I have Mandrake Linux 10.1 running kernel 2.6.8.1 (the one that comes with the distro) and nVidia GeforceFX 5200 and I've installed the 1.0-7676 driver from nVidia website. Graphics performance has improved 1000%, but when I switch to runlevel 3 or when the system shuts down, I get a black background with white flickering nonsense (unrecognizable symbols flashing together). The system DOES NOT freeze, when starting again, everything is ok and even if I go back to runlevel 5 from runlevel 3 (which I do blindly because the display is unreadable) without having to restart, the display goes back to normal. It seems that the problem is with the X shutting down.

Can anyone please tell me how I can get this resolved. Maybe how to have the newly installed driver support the non X display environment (if this is actually the problem). Thanks.

This is an interesting problem. Now, what happens when you are in run level five, and you switch to one of the virtual terminals (i.e. hitting Ctrl-Alt-F1 and then getting back to the X server with Ctrl-Alt-F7)? Do you still see a blank screen with with flickering nonsense in this case?

Yup. It happens. I'm thinking it's maybe that something's letting the driver switch to an extremely low resolution that is not supported by the video card; because sometimes you can distinguish (out of the rubbish) the flickering cursor and the 'local host' prompt in a gigantic size.

Thanks.

What does your xorg.conf file look like?

This is how my X config looks like, thanks:

# File generated by XFdrake.

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the XF86Config man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
# By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
# the X server to render fonts.
FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
#DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
#DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse doesn't work
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx" # 3D layer
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us_intl"
Option "XkbOptions" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "monitor1"
VendorName "Plug'n Play"
HorizSync 30-70
VertRefresh 50-160

# Sony Vaio C1(X,XS,VE,VN)?
# 1024x480 @ 85.6 Hz, 48 kHz hsync
ModeLine "1024x480" 65.00 1024 1032 1176 1344 480 488 494 563 -hsync -vsync

# Dell D800 and few Inspiron (16/10) 1280x800
ModeLine "1280x800" 147.89 1280 1376 1512 1744 800 801 804 848

# Dell D800 and few Inspiron (16/10) 1680x1050
ModeLine "1680x1050" 214.51 1680 1800 1984 2288 1050 1051 1054 1103

# Dell D800 and few Inspiron (16/10) 1920x1200
ModeLine "1920x1200" 230 1920 1936 2096 2528 1200 1201 1204 1250 +HSync +VSync

# TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
# 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 50.00 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630

# 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 63.07 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
VendorName "nVidia"
BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce FX (generic)"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "device1"
Monitor "monitor1"
DefaultColorDepth 24

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Virtual 1280 1024
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Virtual 1280 1024
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Virtual 1280 1024
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 1280 1024
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
Screen "screen1"
EndSection