Are you there?

I copied the initab file to a floppy disc and made conversion from kwrite to windows word program file so I hope it looks ok when your seeing it.

I need to get off the net as someone here needs to use phone.

I would like to communicate perhaps later on and try to figure this out.

There is no way I could have gotten this far alone.

Can you be back on later tonight? It's 5:36pm central time here, where I am at.

I feel confident I can do it, I just thought it would be a lot easier than it is.

I wonder why it is so difficult to do.

Let me know if you can get back on line later.

d-1

Are you still on line, I might be able to stay on for another hour?

d-1

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!

Don't start messing with the file in Windows - The different character sets will mess up things...

OMG - it's 00:38 here and I'm finding it hard to concentrate... Wonder why

However I should think you would be able to make the runlevel change without further guidance...

Just open the initab file

Change id:5 to id:3

and save the file - USING KWRITE!!!! WINDOWS IS A BIG NO NO!!!

By saving the file as text just altering 5 to 3 all that should happen is that your machine will boot up in the command line instead of in the graphical desktop - Which is good

To get back into the desktop you'll have to write startx <Enter>

If that works there is one other file we need to modify and then the installation process can begin...

I'll post the name of the file and describe the changes you need to make there as well

After that I'll describe what you have to do to run the driver installation - This has to be done from the command prompt i.e. without having the desktop started!!!!

If you follow the on screen descriptions from there - then reboot the machine you should be fine - Hope that sounds allright to you

If you are game - we can continue

Yes it does but I still havent figured out how to unpackage the software driver program from my desktop. Isn't that a must?

d-1

If we can knock it out in a hour that will be fine with me.

Do you have to work tomorrow, don't want to burn you up.

d-1

Yes but once you unpack the software and you run you are.... well on a rugged playing field and unless you make the changes I am suggesting you'll be at a disadvantage so to speak....

Just make the change to the initab file and let us move on!

I work 7/24/365 I'm already on fire - but unless we finish this now I'm uncertain when I can put time aside again.... So I suggest WE MOVE ON.

JUST CHANGE THE INITAB !!! - we can sleep when we die (good thing I have a Vampire gene)

I tried to save or change the 5 to a 3 and it says " The file could not be saved. Please check if you have write permission". All I did was backspace the 5 and inserted the 3 and then went to file and scrolled down to save and it gave me that message.

d-1

Okay - Now we are going to go HARDCORE!!!

Get back to the Control Center and fire up the root (DOS like window)

And the message was a good sign BTW

If youre there let me know if it says root@localhost...

yes it does, I am there at that DOS screen

d-1

D-1, hi, this is really easrier than this thread has been going. i have installed this driver myself and it can be quite simple.

here is what you need to do.

1. from your desktop, click the K menu (main menu button in the bottom left of the screen) and look for a menu entry called something like system tools or terminals. you might even have a button on the taskbar itself. it looks like a monitor with a seashell in front of it. if you have that click on that. what it should open is a terminal screen or dos box if you will.

2. in that window at the cursor type "su" (do not type any quotes, just the stuff in between the quotes) and hit enter. it will ask for your root password. type it in (you will not see it as you type) and hit enter. you will now be in super user mode.

3. type "cd /etc" and press enter

4. type "vi inittab" and hit enter. scroll down to the line that has id:5:initdefault: and move the cursor to the 5 and hit delete. then hit the insert key and type the number 3. then hit the escape key to get out of insert mode. when that is down, press and hold the left ctrl key and hit the z key twice then let go of the ctrl key. this will save the file and drop you back to the command line. type exit and hit enter and type exit and hit enter again and you will exit from the terminal window.

ok, what we did is make the computer boot to a command line interface on the next reboot. when you reboot you will not get a desktop.

this part is important. you need to know the path to your desktop. it should be something like /home/username/desktop. write this down and remember it.

now reboot the pc and when it starts up you should be at a login screen.

1. login in as root and use the root password.

2. change directory to your desktop folder. type "cd /home/username/desktop". make sure you use your username you used when you downloaded the file from nvidia.

3. if you are now in your desktop directory you can type "ls" and it should show you the files on your desktop and you should see the nvidia file. if you see it type "sh nameofnvidiafile.run" and hit enter. this should launch the driver install. all you need to do is accept the license agreement and hit enter and then hit enter when it is done.

4. when it is down you have to change the inittab back to runlevel 5. type "vi /etc/inittab" and hit enter. scroll down to the id:3:initdefault: line and change the 3 to a 5 the same way as before.

5. now you have to tell the x server about the new driver. type "vi /etc/X11/XF86Config" and hit enter. if the file is blank (no text) hold the ctrl key down and hit z twice to exit and type "vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4" and hit enter. linux is case sensitive so make sure you use caps where i have caps.

6. scroll through this file to a line that says Driver nv and change the nv to nvidia.

7. make sure the file has a line that says Load "glx" (with the quotes) and if you have a line that says Load "dri" or "GLcore" comment them out by putting a # sign at the front of the line. remember to hit insert to insert or change text and escape to exit out of insert mode.

8. with these changes, hold down the ctrl key and hit the z key twice. this will save the XF86Config file.

you should now be at the root command prompt again. type "reboot" and hit enter. if all worked well you will see the nvidia logo splash screen before you get your logon screen. the driver will be installed and all is right with the world.

good luck!