your help once again. I love you. :D

 

-Tapksa

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  • 2 months later...

Hi everyone again,

 

Again I managed to do something wrong while trying to fix some graphics problems. I tried the trick that worked last time , but the test responses "invalid parameters". Any idea what to do?

 

Thanks,

 

Tapksa

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Could you give us a little more detail on what you tried to fix and how?

I've had problems with watching videos on fullscreen. No matter what player I use, there's "lag" (I suppose that's not the right term but you get the idea). I decided to run XFDrake, selected some other graphics card than my own GeForce FX 5200, confirmed, and switched back to my own so that it would install the correct drivers.

 

After shutting down once it now doesn't work at all and the thing I did last time does not work (see previous posts).

 

This is what I do (see {BBI}Nexus{BBI}'s post):

 

1. Log in as root and do init 3 to ensure X is not runing. (If no command prompt reappears just hit enter)

2. Run XFdrake

3. Select the GeForce 3/4 driver

4. Reply Yes to proprietary driver

5. After all packages are installed do a test

-It doesn't seem to install anything!

6. If test is successful init 5 to start up X

-Test gives the following:

 

"An error occured:

(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device!

(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a useble configuration.

 

Try to change some parameters."

 

I've got no idea what to do. Help, anyone? I'd appreciate it...

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I installed my nvidia card manually. You can download the driver for your card here http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_ia32_169.12.html then just follow the instructions. It's very easy to do.

How do I do this while not being able to run X? Using external hard drive?

 

I think I'll try that soon. Thanks.

 

 

EDIT:

 

What the..??

 

Okay, out of nothing, it now works. Let's see if the problem's really gone. Anyway, sorry for my helplessness, all the trouble - and again, many many thanks to everyone.

Edited by tapksa
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How do I do this while not being able to run X? Using external hard drive?

 

Just for future reference I used VESA as my driver and then installed nvidia and changed xorg.conf and then logged out and back in.

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