Ubuntu doesn't like graphics cards.

The_Neon_Knight · 02-14-2007, 09:56 AM

Right, I'm having this problem where Ubuntu doesn't like booting with a graphics card plugged in. It works fine using the onboard, however with the 3 different graphics cards I've tried it complains about something not being set up correctly.

Does anybody here know how I can get Ubuntu to display through a graphics card? Thanks in advance.

You've probably heard countless 'noobs' asking about this and I'm sorry if this question is common here.

DragonSlayer48DX · 02-14-2007, 01:28 PM

Since most PC's are different in their hardware capabilities and/or allowances, one will need more info to try to help. IOW, it doesn't sound like a problem with Ubuntu, but rather, with hardware settings. Some PC's will allow an 'accessory' video card to simply be plugged in or even multiple displays to be used simultaneously without much effort. Some require the user to adjust settings in BIOS, and some require jumpers to be changed on either the MB or the video card (NOT recommended, unless you are experienced with such!). And with some, it just might not work at all. The main questions are:

What type of PC are you using? (brand, model, age, CPU type & speed, BIOS type & version, and type of onboard video are all relevant.)

What type(s) of video card(s) are you trying to install?

Did that particular setup work properly under a different OS (Windows, another Linux distro, etc.)?

Just out of personal curiosity, since Ubuntu works properly with the onboard video, is there a reason why you need to install a card?

The_Neon_Knight · 02-15-2007, 06:23 AM

Right.

I'm SURE it's a problem with ubuntu because it displays perfectly fine in windows, just pluf it in and it works.

But when I try to boot into Ubuntu, it complains about something not being set up correctly.

Okay, here are my specs:

Intel Celeron CPU 2.93 ghz

512 mb RAM.

It's a fujitsu Siemens (not sure which model, but doesn't have the original motherboard, or graphics card).

I've tried it with 2 different motherboards, the one I have now:

ASrock p4i65G
socket 478,
Intel 865 Chipset
1 x AGP 8X expansion slot.
The instruction manual says this about the BIOS:
-4MB AMI BIOS
-AMI legal BIOS
-Supports "Plug and play"
-ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
-Supports jumperfree
-SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
Integrated Intel extreme Graphics 2.
-Direct X 8.0 VGA
-Max shared memory 96mb.

And the one that came with my PC: (which I don't know much about)

Socket 478,
PCI expansion slot.
PhoenixBIOS.

The graphicss cards I tried:

ATI radeon 9550 256 MB (AGP)
Nvidia Geforce FX 5200 256 MB (PCI)
Nvidia Geforce FX 5500 128 MB (PCI)

That's all I know about it. But I've tried it with 2 different motherboards and 3 different graphics cards, all of which worked fine with windows, but Ubuntu just didn't like displaying through them.

And I need to install a card, because I use my PC for alot of gaming, and it's a huge hassle having to disable the AGP slot in the BIOS each time I want to boot into Ubuntu. (Also, trying to get games to run in Ubuntu sounds interesting. as I've never done that before).

oh, and the PC is a few years old.

pixellany · 02-15-2007, 06:52 AM

Quote:

But when I try to boot into Ubuntu, it complains about something not being set up correctly.

We need something a bit more specific here---what exactly is the error message?

When you try different cards, what are you doing to change the driver specified in xorg.conf?
Have you tried setting the video driver to something generic--like vesa?
What is the driver now?

For each of the cards you are trying, have you checked their webiste to see what they say about Linux drivers?

rickh · 02-15-2007, 06:54 AM

Most people think the nvidia drivers are better on Linux than ATI's. You will need to install the drivers. On Windows, they sent you a disk with Windows drivers on it. It did not just happen by itself.

Google "Ubuntu nvidia"

DragonSlayer48DX · 02-15-2007, 06:58 AM

As I said, some will allow a card to simply be plugged in, that's why I needed to know what you were installing and if it worked with Windows.

I'm not sure about Ubuntu's support for AGP-type cards, but for Nvidia PCI cards, you'll need to visit their website and follow the instructions to download and install their own Linux driver.

http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

As far as gaming in Ubuntu, Wine (free) works with a few Windows-based games (mostly non-DirectX). For the higher-end, graphics-intensive games, there's Cedega (non-free).

Good luck!

Bill

The_Neon_Knight · 02-15-2007, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickh

Most people think the nvidia drivers are better on Linux than ATI's. You will need to install the drivers. On Windows, they sent you a disk with Windows drivers on it. It did not just happen by itself.

Well, it didn't need the drivers to display through it. I plugged the graphics card in and it displayed through it. Booted into windows. That's all there was to it. Of course, I needed to install the drivers to get it to display higher then 800/600 res, but it did happen by itself.

The_Neon_Knight · 02-15-2007, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

We need something a bit more specific here---what exactly is the error message?

When you try different cards, what are you doing to change the driver specified in xorg.conf?
Have you tried setting the video driver to something generic--like vesa?
What is the driver now?

For each of the cards you are trying, have you checked their webiste to see what they say about Linux drivers?

I'm terribly sorry but I don't actually know how to do any of that...

Oh, and does Ubuntu count as Linux x86 or Linux x86_64?

