No visual effects
 

Hello i am having trouble using my visual effects in appearance . When i try to enble any it say that they could not be used im using amd athlon 64 3000+ on abit av8 can anyone help

That message usually means there is something funny with your video card - maybe it's blacklisted, maybe it doesn't do hardware acceleration?

open a terminal and enter

lspci

show us the line which mentions your vidio card.

visual effects
 

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV15BR [GeForce2 Ultra, Bladerunner] (rev a4)

this is the line
 

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV15BR [GeForce2 Ultra, Bladerunner] (rev a4)

The free software nvidia driver does not support hardware accelleration (since nvidia refuse to release their card specs to linux developers). There is a non-free (restricted) driver ... have you enabled it?

how do i enable it thanks

You use your favourite search engine to search the interweb for likely links to HOWTOs.
Then you find this one (but I have already done it for you):

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Then, you just follow the instructions (or STFW) ;)
If it doesn't work for you, you can come back here and tell us exactly what you have tried and what went wrong. Or you could just search LQ for the errors you get. There are many threads because this Q has been answered many times before.

Could not open "NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.44-pkg1.run"

Archive type not supported.

So, what was the exact command you gave?

no command just tried to click it open once it was done downloading

Why did you do that?
Did you read the careful and detailed instructions on the nvidia site?
Please do so. Now.

Linux isn't "pointy-clicky, it just worked" (but now I am infected with viruses and people unknown have emptied my bank account) like some other operating systems. If you don't like this, you can go back to what you are used to, with my blessing.

You are running mint it seems. I think that's 'buntu/debian-based so ...
Try this thread: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...89#post3375889

And you could do some searching too.

I know it's difficult at first, but you'll probably have the intelligence to see it through.

Linux is not windows <--- Search terms to give you a clue :)

Im with you now basicaly this is as far as i get when i type in the driver command it says sh cant open path/to/nvidia-linux-x86-x.y.z-pkg1.run


THIS IS WHAT I HAVE DONE SO FAR

Code:

sudo -i

Backup your xorg.conf in case of trouble:
Code:

cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak

Stop X:
Code:

/etc/init.d/kdm stop

-or, if you were running gnome-
Code:

/etc/init.d/gdm stop

If your root terminal disappears, switch back to it with <CTRL><ALT><F2>

Install the NVIDIA driver:
Code:

sh /path/to/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-X.Y.Z-pkg1.run


IT STOPs HERE

for a gforce2 ultra card this is the wrong driver "NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.44-pkg1.run"


this is the driver you need .I got it from the search gui on the nvidia site
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_d..._71.86.09.html

and install THIS ONE NVIDIA-Linux-x86-71.86.09-pkg1.run

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu - I've been googling for confirmation that mint handles restricted drinvers the same way as Ubuntu as a result.

The howtos usually center around installing the latest driver - which is not appropriate for all nvidia cards. The methods suggested involve obtaining the driver from the nvidia site - I understand their installer has improved.

The ubuntu method is to look in the desktop menus - System > Administration > Hardware Drivers - select the device you want to enable and - well - enable it. You usually need to be connected to the internet.

Method 2 is to enable the restricted (non-free, whatever mint calls it) repositories using System > Administration > Software Sources. Update with apt-get or aptitude - and use a gui tool like synaptic to search for the nvidia packages. Read the information supplied to determine which package includes support for your card - install it.

Method 3 - this keeps coming up on Mint searches - use envy ... this is an installation script which can be good for installing the correct nvidia driver correctly. Caveat: in general, do not run third party scripts - certainly google the script-name to find out if it is known to be bad for you. I do not like to suggest, even healthy, scripts because of social-engineering concerns.

Install the driver from nvidia only if (a) you need the absolute latest or (b) nothing else works.

You will notice that i is common for respondants to supply not-quite-enough information when you ask a question. This is a deliberate feature of the hacker culture behing much free and open-source software. It is a way of treating you with respect: you are assumed capable of figuring out what to do from the information supplied.

For instance, off me: "have you enabled it?" you are supposed to think: Oh - a special step is required that I didn't know about - so I probably havn't. I'll just google "enable nvidia driver mint" and see what comes up. (Notice: the path to victory is usually embedded in the responce - look for the key-words.)

Hackers realise that not everyone is, or wants to be, competant in this way. Many people have other areas of competancy to maintain. However: gnu/linux's strength is in a growing and well educated community. It is in our interests to encourage even that small spark of skill we perceive in others - even when they do not see it in themselves.

So, if you feel stupid but find you are continually treated as intellegent - this is because we've seen the potential in you and want to nurture it. (Or - the answer you seek is too easy to find: we don't want to encourage willful ignorance ;) )