How do I install a new nvidia driver in Linux?
 

I installed Linux on my Dell Inspiron 5150 (3.06GHz HT, 1GB, Geforce FX 5200) and I loaded Chromium and it was was going in super slow motion (menus and everything). I am assuming I need to upgrade the video card driver as the rest of my laptop is kick butt. How do I do that?

what distro are you using??

you can find the nvidia driver for linux and documentation here:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

click on the latest IA32 version...


also, here's some linux answers articles that you might find useful:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...icle&artid=113

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...icle&artid=378

Some distributions as SuSE, Ubuntu and Gentoo provides an easier way to install nvidia drivers. Since you did not mention your distribution, I'd recommend you to go to Nvidia's homepage and follow the instruction. Long ago I wrote this:

http://www.geocities.com/kooltux/tutorials/nvidia.html

but nvidia's page has a much better documentation then that. Nvidia is also a very popular question. Try searching the forums for examples...

Regards!

Hey,

Looks like you didn't even try asking google for a solution do your problem, did you? :)

1. Go here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_d..._1.0-7667.html
2. Then download the binary installer: http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/L...-7667-pkg1.run
3. Once you have it do: sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-7667-pkg1.run [as root].
4. Installer is quite easy .... I'm sure you're gonna make it.
5. After the driver is installed you need to upgrade your /etc/xorg.conf .... there you change:

(Initially it is "nv")

And restart X server ... I think it should work fine now. Good luck! :)

You might as well be speaking Japanese as I have been using Linux for exactly two days. I come from the Windows word were everything is self extracts and installs. I am trying to figure this stuff out but I am not doing it too fast for some reason.

I am using Mandrake 10.1 Official DVD with KDE desktop.

Oh my, two days. It must be tough, I remember how it was back in the days when I first installed Linux. You should be proud of yourself ^_^. Try to follow my tutorial and see how it goes then. Learn well the command line, the gui will most likely only stay in the way while you try to learn stuff =)

Ok what I installed Mandrake 10.1 Official on is my Dell Inspiron 5150 which has a Geforce FX 5200. I went to the Dell website's driver section and if I choose Linux there isn't a Video Drivers section like there is for Windows. Do I just download the regular driver off of nVidia's site? I didn't think that would work with my laptop.

Why wouldn't it? Download the driver and follow the instructions on their site, they're very good.

Because in laptops it is a Go chipset so I thought that was different. I will try it though.

Boot into runlevel 3 and as root
sh <nvidiafile>.run
Follow the instructions, and read the README.

I got some errors saying kernal didn't match and needed to compile one and it said it would try getting one from nvidia's site and it failed and then the install failed.

I totally updated urpmi from the website and did the the auto updates thing and now it says Everything already installed. How can I get my video drivers updated?

Can any of you guess help me?