Ubuntu: Unable to Install/Configure Nvidia Driver

kramer2718 · 10-02-2008, 01:31 AM

I can't get the proprietary Nvidia driver to work on my system.

So I know that Ubuntu is supposed to do all of this stuff automagically, but it doesn't. I also realize that I should have tried to do all this with the GUI admin tools that come with Ubuntu, but I tried to do it manually first. But now it doesn't look like the automatic method work.

This howto:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...60#post5891860
suggests that I used the menu->system->Hardware Drivers Manager app to install my driver, but it doesn't display any drivers to install. That may be because I tried to do things manually first.

I downloaded the driver for my GPU (GeForce 7050 PV--btw my cpu is an amd64 x2) from Nvidia website and tried to run it, but it claimed that it could find no kernel interface and couldn't compile one for my system. Then I tried to install the driver via:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx-new

and then config x via:

sudo nvidia-xconfig

after I restarted my machine, it just got hung up while loading.

Notice that glxinfo produces:

$ glxinfo
name of display: :0.0
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Error: couldn't find RGB GLX visual

Code:

   visual  x  bf lv rg d st colorbuffer ax dp st accumbuffer  ms  cav
 id dep cl sp sz l  ci b ro  r  g  b  a bf th cl  r  g  b  a ns b eat
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Xlib:  extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib:  extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
0x21 16 tc  1  0  0 c  .  .  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
Xlib:  extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib:  extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
0x3a 32 tc  1  0  0 c  .  .  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None

and my xorg.conf looks like this:

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver          "kbd"
        Option          "XkbRules"      "xorg"
        Option          "XkbModel"      "pc101"
        Option          "XkbLayout"     "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
        Driver          "mouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier      "Default Screen"
        Monitor         "Configured Monitor"
        Device          "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier      "Default Layout"
        Screen          "Default Screen"
EndSection

I thought it was curious that my xorg.conf didn't specify the nv driver even though System Settings -> Monitor & Display says that I'm running a GeForce 7 Series card with the driver nv.

Any ideas?

sigh510 · 10-02-2008, 03:08 AM

I used a utility called envy to install my nvidia card. It's quite good as it will run in a terminal so you can install drivers even without X started. I assume you are getting into X i.e. logging on to your desktop in some format if so, you can use apt to install Envy. There are two versions I believe the new one is called Envy NG this one should be good for you as the original one supports older cards I think.

If you can't get into X you'll have to install using Sudo in a terminal.
Once installed I think the command to start the configuration is Sudo EnvyNG -t. I'm no expert in Linux but you can at least start from this and move forward. To be honest I still had to mess about with Xorg after this as my monitor settings were wrong giving me the wrong choice of resolutions.
Still I hope this helps you a little I remember getting help on this myself a while back thank God for forums is what I say!

kramer2718 · 10-06-2008, 10:12 PM

Sweet. That worked!!!

I had to poke around a bit to find the right package to install, but it worked great. I'm now running my monitor at full resolution with acceleration. Yay!

Thanks.

sigh510 · 10-07-2008, 03:57 AM

Glad to know it worked. As an extra tip I have backed up my xorg.conf as in the future things can get screwed up and although Envy is great you may still benefit from a backed up copy.
There have been times when envy hasn't been able to correct things particulary monitor refresh rates in xorg.
Glad to have helped a linux user it's my first time helping someone but it's payback for all the help I have received in the past from forums like these. I'ts frustrating linux sometimes but there are plenty of helpful users around unlike some other OS's we could mention.

Seeya