GUI problems ever since a GPU upgrade.
 

Hey guys, I dual-booted ubuntu several months ago but threw up my arms in fustration way too soon. So I snapped out of my weak trance and decided to work hard at understanding it... but there is a good problem.
A month ago, I upgraded my ATI 9600 SE to a Nvidia 6600 GT. I updated the drivers and everything for windows, but never did for Ubuntu. Now when I try and load my Linux OS... they say it says that my graphics card isn't supported and they must disable my "server X". I can log in and use everything, but there is no GUI, so I have no idea what to do or how to fix it.
If anyone can help, much appreaciate it.

Get the driver and install it: http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html
Edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf (or XF86config). You can also use nvidia-xconfig.
Maybe you'll have to uninstall ATI drivers if they were installed.

You have plenty of threads in this site explaining how to install a NVIDIA gpu.

My problem is I only have access to a command line and that is all. I have no idea how to use one... which I guess makes things a little more harder for me :).

Ok, this is a good thing. Download the driver and compile it with:
sh NVIDIA-xxxxx.run
then edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf with emacs:
emacs /etc/X11/xorg.conf
and change the driver to nvidia:

Section "Device"
Identifier "** ATI Radeon (generic) [radeon]"
Driver "nvidia"

save and quit with ctrl-x ctrl-s and ctrl-x ctrl-c

Launch startx or reboot.

...
Umm... How do I download it with only a command line?
Also, maybe its just the x server? Maybe something is just up with the GUI.

Just check your xorg.conf and see which driver is loaded. vesa, fglrx, nv, nvidia?

As for downloading it via CLI, try links2, lynx or another textonly browser, you may get lucky and have one installed you had no idea was there. Otherwise you will ahve to use a command like wget "ftp location" after finding the exact download location on an ftp.

I don't know very much about that particular card, but you may be able to get to a gui (not one loaded with 3D acceleration).

Try sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg. If you can't find a driver that works, try using VESA.

Alright, so I put in sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorgand everything is going good until I have to choose my monitors color.
24 bit, I choose it, and then on the bottom it says something similiar to "warning:overwriting etc etc" and then the commandline follows. What am I suppose to type in the commandline now?

Try startx and see if it goes...

Alright, tried that. Then a whole heck load of stuff happens and then I get
fatal server error: no screens found
fatal IO error 104 on X server ":0.0" after 0 requests (0 known processed} with 0 events remaining.

Would it just be easier to instal 1.10 over 1.04?

What kernel are you using? uname -r and what is /etc/apt/sources.list?

I did a quick google and it seems that there might be a package you can download that will install the proper drivers.

If you're using 5.04 Hoary Hedgehog, try following this guide (you may need to reboot): http://ubuntuguide.org/#installnvidiadriver

My kernel is 2.6.10-5-386
Access denied when trying to do the /etc/apt/sources.list

You should just be able to more /etc/apt/sources.list

and what do I do afterwards? I mean I am getting quite tired from restarting back and forth xp and ubuntu.

I tried the Nvidia thing but that had errors in pretty much every command.

Anyway, the gist of it is sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list. Delete the "#" from in front of all the lines that say "deb" (in particular you're looking for universe and mulitverse). Then hit Ctrl-X to exit (be sure to hit enter to save as /etc/apt/sources.list). sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade.

Then In this new file you've opened, put this Reboot

If this fails and you get too tired of rebooting and stuff, you certainly can re-install. Depends on how much you have invested in this install or whether you just want the practice. But the nice thing about Debian based distros are that you shouldn't ever have to re-install.

But it is tough when you're working on dual boot. That's why at work I'm using Cooperative Linux. It runs on top of Windows and gives me a full Debian install. You have to get x via VNC though, but it was pretty easy to do. I'd give it one last go with what I've written above.

Did you save your home directory on a separate partition? If you reinstall, you may go that route and have a /home, /, /swap, and a shared FAT32 that XP can see also (for sharing files). And I'm sure the newer Ubuntu has bug fixes and the like that will help ease this process a bit. But you'll probably have to follow the new Unofficial Ubuntu Guide http://easylinux.info/wiki/Ubuntu

Sorry I couldn't be more help! :(

lol, its a lot of help
I do have /home, /swap, and something else...
Its just way too overwhelming when I can't even remember ls lists whats in the directory.

Well, if you reinstall, you can probably salvage your home partition and just reinstall over the root partition. But you'll have to setup all your programs again...

Trust me when I say I had no programs to setup in the first place ;)

And is that possible to have a folder that can be shared by my XP and Linux?
Also, any book recommendations or guides? I am having crummy success at finding things that actually help a complete beginner.

Well, for Ubuntu, I would definitely use the Unofficial Ubuntu Guide. It will tell you step by step what to type to setup common things like your Nvidia card, java, flash, etc.

For just Newbie in general, you should google for "newbie CLI tutorial" and probably read up a bit on permissions. Really, I just learned by wanting to do something and then googling. Sometimes someone would have the same problem. Other times I would get sidetracked and learn something I wasn't expecting. :) The best thing I can say is to not be afraid of the CLI. For one thing, as a user you can't screw it up to badly. Be careful with sudo and root priveledges. Always backup files you work on as root.

http://linux-newbie.sunsite.dk/
http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/cli.html

Oh yeah, and it is possible to share files between XP and linux. It needs to be a separate partition formated as fat32. The fstab line will be something like:

/dev/hda1 /mnt/shared vfat default,users,umask=0000 0 0

Of course, you'd mkdir /mnt/shared and then change /dev/hda1 to the proper partition, but that's the general format. Then you should just be able to mount /mnt/shared

Well, I can't do that right now because I am typing... using Ubuntu!
Your sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade got me to 1.10 and now everything works. I am ready to start learning...
Now, before I start looking at guides, I have to find a way to make the damn scroll work!

Can you post your /etc/apt/sources.list? (the output of more /etc/apt/sources.list) I'm just curious if you're actually upgraded to 5.10 or if you're actually just in an up-to-date 5.04. If you post the list, I can let you know for sure.

By the way, Congratulations! Nothing more satisfying than solving a problem on your own.

Damn, just an updated 1.04. Whatever, it will work for now
Also, Yeah, I solved the problem on my own... right after having the answer given to me by someone else :)

Nah, ya did good kid. :)

So if you were interested in updated everything, you would sudo gedit /etc/sources.list and change every "hoary" to "breezy". Then sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade.

If you do dist-upgrade to breezy, be sure that you're using the Unofficial Ubuntu Guide for Breezy as there are some minor differences that might give you grief.

Good luck. If you have any more problems, don't hesitate to post to the forums both here and the ubuntu forums. And when you feel confident enough, don't forget to help other people out too.