Need help running old version of linux Ubuntu 8.1
 

Hi all, I'm running 8.1 for the sole purpose to run a dedicated game server for a older game. I tried to run it on the latest Ubuntu but it did not support the 32 bit game. I can run this server now but I can not actually play the game because it needs the NVidia video driver updated and Ubuntu tells me that the 2 it finds are not open source and will not let me install the recommended video driver.

My Video card is a NVIDIA GeForce 7300LE.
My PC is Dell 2.8 ghz Running Windows 7 Ultimate

My main problem is installing a linux video driver as I am very new and not sure how to install the driver once i find the right one.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
ou8it

Nobody is developing new video drivers for 8.10 any more. This release dates from 2008, it is "end of life" and completely obsolete.

I suggest a fresh reinstall of 10.04 or newer, 32-bit version. If it is a server, then you probably do not need a GUI, and therefore the nvidia drivers are irrelevant. :)

Assuming you really do need the video driver:

nutshell version:
- download the driver file from nvidia's web site selecting the appropriate linux framework under OS
- use the terminal to make the file executable (chmod a+x <filename>)
- run the file with administrative privileges (sudo <filename>)

Long version:
With Ubuntu, especially back with 8.10, if you need the card drivers you will probably want to download the proprietary driver package from nvidia directly for this. It shouldn't be very difficult, but one thing you'll want to keep in mind is that if you go to upgrade this Ubuntu installation at a later date, you'll want to uninstall the proprietary driver before doing so as the upgrade process isn't kind to proprietary driver installations and can make a bit of a mess.

The page for acquiring proprietary nvidia drivers is here: http://www.geforce.com/Drivers currently. I think you'll want to select GeForce 7 series for that card, and select either Linux 32 bit or Linux 64 bit for OS. If you installed the Ubuntu setup using a 386 or 686 cd, it's 32 bit. if the disk image you downloaded mentioned AMD64 in the name, it is 64 bit.

I recommend downloading the file to your home directory to make things easier. Also, don't get rid of it once it's installed as it can be used to uninstall the driver later with a /uninstall argument (if I rmember correctly).
Once you have downloaded the file, you will likely need to allow permission for it to be executable. If I remember correctly 8.1 used Konqueror as it's default file manager, so I'm not sure if it allows you to set this in the gui on a properties dialogue, but you can do it in the terminal as well.

To do so, open konsole, navigate to the directory you downloaded the file to and run where <filename> is the name of the Nvidia driver install .run file. If Ubuntu doesn't want to let you do that, stick sudo in front of the command and enter your password when prompted.

Once you've made the file executable, you'll want to run it by using in the terminal. At this point you should be fine following the prompts.

8.10 was stable, but Snowpine is right, it is rather old at this point. If you can't run this program in the latest version of Ubuntu I have doubts that using 8.10 will help the issue. Good luck, though.

I will give this a shot as soon as I get some time. Thanks for the detailed info its much appreciated to this linux noob.

Thanks very much,
ou8it

forgot to mention:
I have this version running on a old dell running xp and i can play the game and run the server so I do believe its just the video card. One thing,, if I do get that video driver for linux to install, will I have trouble running anything graphically when I boot back to windows 7 ?

Sorry about the delay before replying, I missed the last bit.

If you have a dual boot system, e.g. a windows partition and a set of linux partitions which you go through a boot-loader (lilo or grub for example) to get to when you first start the system, you should be able to do just about anything in the linux install without affecting the windows install. (of course, assuming you don't have the windows partition mounted and actually try to do anything with it)

If you're running Ubuntu ON windows... e.g. via/through Wubi... I'm not sure, I've never tried the Wubi route, but I think it's just a virtual drive in a file on the windows partition so likely not. I'd check with someone first if you installed using Wubi.

Trying to follow instructions above. I downloaded the what I think is the right driver and opened terminal and get the following

f
frank@Tyler-PC:~$ chmod a+x NVIDIA-Linux-x86-290.10.run
frank@Tyler-PC:~$ sudo NVIDIA-Linux-x86-290.10.run
[sudo] password for frank:

put in password but nothing seems to happen.

by konsole, do you mean open a terminal? are they the same?

Thanks
ou8it

on an old dell with xp on it you might not be able to use the 290 driver

you MUST NOT HAVE X RUNNING !!! you MUST
1) boot into text only ( not "single user "!!!) single user will NOT work
or
2) turn off x after you login as a normal user ( preferred if possible )

then you might or might not need to put a "sh" in front
for 2 ( debian is different from red hat so if i get this wrong double check )
i put the .run in /

now if the nvidia card is a OLD gforce5 or OLDER
the old 5000's and gf4 and gf2 ARE NOT SUPPORTED
the old 173 and 96 driver are no longer supported
but the last should still work on an old debian8 install

Thanks for the reply John, but I have 8.1 running fine on the old dell running xp. The server and game itself run fine on the old pc with xp. The trouble I am having is on the newer dell running windows 7 . I am able to run the dedicated server but I can not actually run the game to join the server and play because of the video driver problem.

