ok so it is doing what fedora ( and a few others ) have done -- use HAL

you will need to make it
the easiest way is to have the GUI nvidia-settings
make it
as a normal user start it ( from bash or /applications/system tools / nvidia x server settings )
a screenshot of mine
http://www.imagebam.com/image/dc400470643183
PS - i use a black theme so...

on the left side is this " X server display configuration "
click on it and on the right side of the gui is a button " save to x configuration file"

after using the gui to set everything click the button

it should ask you for your root password in a pop up window
give it and save
then reboot

Ok, but it sounds like I would need the nvidia driver already installed to do that, right? So would I install it, do what you suggested, and then reboot? Because if I install the driver and reboot, the card wouldn't work and so I would have to use my integrated. Not that it would be too bad for me, but I would have to use the terminal to run everything (With no gui- I tried this before)

i thought that YOU HAD the driver installed but the built in chip was being detected and NOT the nvidia card.

install the driver

http://linuxgazette.net/137/lazar.html

use your package manage to install it .

No, I installed the driver before, and after I boot with it installed, it tells me to go into low graphics mode. I try to boot into low graphics mode, but it once again freezes at a black screen. But I'll try out what you suggested really quick

Oh, this is what's in the .nvidia-settings-rc file...

#
# /home/codey/.nvidia-settings-rc
#
# Configuration file for nvidia-settings - the NVIDIA X Server Settings utility
# Generated on Fri Mar 5 16:05:16 2010
#

# ConfigProperties:

RcFileLocale = C
ToolTips = Yes
DisplayStatusBar = Yes
SliderTextEntries = Yes
IncludeDisplayNameInConfigFile = No
ShowQuitDialog = Yes

# Attributes:


And here's what is in my xserver-xorg file...

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard4"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8400"
EndSection





I now have the driver installed, but I don't want to reboot yet so I can see what other steps I need to take would be. Otherwise I would only be using the terminal to do everything, and I really need to see this site in order to know what I'm doing.


EDIT: I found a configuration tool for the nvidia driver, but it looked nothing like yours. It only had a few check boxes with the options shown in the nvidia file's contents that I posted.

I use a BLACK theme with green text that i made and NOT a default theme

I understand that, but there were like 4 or 5 check boxes for irrelevant (I think) options. I couldn't find any other options. But anyways, linux froze on me, so I had to reboot, and had no gui to help me whatsoever. So Now I have yet another fresh install of linux mint 8 :P
Here's a screenshot of what I get... http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m...oubleshoot.png

Opensolaris is a non-Linux *NIX variant that have less hardware compatibility than Linux, hence it's unlikelly to work with your NVidia card. ReactOS is a wintendo clone, it doesn't even have X11 at all.

It worked in VirtualBox because VirtualBox "emulates" a generic 3D card which works well with most Linux distros, this means that while running under VirtualBox, PCLinuxOS doesn't know what card you actually have in your host (physical) system. The problem obviously comes when you boot your actual PC off the PCLinuxOS CD because PCLinuxOS gets to deal with the actual NVidia card instead of a generic one.

ok you got a xorg error ( the pop up window )

run this
then try the nvidia gui again

I messed with pclinuxOS and I got my card to work. This was what I had in my configuration file...
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder63) Tue Jan 6 10:03:02 PST 2009

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:7100"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from data in "/etc/sysconfig/keyboard"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 28.0 - 33.0
VertRefresh 43.0 - 72.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection



The problem is that I am denied permission to put this where it's needed, in my x-11 folder. Are there any ways to get past this?

you need to be root to save it to /etc/X11

also this
might be the built in intel chip's place " device 0"

you might need to play with it a bit

or not
from an earlear post this /.nvidia-settings-rc has
--------

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard4"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8400"
EndSection
------------
in it so it might set it correctly

glxinfo | grep direct

that command will tel you if direct rendering is working a " yes" it is a " no " it is not.

you might need to add
to the driver section in the xorg.conf ?


Normally setting the nvidia driver is auto set up and there is no need for the user to edit things
but sometimes a built in chip can mess this up

ether the nvidia.run will auto configure the xorg.conf file or the distro's prebuilt driver ( the mint one) will also auto set it.

and lastly, normally HAL will auto detect the card and auto set it on boot .

your computer seams to be one of the very few where none of this seams to be working .
once the card and driver are working make a back-up copy of the working xorg.conf so next time it will be easier

How do I log in as root? I thought that that was a default thing unless I was working with the terminal. Other than that, I don't have any more questions. Thanks!

for the Gnome desktop -- you do not
most distros have disabled root login using the gui ,and Gnome HAS it disabled by default

in the terminal use the "su" and " su - " commands

Ok, got it SO am I using the terminal to paste the file into the folder or do I just type in "su" and my password and then just open up the folder myself and move the file in? I want to make sure I have all of this down before I reinstall mint again (Running pclinuxOS at the moment)