nvidia drivers yet again (READ THIS!!)
 

:p READ THIS IF YOU HAVE MANDRAKE 9.0 or 9.1:p

I've been having problems installing and running nvidia drivers on these distro's but NO MORE!!!!!:D

This is excatly what i did (hope it works for ALL you guys)

I installed mandrake 9.0 on a partition with my win xp machine
(amd 1ghz/40gb/256ram/geforce 2 mx 32mb)

and last week posted a can you help me on this very subject and got a great response but try as i may nothing would work 100% so i thanked everybody and left it at that but now maybe i can return the favour

after altering the xf86config-4 incorrectly(a 2nd time!!) x would no longer start so i just formatted the partition and reloaded mdk 9.0 from scratch!

BACK TO SQ 1!!

1.I then went along to www.nvidia.com/drivers and clicked on linux drivers
2. right click on NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.04349.run and "save target as" this started the download approx 6.13mb(not to sure of the actual size but this is a guess!!)
3.saved the file in a directory of choice (lets say "drivers")
4.logged off and signed back in as "root"- (default)
5. you should now be in a horrible RED screen with only the TRASH and the HOME icons visible on the desktop
6. start "MANDRAKE CONTROL CENTRE"
7. click on "INSTALL SOFTWARE"
8. click on "ALL PACKAGES"
9. scroll down to "BINUTILS"
10. click in the checkbox
11. it willl tell you it needs to install another package as well but just say o.k.
12. it will ask you for cd1
13 insert cd1 and click o.k.
14. it will install these packages
15. QUIT "MANDRAKE CONTROL CENTRE"
16.now go to etc/x11/xf86Config-4 file and right click on it
17. choose "open with" and choose kedit
18. when the file opens scroll doen to "devices" and alter the following:
Nvidia chipset (put the name of your card here) i.e geforce 2 mx 200 or geforce 4 ti 4200
Driver : change this from "nv or "gvlflex" or whatever it says to "nvidia"
19. in the "module" section
where it says load "glx * 3d driver" ( actually the * is a hash symbol but i can't find it on this keyboard!!)anyway remove all in the "" EXCEPT glx so it should read "glx"
20 go to file/save and save it
21. shut down k-edit
22. now go to where you downloaded the file NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.04349.run and open a terminal
type as follows: sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.04349.run
23. whats going on here!! a install screen will appear
24. use the arrows on the keyboard and choose "accept"
25. files WILL install!!
26 just click on o.k. and close terminal
27. click on "log off" and Reboot
28. hold ALL your fingers and toes crossed AND ENJOY 3D FOREVER!!:D :D :D :D

I hope this works for everybody however i don't know about other distros but ive done this on 2 seperate machines already and IT WORKS!!

donk4621

yep the new drivers brought with them an installer Woohoo. it also installs an update utility. only one problem IMO. if they have people who can make a updater etc you would have thought they perhaps could do something about editing the x config ?

Error message when trying to install driver
 

I have downloaded the driver from the Nvidia site but when try to install it the following message appears:

ERROR: unable to find the system utility "ld" ; please make sure you have the package "binutils" installed. If you do have binutils installed then please check that "ld" is in your path.

I am completely new to Linux and am not sure with a lot of things. What does it mean to log in as root? I think I did but want to be sure. How do I find out if I have "binutils" installed? and if I do how do I check "ld" is in my path?

Also I am having problem with connecting to the internet. (my computer dual boots with xp) Linux recognises my onboard ethernet/lan connect but is unable to establish a connection.

Cheuk_Kong,

before you run the installer you must be root:

type:

su -

you become super user, now you can run the installer...

What to do now?
 

I am sorry that I really need a "step-by-step" guide to this there seem to be just loads that I don't know but I am keen to find out.
I typed in

su-

the directry shows up as root but after I typed in

sh NVIDIA (name of the file)

It just said it is not in the directry (something to that effect) where am I suppose to put this downloaded file or how can I access it from root. Or am I suppose to put it in the root folder which I can't open. Thanks.

Binutils Install
 

Hi,
It's very easy to install "binutils"

1. Start up Mandrake (or whatever you have)
2. Wait till it's fully loaded
3. Click on "Mandrake Control Centre"
4. It will ask you for your "root" password
5. Now put in the 1st password you used when you installed Mandrake
6. When it starts click on "install Software"
7. Choose "All Packages"
8. Scroll down and find "Binutils"
9. Highlight it and go install
10. It will ask you if it can install other "dependant" packages as well just say "O.K."
11. Put in CD1 when asked
12. let it install
13. Now go back and go through the "Install Drivers" routine again and all should be WELL!!:p

Cheuk_Kong,

if you are logged in as su in the same directory as the installer type:

./sh NVIDIA (name of the file)

note the ./ at the start. Try that.

Thanks! Now the computer is asking me to exit X server (?) How do I do that?
I am using Mandrake 9.1.

u can run "init 3" to exit it
init 6 to reboot
init 1 to shutdown
init 5 to go back to x server (normal bootup)

good luck :)