If there was a linux version that supported both 32bit and 64 bit glicb, I would install that in hopes both server and game run.

I also try getting software downloads and all error out with following :

could not download all repository indexes

The repository may no longer be available or could not be contacted because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your network connection and ensure the repository address in the preferences is correct.


Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.167 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...86/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...rce/Sources.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old ones used instead.


So this is telling me it may be useless to persue this old version and get a new version compatible to both 32 and 64 bit. ??

Thanks
ou8it

john is right, putting sh in front of the file will do the trick.

He's also right about using a console login rather than an x login style. You should be able to choose this from the menu at the login screen. I've been bad about this in the past but better safe than sorry.


edit: by the way, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but if the base computer hardware is 64bit then you should be able to install the latest amd64 version and just have both 32bit and 64bit versions of the glibc installed and it should handle both applications. Just something to try if you can't get your current endeavor to work.

Also, my earlier slip of using konsole was intended to be terminal, yes. konsole is the default terminal emulator in KDE and I've grown way too used to using KDE.

ERROR: nvidia-installer must be run as root

OK

I think you guys give me too much credit. I tried logging out but I have no idea how to log in as root or "test only" When I click on my name my options are :

Guest session
Lock screen
______________

Log out
suspend
hybernate
restart
shut down


Also when i try to do (su) in terminal and it askes for password, i enter it and it sometimes tells me verification failed. I don't think its a typo although i know you can see the password as your typing it.

Do you know of a version that I can download that will install with 32 and 64 bit? I'm not good at installing anything as you can see.

Thanks
ou8it

at the bottom of the login screen is an options button which, I believe, should give you an option for a console login. (or a text only login or something along those lines)

This will drop you to a terminal interface with a line asking for a login. Your username is what you set it to be when you initially installed the system. the password is the same password you've been using.

Once you are logged in, use cd <dirname> to get to where you saved the nvidia driver file. It's probably ~/Downloads or ~/ (~/ is an alias for your home directory and resolves to /home/<username>/ So if it's in Downloads in your home directory it would be use ls to see what's in the directory you are in if you need to confirm that the file is there.

once there, use the following command: where <nvidiafilename> is the name of the driver installation file you downloaded from nvidia. the ./ before the name may not be necessary but it is better to have it in case it is.

At this point you will be prompted for your password, this is the same password you used to login with (ubuntu's sudo is set up so you use your own password). Once you enter the correct password you should be looking at the nvidia installer starting up and asking you questions such as accepting the license, etc. Follow the prompts, using arrow keys to select buttons and the spacebar to 'press' them.

I recommend accepting the defaults for now, you can always run the file again using the /uninstall option later to remove it if you need to.

Once you are back at the command prompt, hopefully there will be some indication that the installation was successful. if so, the most foolproof way of getting back to the graphical login is to use the reboot now command. put sudo in front of it if it doesn't listen to you.Hopefully the driver will be installed and working for you at this point and when you login you can enable desktop effects or try running your game to test the 3d acceleration.

Thanks but the only thing on the bottom of the screen is a button on left that gives the following options:

when hovering on it , it says."click here to hide windows and show the desktop.

When right clicked it gives:

help
about
remove from panel
remove
Lock to panel

on bottom right there are 2 desktops choices and the recy bin.

Top Left:
Applications Places System

Top Right:
network icon/volume/time&date/user (Frank)/Power button. When right click on power button i have the following options:

Edit personal information
Edit Users and Groups
Setup Login Screen
preferences
help
about
remove from panel
lock
lock to panel

Under ^ preferences i have the following options:

User Switcher Preferences:
Appearance
Frank
users

Options:
Lock the screen after switching users
Create new logins in nested window <--- not bold so can't be chosen.

Ok. The screen I'm talking about likely doesn't show if you have automatic login turned on. and to get to it from there you need to log off.

Alternatively, you can press ctrl+alt+F1, login using your username and password, then use this command: to stop the X windows server.

If you want to be thorough you can also type after that to make sure X isn't running.

At this point, follow the instructions above to proceed to where you saved the driver installation file and install the driver.

I finally found time and was able to install the video driver. I had trouble getting the game to run but by changing screen resolutions, got it to start but gets to the splash screen where it wants me to put the serial # for the game in but the "white" mouse arrow is stuck on the left top corner of the screen. There is a "black" arrow that moves and the code entry box flashes like its ready to type in the code but the keyboard nor mouse do anything. This is frustrating yet I like the challenge. Any Ideas?

Which game is this specifically? Does it run via wine, dosbox, another emulator or is it programmed to be run on Linux?