DragonSlayer48DX · 02-15-2007, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Neon_Knight

Oh, and does Ubuntu count as Linux x86 or Linux x86_64?

They have both x86 and x86_64 (64-bit) versions. You need to know which one you installed...

Edited to add: Looking back on your previous post and noting your PC is "a few years old", it's most likely x86.

The_Neon_Knight · 02-15-2007, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonslayer48dx

They have both x86 and x86_64 (64-bit) versions. You need to know which one you installed...

Edited to add: Looking back on your previous post and noting your PC is "a few years old", it's most likely x86.

My computer is a few years old, but I ordered my Ubuntu Live CD about a year ago...

Anyway, here's exactly what it says:

Code:

Failed to start the X server (your graphical interface). 
It is likely that it is not set up correctly. 
Would you like to view the X server output to diagnose the problem?

<Yes>            <No>

If I select Yes:

Code:

X window system version 7.0.0
Release date: 21 december 2005
X protocol version 11, revision 0, release 7.0
Build operating system: Linux 2.6.12 i686
Current Operating System: Linux ComputerOfDoooooom 2.6.15-23-386 #1
Build Date: 16 March 2006
   Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org 
   to make sure that you have the latest version.Module Loader present.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command like, (!!) notice, (II) informational, (WW) warning, 
(EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.

(==) log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log",
   Time: Thu Feb 15 13:41:02 2007
(==) using config file: "/etc/X11/Xorg.conf"

There.

Any ideas/suggestion? Please remember I'm still somewhat of a "noob" to Linux, so if you could explain step by step what you mean, I would much appreciate it.

pixellany · 02-15-2007, 08:15 AM

almost certainly, it is not finding the right driver for the card(s)--or some other setting is wrong.

The settings are in /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Find sections that looks like this:

Code:

Section "Device"
  Identifier  "Card0"
  Driver "radeon"
  BoardName "unknown"

and

Code:

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier "Monitor0"
  VendorName "Sony"
  ModelName "CPD-G400"
  Option "DPMS" "true"
  HorizSync    30.0 - 107.0 # Warning: This may fry old Monitors
  VertRefresh  48.0 - 120.0 # Very conservative. May flicker.

and

Code:

Section "Screen"
  Identifier "Screen0"
  Device "Card0"
  Monitor "Monitor0"
  DefaultColorDepth 16
 <some snipped>
  SubSection "Display"
  Depth 24
  Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768"
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
  Depth 32
  Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768"
  EndSubSection

The "Screen" section tells the system to use "Monitor 0" and "Card 0". Card 0, in turn, calls for the radeon driver.

For starters, tell us what video driver is specified.

The_Neon_Knight · 02-15-2007, 08:47 AM

Code:

Section "device"
         Identifier         "Intel Corporation 82845G/GL [Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device"
         Driver             "i810"
         BusID              "PCI:0:2:0"
Endsection

Section "Monitor"
         Identifier         "CY-465"
         Option             "DPMS"
Endsection

Section "screen"
         Identifier         "default screen"
         Device             "Intel Corporation 82845G/GL [Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device"
         Monitor            "CY-465"
         Default Depth      24
         SubSection "display"
                 Depth            1
                 Modes            "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
         End Subsection         
         SubSection "display"
                 Depth            4
                 Modes            "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
         End Subsection         
         SubSection "display"
                 Depth            8
                 Modes            "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
         End Subsection         
         SubSection "display"
                 Depth            15
                 Modes            "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
         End Subsection         
         SubSection "display"
                 Depth            16
                 Modes            "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
         End Subsection         
         SubSection "display"
                 Depth            24
                 Modes            "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
         End Subsection
End Section.

Am I wrong, but shouldn't it be describing my Radeon instead of the onboard video?

After the error message about the graphics it goes to the command line. It's displaying through my radeon, but it can only get to the command line. That's how I managed to do this.

pixellany · 02-15-2007, 08:55 AM

It is going to point to whatever you tell it...

In the device section, you have to specify the driver to use.

In the screen section, you specify which device to use.

Have you checked the websites to see what Linux drivers are available for your card(s)?

The_Neon_Knight · 02-15-2007, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

It is going to point to whatever you tell it...

In the device section, you have to specify the driver to use.

In the screen section, you specify which device to use.

Have you checked the websites to see what Linux drivers are available for your card(s)?

In the device section, I have to specify which driver to use.
So, which part do I change, and what do I change it to? (same for screen section).

I have checked the website, but as I am still unsure as to whether I am using x86 or x86_64 I don't know which to download.

Code:

Section "device"
         Identifier         "Intel Corporation 82845G/GL [Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device"
         Driver             "radeon"
         BusID              "PCI:0:2:0"
Endsection

would this work?

pixellany · 02-15-2007, 09:18 AM

Do you have a 64-bit machine? If you don't know, then you probably don't. For a 32-bit machine, get the x86 version of the driver.

Actually, I think you need a device section for the card---the one that is there seems to be for the on-board video. I am unsure as to how to setup the device file to point to the card--note that yours has a PCI line, where my example does not.

In the device section, you have to specify the correct driver AND that driver needs to be in /lib/modules

You can search for the driver like so (using radeon as example):
find /lib/modules -name "radeon*" the "*" allows it to find something like "radeon.ko"

For more on the config file: man xorg.conf