I've been trying to troubleshoot this for over a week and have tried almost everything I can think of. The first time I had Linux already installed then put my video card in and tried to install the driver and so forth. This made my startx not work...no GUI at all. So I reinstalled Linux. This time I installed it with my video card already installed. My video card is a GeForce 8600 GTS. I also set my BIOS to boot from PCIe. I now have a working version of opensuse with a GUI but it lags even worse than it did before I put the video card in. I followed these instructions exactly to install the graphics driver:

* Open a shell
* Change to root: su
* Download driver: cd ~/; wget http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree8...-9631-pkg2.run

The instructions didn't tell me to do this, but I had to make sure that I had the kernel-source, gcc, and make installed already by using yast and searching for those names. After they were installed I continued the instructions:...

* Issue command: telinit 3
* cd ~/
* chmod +x ./NVIDIA*
* sh ./NVIDIA*
* Accept License agreement
* Build kernel
* Automatically configure x
* sax2 -m 0=nvidia

This is what it told me after I entered the last command:

SaX: no X-Server is running
SaX: will start own server if needed
SPP: prepare device [0] profile : Depth24
SPP: prepare device [0] profile : NVidia
SPP: calling device [0] profile script: NVidia
SPP: including prepared profile(s)...
SaX: startup
xc: sorry could not start configuration server
xc: for details refer to the log file: /var/log/SaX.log
xc: abort...

I looked through the log file and found this:

NVIDIA: could not open the device file /dev/nvidia 0 (input/output error)
Failed to initialize the NVidia graphics device PC1:1:0:0
screen found, but none of them have a usable configuration.
Fatal server error! no screens found.

Once I run KDE it also tells me that my monitor doesn't support 32-bit color and I can't adjust any of the settings.

So that's what's happened so far and I don't know what other direction to take. I followed these instructions out of a LINUX + DVD magazine that came with opensuse 10.2 / I've also tried everything else that everyone's suggested. At least I have a GUI now but still no 3D support.

I can't help you with what you are trying. But have you tried following openSUSE's 'HOWTO' instructions for installing nVidia drivers?

http://en.opensuse.org/NVIDIA

I installed mine following "The easy way", haven't had any problems. I also have a 7900 GT though, maybe support for the 8600 isn't ready yet?

I use the 9755 driver version on 5 different OS10.2 systems with 2 different types of Nvidia cards and have had zero problems (even with my widescreen monitors).

However, when I build and install this version, it doesn't tell me to run sax2.

Tim

NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-9631-pkg2.run looks like a legacy GPU version--something for GeForce2 MX and other older GPUs. You might try the latest version of whatever driver is appropriate for your processor.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

Hey thanks Cogar, you helped me look a little bit further and realize that the driver I was installing isn't the right one... apparently the one i need is : 100.14.06 (beta) for Linux x86/x86-64 ... here's the link with complete instructions for anyone else that runs into this problem : http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=91896
I haven't tried to follow through with it yet, but when I do I will make a post on this thread to make it easier for everyone else...