How? I'm a Linux newb remember. I appreciate the help, but dont know what to do with it since I am new to Linux and Unix.

Can someone tell me exactly how I would recompile the nvidia driver for the new kernel? Or where I would get an updated binary video driver module?

How do I tell what kernel version I have?

Thanks.

How did you install the nvidia driver to begin with ? my suggestion would be to follow the same how-to.

Did you use the Ubuntu restricted modules thingy ?

did you use Module-assistant ?

Did you download the Driver from nVidias website ?

I did this through a complicated series of command line operations that I barely understood. I found the how-to online and simply copied/pasted the commands.

Here's the how-to I followed:
I have no idea what these things do other than download an nvidia driver that supports my 9800 GTX+ cards then installs the driver. I dont know what to do after this, or if there are some steps I'm missing???

I have no idea what that is, so probably not.


Again, I have no idea what this is, so probably not.

Yes. The download link was for the Linux version of the 180.22 nvidia drivers directly from nvidia.com. Although, I'm not even sure if those drivers will work or are working... Maybe it's the driver? I could try to install 177.?? version.

How do I remove the 180.22 drivers/software that I installed already? Now that I think of it my PC had issues using the 180.22 drivers. The 177.?? drivers worked, so they could solve my problem... maybe...

I dunno... I'm trapped in Linux hell rite now... I'm just trying to get a stinkin GUI here so I can start doing homework from home. Sheesh... why is it so hard to get it running? This isnt a very good first impression of Linux in my opinion. I'm not giving up on it, but definitely not happy with it thusfar.

Any help for the questions above would be most appreciated.

Just an update; Problem solved... kinda... I was using the 32bit version of Ubuntu Desktop edition, which obviously wasnt getting me very far, so I downloaded and installed the 64bit version with no problems whatsoever. I did the install differently, however, by booting from the disk and selecting the "Try Ubuntu without any changes to your computer" option. It booted into the desktop and I clicked the Install icon and installed from there. After a restart the system booted up fine.

There is one rather annoying thing happening though, I downloaded updated nvidia drivers (I think they were the 177 version) and after the install and a reboot, it wouldnt boot into the GUI, only to a command prompt...? Unsure why, but apparently I cant update my video card drivers without the O/S phreakin out! Thats a bummer... I also tried downloading and installing other system updates, but after a reboot I had the same result. No GUI, only a command prompt. I dont know what (if anything) I'm doing wrong but comming from the Mac and Windows world an update should be as simple as downloading and installing it... but it seems, at least in Ubuntu 8.10, that it is not that simple... another bummer...

I'm just happy I have a working version now, so at least I can start on my Linux homework. I just hope my instructor doesnt require me to do updates... otherwise I'm skrewed.

Often when you do updates you will get a kernel update and you are usually asked if you want to do the kernel update also. I would suggest you say no to that until you are more familiar with the system.

Thanks for the advice, I'll pay more attention to that and refuse kernel updates as suggested.

OK so the answer to my previous question was that you downloaded the drivers from nVidias website and installed them manually.

Prior to your reload of the OS, the solution to your problem would have been to repeat steps 2&3 from the how-to again, exactly the way you did them the first time and your problem would have been solved.. Running those commands would have compiled an updated driver for you graphics card and kernel, that should have once again worked with no other changes necessary.

I couldn't say what your current issue is.. you need to start from the beginning again since you reloaded the OS.

Check the log for errors.
cat /var/log/Xorg.o.log | grep EE

post your xorg config file here for us to review..
cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf

consult the README file for the nvidia driver for any steps you missed during installation or any troubleshooting suggestions.
http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree8...DME/index.html

Of course it didn't take me 3 1/2 years, I posted my previous post in 2008.
Don't know where you learned your math??

Indeed Larry, I figured it out somehow and didn't reply back with the solution, my apologies.

I think I used "fixmbr" and "fixboot".

can someone just explain what GRUB is please?

The project site will describe it better than I would...

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/

welcome to LQ!!

GRUB is the most common bootloader used by Linux. The "booting" link below in my sig will give you some info. Also try a Google search using "bootloader" or "booting".

For your next question, please start a new thread rather than unearthing an old one.