Hi all, I've just swiched from Ubuntu to openSUSE 11.2 on a machine with a Nvida GeForce AGP card. I don't use the card for 3D stuff, only for the TV out.

I've installed the driver from the nvida SUSE repository, but the first time I booted X wouldn't start, claiming "No screens found". I then swiched to the nv driver using the switch2nv command, and now X does start, but the highest resolution I can set it to is 640x480. This isn't a huge problem, but my Gnome start menu is off the edge of the screen (I can only see the last few crachters on it) and the TV out goes to a PAL telivision that should be able to handle 800x600 (and did when I was running Unbuntu). Eventualy I want to use the TV as the only monitor, and have the "mirror screens" option set. Also, on the TV the bottom 20ish pixels have been cut off (so I can't see the bottom Gnome bar) and the mouse cursour won't show (but can move it around and click on things, it's just invisable).

Can any one think of why any of this would happen?

This link is not the one I used but looks simpler.

nvidia driver

If you have an old legacy card the drivers from the Suse repository should work. I can not help you except to tell you look in YaST under your software and search for the term nvidia.

I am not near my Suse machine now so if you have problems with this come back with what you have tried and I will try and help.

Thanks for the thought, but I've discovered that there are *two* different drivers that cover diferent subsets of cards. I will try installing the other one and see what happens.

More than one...

In fact there is a set of two packages required to install the Nvidia driver for any Nvidia video card. You should have found them by using the Search function in Software Management under YaST.

It's worse than that, the 11.2 suse repo actualy has three drivers (plus variants for diferent kernel flavours):

x11-video-nvidiaG02
x11-video-nvidiaG01
x11-video-nvidia

I'm fairly sure that I need the G01 driver (as my card is a GForce fx5700), and I did have G02 installed which explains my problems. However I installed G01 through YaST this morning and now I just have a black screen (it's on, just producing nothing but black) same with the TV out (it produces a royal blue colour if something is wrong). Also, ctrl+Alt+F1 dosen't work (although it's not frozen: ssh, smb, rdp and squid all still work). At that piont I had to leave for work (shocking, some of us have to work).

When I get back I'm going to try rebooting (and looking at the console text), and running the switch2nv command, and then the switch2nvida command, incase it's still running the NV driver which is causing the problem. I'm also building an appliance in SUSE studio with the drivers rolled in (which will prove that the installation got messed up somhow if that's the problem).

Anything else I should be trying that you can think of?

You need two packages...

For your card you will need "X11-video-nvidiaG01" and one of the graphics driver kernel modules, "nvidia-gfxG01-kmp-default", or "nvidia...-desktop", or "nvidia...-pae"

If you have a standard installation, you probably have the desktop optimized kernel. You can find the installed kernel by using the Search function in Software Management and typing kernel. Your kernel will be listed with a check.

You can change to the nv graphics module with the command "sax2 -m 0=nv", and to the nvidia driver with "sax2 -m 0=nvidia". You do not have to remove the "nv" module. Indeed, it is handy to have in reserve.

I mention the "sax2" command because it is used to configure the graphics card and screen using "sax2 -r" or "sax2 -r -m 0='n'".

To run "sax2" you must be in console mode without X running. Open a terminal as "su" and type the command "init 3" which will stop X and give you a log-in prompt. Log in, become "su", and you can execute the command. If you have trouble, return to the "nv" module and try again.

http://sman.informatik.htw-dresden.de:6711/man?p=SaX2

I haven't decided whether this is good or bad news: but the CD I rolled at work with the drivers built in works like a charm, even pushing the resolution of the TV up to 1024x748, so what I'm aiming for is posable, but I chose to go this road I'd have to reinstall. This also means that I've somehow messed up their install from YaST but I'm not sure how.

thorkelljarl: I tried the sax2 commands you suggested, but "sax2 -m 0=nvidia" produced the same error as before: "no screens found", "sax2 -m 0=nv" produces the same error I have now: the completely black screen.

I remembered this...

Did you by chance try to install the Nvidia drivers using the 1-Click installation wizard ?

http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_drivers

No, no wizards: just YaST.

Anyway, my problem is solved (or moot, depending on your piont of veiw) because there realy was somthing quite wrong with the inards of my instalation because squid and my rdp server both stopped working. I reinstalled with the custom made CD, and everything seems to be working corectly now.

Thanks for all your help thogh.

To check to hardware...

Were the problem mine, I would try to boot a copy of PCLinuxOS. It has the Nvidia driver already configured. I would look at things like "dmesg", "lsmod" and the like in PCLinuxOS, then compare the results of the same commands used after booting the custom SUSE that works well, and after booting an openSUSE live-cd.

I am always irritated by something that should work but does not for some reason I don't understand.