I'm 100& new to linux. I'm about to try to install it and I was wondering how I install video drivers?

I have the file with the drivers donwloaded, but I don't know how to make make anything happen.

If you have been to ATI's site and downloaded the TGZ file, open the file and read the instructions. This will be a text file named readme, or istallation or similar. This has all the instructions for the installation.
It usually consists of dropping out of your graphic system, and temporarily working as the root user (admin) in a text console, much like old MS DOS.
I know the guru's will scream, "it's nothing like DOS", but for a newbie that is the best way to describe the Linux console.
One thing you must understand, is that, Linux is nothing like windows. A lot has been done to improve general useability, but there are still some tasks like deep system maintainance (installing drivers etc) that must be done at the console, by the root user, a normal user account simply does not have permission to go that deep.
It is this very security feature that makes the system stable and secure, as a normal everyday user, you just do not have permission to fool deep in the system. A normal user can install apps to /opt, or fool around in your personal /home, but nothing else.
System maintainance is an admin (root) job only.

Hope this helps some.

Shorty943.

And this is the dilemma of LINUX.

I can't open a TZG file because I can't get Fedora to run. I can't get Fedora to run because I can't find practical, down to earth, easy-to-understand documentation. Even your post assumes I know how to drop out of graphical mode into root user in a text console (which I think I have an idea of, but only intuitively)

At any rate, this is the progress I made so far...

I've installed Fedora Core 6. While booting into Fedora my monitor screen goes black and bounces back a message "Attention: Out of range V:xx H:xx"

I reboot.

Back to the Fedora installation CD;

Choose F2 (installation options), and I type "Linux dd", and am prompted to insert the driver cd. I'm presented with different partitions(?) to select the location of the drivers.

Now, I'm guessing;

FD0 = Floppy Drive?
HDC = Maybe CD?
HDD = Hard Drive perhaps (seems logical)
HDx(?) = Can't remember what this was, but the partition wouldn't mount, so it's probably not the CD-ROM drive.

I choose HDC, and a message posts stating "This driver package is not valid for this version of Fedora".

I downloaded the Display Drivers for X.Org 6.8, and the Automated installer and Display Drivers for XFree86 4.3 and X.Org 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1. from the ATI;

http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/l...ux-radeon.html

I placed them both on the same disk thinking LINUX would read both files and install the correct one.

Neither worked, or I was just wrong in my assumption...

Now, the Windows version of the divers from the URL posted above worked for my card when I couldn't get access the actual drivers from here;

http://www.sapphiretech.com/ca/suppo...s_viewlist.php


I was hoping I could do the same with the LINUX version.

This is driving me bananas.

Help!

(ps - the "help" command worked but I couldn't understand all the jargon that scrolled up the screen after it).

(pss - Should I find a different version instead of Fedora? I'm only checking it out because a nerdy, D&D playing, kinglon speaking friend of mine has bee suggesting it to me for over a year)

I found this!!! Wooo Hooo!

http://www.fedorafaq.org/fc2/custom_ati.html

Gonna give it a try. Don't know how to do anything outlined but download the files...

This should be fun. In the mean time;

Help!

You don't need to boot with CDs to install the driver. The only reason the graphics aren't starting is because as it tells you, the horizontal and vertical refresh rates are off.

I have never had an ATI video card. but what you would want to do is to use the command line (terminal in linux world) to install the ATI driver. You have to have the file you downloaded from ATI in some location. You would cd (change directory) to that location, open the file, view the README, and then go about installing as it tells you how to do.

Peace,
JimBass

If you can get to a prompt as root and have internet access, here's the easiest way I know of for fedora ....
then reboot and it should work.

You may also want to check out this link if you're getting started with FC6.
http://www.gagme.com/greg/linux/fc6-tips.php

Okay, I think I can do that...

But I need to ask;

How do I enter the "root"? How do I search my drives, etc?

When my system boots I get "Grub loading" then I hit a key and get a choice menu of the intalled OS'. The system gives me the option to enter into the command line, which I'm assuming is the promp, and from there access as root.

Let me put things into perspective. This is everything I know about linux - it's an operation system.

Thanks,

(ps - Is there a site I can reference that's informative, yet deflated to the point of being useful for complete newbies such as myself? Tutorials to learn the basics perhaps? )

Root is the linux equivalent of administrator, and it also is the "root" of the filesystem, symbolized as /.

The same place that you sign in as your regular user, you can give the name root and the root password. Even better is to sign in as your regular user, then at a terminal enter the command su. It will ask for the root password, and then that terminal has root access.

You can search either using the command find, or there is a gui search tool. typing "man find" without the quotes will give you instructions on how to search.

The command line choice grub gives you is grub's command line, not the systems. They are two very different things.

A good beginning website is http://linuxcommand.org
Another good one is http://linux-newbie.sunsite.dk/

Peace,
JimBass

I don't get to sign in as anything. I'm given a choice to select an OS, or go to grub's command line. How do I get to "/"?

Well, first off, you don't need to get to /!

What you should do is select the OS you want, and then it will ask you to sign in. When you get inside the OS, you can open a terminal, and hit "su -" without the quotes to become root.

Hitting "cd /" again without quotes will put you at the root of the filesystem, but there is no need or purpose to doing that at present.

Peace,
JimBass

\

Oh man! This is sad... LOL

I have two options for OS selection;

a) Fedora Core 6
> Can't get to it, because it when I select this OS my screen goes black (ie. my video card driver won't load) with a message about my refresh rate being out of range.

b) Windows.

Great! But not much use for resolving the driver issue for the above OS, that, quite frankly, I'm about to smash with brick!


Perhaps, but my screen is stil blank. So I couldn't tell you at this point...




As soon as I select Fedora from the OS menu, I go nowhere, quick.

This is the problem...

If I can get to a point where I can access files on my linux partition, I can figure the rest out BUT I'm assuming it's loading straight to the GUI and loading the wrong drivers.

Thanks for the sites, I'll check them out once I can "observe and control" (ie monitor) what's going on in linux.

All that means is your pictures don't work. You still can sign in through text mode. It should reach a point where it says:

login:

Then you give your username, then password. You'll be signed in, then you use the cd command to change directories to where ever it is, and go about the installation through text.

Peace,
JimBass

Jim, thank you.

But I'll telling ya, man... It doesn't. It boots, gives me about 5 sec to enter os choice and from there it's either "Fedora" or "Other". "other" being XP, and I'm trying to get away from there as far as I can.

When I select Fedora, WHAM... black screen.

I found this "tidbit" on another board...

It's vague, but it has potential because I load into grub.


What is the correct syntax for the command? Do I simply type in "vga=792" and hit press enter? Something tells me I'm having a linux pipe dream...

That might be the Xserver half-crashing. There should be white text all over the screen. If that isn't there, try hitting ctrl-alt-F2. That should get you a login prompt.

And you don't need to edit the grub settings at all. It probably is just a half crashed X server. No worries, just try what I suggest and we'll see what we can get happening.

Peace,
JimBass