Geez, I don't even know where to start. I hate being a newbie at anything but I guess everyone's gotta start somewhere.
Well anyways... here we go... I have a nVidia GeForce FX5500 Graphics card which, apparently isn't supported by SuSe 10.1. So I need to install the packages, got that. The problem is I'm having a hard time figuring out which packages I need. Everyone says something different. I think I need nvidia-glx-1.0.8178 (which I downloaded already) and nvidia-kernel-1.0.8178-r3 which I can't seem to find accept when it comes to Koraraa for Gentoo which I don't think I want...
Anyway so even if I were to get the packages there's still the matter of how the heck I'm going to get it onto my home dir in suse. I can't access my cdrom or dvdrom drives, I don't know how and when I tried what I could find online I kept getting permissions denied for /dev/hdc and /etc/fstab.
I just want to know which packages I need to download, where I can download them from and how the heck can I get them onto Linux. I can't get into any kind of gui, all I got is the damn command line and unfortunately I know very little about Linux commands. Just a few basics from a UNIX course I just took in AIT
Sorry to put you all through this... like I said, I hate being a newb

Is this on a fresh install of suse 10.0? because it shouldn't go to a failsafe terminal just because you haven't got the proprietary nvidia modules loaded. It should load and run off the 'nv' module which would give you full gui functionality with limited 3d. when in your terminal if you type startx what does it do?

its a fresh install of suse 10.1
this is what i got when i typed in startx

xauth: creating new authority file /root/.serverauth.4281
/usr/X11R6/bin/xauth: creating new authority file /root/.Xauthority
/usr/X11R6/bin/xauth: creating new authroity file /root/.Xauthority

X Window System Version 6.9.0
Release Date: 21 December 2005
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0, Release 6.9
Buils Operating System: SuSE Linux [ELF] SuSE
Current Operating System: Linux linux-qt09 2.6.16.13-4-default #1 Wed May 3 04:53:23 UTC 2006 i686
Build Date: 02 May 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 line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) Warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/car/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Dec 23 23:08:38 2006
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
Data incomplete in file /etc/X11/xorg.conf
At least one Device section is required.
(EE) Problem parsing the config file
(EE) Error parsing the config file

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Please consult X.Org Foundation support for help
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.

XIO: fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X server ":0.0"
after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 event remaining.

I have no clue what half of this means save for the fact that obviously something is either missing or wasn't installed correctly. I don't have time to try to figure this out on my own right now but I'll see what I can do if I don't hear from you tomorrow. Thanks for your help by the way. I've seen what Linux can do on my friend's computer and I fell in love with it at first sight, and I'm ready to kick Windows XP to the curb so if I could just get SuSE working properly it would definately be the perfect Christmas present.

Jyneo, here is the problem.
(WW) Warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/car/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Dec 23 23:08:38 2006
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
Data incomplete in file /etc/X11/xorg.conf
At least one Device section is required.

If you did not configure your graphics during install,
log in as root at terminal, drill down in the system
(cdspace/etc/X11/xorg.conf) a text base configuration file, don't freak, take your time, most of the important instructions are commented out with a hash (#) mark, fill details on chip, resolution, refresh rate, etc.
Failing that, maybe boot your system with the original
install disk, and try a repair or even an upgrade, and check every section of the summary of installation, double check everything is properly configured before you continue.

Goodluck, Merry Christmas.

shorty943.

You should be able to configure X with "xorgconfig" (without quotes).

what those messages say is basically that there is an error in the configuration file that manages the graphical stuff. (/etc/X11/xorg.conf)

This is a very common problem, although not typically on a fresh install. If you do:

It will bring up the file so you can scroll through it. Have a look at the sections for ServerLayout, Device, Screen, and Monitor. Paste those sections back here so we can have a look. You may have multiple sections for some(ie 2 Device sections or 2 screen sections.) Have you done anything with the proprietary nvidia modules? Or did this happen straight after the suse install? This kind of problem is usually pretty easy to spot in the config file.

# /./
# SaX generated X11 config file
# Created on: 2006-12-21T22:01:50-0500.
#
# Version: 7.1
# Contact: Marcus Schaefer
# Contact: SaX-User list
#
# Automatically generated by [ISaX] (7.1)
# PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
#

Section "Files"
Input Devices "/dev/gpmdata"
Input Devices "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection

Section "Module"
EndSection




Section "DRI"
Group "video"
Mode 0660
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
EndSection


That's all I got. Should there be more? When I first installed it under the Graphics Card section it didn't have anything there, like it wasn't recognizing it at all and I couldn't get that to change so I figured i'd just leave it alone for the time being until I figured it out. Bad idea?

Yeah, there should be more. Have you tried configuring with xorgconfig? You might want to find the documentation for SaX, as it looks like you can use that to configure X as well.

i'm running xorgconfig now, trying to get the right settings. They don't have a driver more my specific graphics card so I have to do it all manually. Hopefully this will work. I'll post as soon as I'm done

You should be able to use the "vesa" driver if you can't use anything else.

well, I typed in all the specifications for my and now it's telling me to run xserver. how do i do that

With "startx"?

(EE) xf860OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/mouse
No such file or directory.
(EE) Mouse1: cannot open input device
(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Mouse1"
no core pointer

how do i fix this? I'm using a Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0
should I use something else?

o nvm i figured it out.... there's no /dev/mouse wow, that was a newb moment. holy crap i got it working... the resolution and color depth blows but i'm sure i can fix that. YES IT WORKS!!! thanks everyone. Merry Christmas!!!

Edit: xorgconfig should let you choose resolutions and the default colour depth.