Hi! Has anyone sucessfully installed Mandrake (or any distro for that matter) on a Medion MD40566 notebook? I got everything up and running except for my X server. The LCE display goes crazy with what appears to be a completly out of sync image - yet the additional vga output on the rear of the notebook displays me gnome/kde perfectly on a traditional CRT monitor. I tried installing the NVidia Linux driver but it gives me some error about me missing some kernel files ... I have tried numerous solutions, all without sucess. Once again the AGP card is a GeForce FX 5200 64Mb. Anyone have any ideas - or know of a distribution that works flawlessly with this setup? (I am willing to change if that's the case, but resolving my issue would be the easiest solution) Thanks in advance!

Check Mandrake

I have RedHat 9 with the same card and it all runs ok

Search for "Nvidia patched" on Google. If you respond to this post I'll search the URL for you at the job

Try installing the "kernel source" from your Mandrake CDs, and then installing the NVIDIA installer

And check the sync rates of your monitor

Regards

Xavier

If it works flawlessly on a crt, one would have to suspect that the lcd on your notebook was not set up properly. You can rerun the graphics configuration from the command line by doing:

$ su
<enter root password>
# XFdrake

That will bring up an ncurses program called XFdrake from which you can reset the monitor configuration, among other things. It's similar to the graphics set up in the install program but w/o mouse support. You navigate using the keyboard keys and you can test your new configuration from within XFdrake to make sure it works. Do this configuration with the crt disconnected and start out by choosing the "Generic>Flat Panel(your native resolution for the lcd)" option, then test it to see if it works.

Thanks to both of you for your advice. Unfortunately I am at work right now so playing around on my laptop is sort of frowned upon. I will take some time at lunch to try both suggestions. Thanks again for your help. Xbeaz: I have copy of redhat 9 lying around - if all else fails I'll give it a shot. I'm not too picky cause this laptop will simply be to access my server box running mandrake 10 from time to time to check up when I am away from it. If anyone else has expericeced similar problems with the NVidia please don't hesitate to give me some feedback! Thanx!

I had the same problem on my NVFX5200. Went back to my 10.0 Official Download CD (burned using iso image) and installed the kernel-source package. Then installed the Linux driver from Nvidia. Make sure you change the "nv" value to "nvidia" in your XF86Config-4 file. (/etc/X11..).

The nvidia linux driver is quite self explanatory and helps you with good messages during install.

This is my best advice:

"I have copy of redhat 9 lying around - if all else fails I'll give it a shot."

Usually, if you know how to use Linux, you don't even have to buy a new version for it again. (upgrading kernel, upgrading programs...) so I doubt it's a ditro problem

try this

NVIDIA-package-installer........ --extract-only

Then go to

src/share/doc (path may not be excactly that one) and read the README file

There are numerous things that you can do (like removing the annoying Nvidia logo that shows up before XWindows starts)

I recommend you to read the entire document and find excact values for your monitor Hz

Then you should be done

PD: Did you Googled for Nvidia patched + Linux?

Right, your nvidia installer doesn't find your krenel development package with necessary header files. You must first install the package and then run the nvidia installer.
I have FX5200 with 128ddr and it worked right out of the box, though the original nvidia driver is much better. My linux is mandrake 10.
Girts

Hi. This is where I currently stand:
I installed the kernel source no problem. Then installed my NVidia driver (one from the NVidia web site) and well it re-built the kernel or something - the text flew by too quickly . Then changed my 'nv' value to 'nvidia' in the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. I even ran XFdrake after this to set my monitor resolution and type. After when I startx, I still do not have any image. There are a few 'squiggly' blue lines at the bottom of my LCD but that's about it. Correct me if I am wrong, but I really should enter my sync rates in the XF86Config-4 file no? Would that maybe resolve my issue? Thanks!

hmm

Just install the driver, then type

tail -f /var/log/messages

while installing it

Then, type

XFree86 --xf86config /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

(that's usually /etc/X11/Xf86config, the file you edited)

If successfull, you should see a mouse cursor with a black screen

Try a google search for Nvidia patched

Regards