[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by Oldmartian

Again, I appreciate your help. How many other people do you help at a time?

I don't really keep track, honestly.

[Oldmartian]

TechieMoe,

I don't know what the heck is going on but if you give enough monkeys enough time and typewriters and enough beer they will produce the complete works of Shakespeare.

I removed the problematic nvidia-glx-new with cesium5500's removal instructions.

Then I saw a previous message from coopstah13 about adding the line >>Driver "nvidia"<< to the xorg.conf.

I logged ot and then back in and looked in screen resolution and looked in Hardware drivers and pressing a few keys I had 2 monitors running but at 640x480 resolution.

I toyed again with your Driver Installation there appeared an NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver choice (only choice). I checked it an rebooted and I went into screen resolution again and there is allufasudden the option of 1650X1050. It's great to now have the same resolution I had with Windows. Now I can accomplish things.

In Hardare Drivers there or in Screen Resolutions about dual monitor though, The second monitor went back to a dead screen. I can't find the settings.

Perhaps I ned to go back into xorg.conf and twiddle? I know to make backups. It saved me twice already just tonight.

I tried more of your Driver Installation but it requires that I log in as root. I can't do this because it wants a password that I don't have. For passwords I tried "root", blank (none), my fred password, of which none worked. This is something that has always troubled me about Linux, that I'm not really the boss.

So, the only problem left in this thread is how to get the second monitor running (not a a clone but as an independent windo that I can drag applications to or stretch applications onto both screens.

In my travells of this problem I downloaded somewhere (I think th eNvidia site) a compressed file called nvidia-xconfig-1.0.tar.gz.

It contains a lot of source files, one of which is called "multiple_screens.c"

The first lines of that file go like this:

* nvidia-xconfig: A tool for manipulating X config files,
* specifically for use by the NVIDIA Linux graphics driver.

It looks like a driver for multiple GPU's which I assume are graphics cards. My 'puter has only one card, but it serves two monitors.

About 3/4 of the way down the source file is a comment:

/* these are needed for multiple X screens on one GPU */

The archive IS from Nvidia.

The archive has a makefile file, XF86Config-parser folder, nvidia-xconfig.1.m4 (macro) file, and 11 C source code files.

Oldmartian

[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by Oldmartian

In Hardare Drivers there or in Screen Resolutions about dual monitor though, The second monitor went back to a dead screen. I can't find the settings.

Perhaps I ned to go back into xorg.conf and twiddle? I know to make backups. It saved me twice already just tonight.

As far as a dual monitor setup goes, I can't really help you. I've never set one up myself.

I tried more of your Driver Installation but it requires that I log in as root. I can't do this because it wants a password that I don't have.

Ubuntu handles root a little differently than other distributions. Rather than logging in as root user if you want to run a command that needs root privileges you preface it with "sudo" and enter your regular user password, like this:

sudo apt-get install somethingIwant <enter key>
Password: <regular user password>

In my travells of this problem I downloaded somewhere (I think th eNvidia site) a compressed file called nvidia-xconfig-1.0.tar.gz.

I don't know what that is, and I've never needed it to get video working with my Nvidia cards, so I'd assume it's not something you need to mess with.

[Oldmartian]

I've been doing the sudo <command> thing and it has worked, but following your tutorial I felt I had actually to log in as root, not just sudo into it.

I couldn't run the sh NVIDIA-etc-etc.run command and the modprobe returned an error. and I coulldn't run sudo startx. I can't tell you why right now because I'm in Windows as I type this.

As it is now I have two xorg.conf files in addition to my backups I made along the way. They are:

xorg.conf
xorg.conf~

The first looks "not current" and the one with the tilde looks like it's the one being used. Do you have any take on that. If I make several backups on CD's paper, other drives, etc, I want to be sure I backup and use the right one. I guess my questions is what's the purpose of the tilde (~) ?

Since dual monitor isn't your thing, I think we can end this thread whith a hearty thank you for the help and the links. Your steady hand at my Linux swipes helped to. Most of the time I do that (out of frustration) the other party gets defensive and relationships go down hill.

Thank you again. If you need help in Windows,send me a pm. (I'm not that great at it, but I can Google my way around the Net until I come up with a fix for things -- as long as it's not networking or system admin.

[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by Oldmartian

I've been doing the sudo <command> thing and it has worked, but following your tutorial I felt I had actually to log in as root, not just sudo into it.

I should probably add someone mentioning sudo to the tutorial.

I couldn't run the sh NVIDIA-etc-etc.run command and the modprobe returned an error. and I coulldn't run sudo startx. I can't tell you why right now because I'm in Windows as I type this.

It would really help if you could try again and write down the errors you received.

As it is now I have two xorg.conf files in addition to my backups I made along the way. They are:

xorg.conf
xorg.conf~

The first looks "not current" and the one with the tilde looks like it's the one being used. Do you have any take on that. If I make several backups on CD's paper, other drives, etc, I want to be sure I backup and use the right one. I guess my questions is what's the purpose of the tilde (~) ?

Actually, the one being used is the one *without* the tilde. Usually a tilde in front or behind a file means that file is a temporary backup. Some text editors like gedit like to make backups of the files you work on and don't always remember to delete them afterward. Look at whichever is the newer or more functional one and rename it to "xorg.conf" if you want to use it.

Since dual monitor isn't your thing, I think we can end this thread whith a hearty thank you for the help and the links. Your steady hand at my Linux swipes helped to. Most of the time I do that (out of frustration) the other party gets defensive and relationships go down hill.

Thank you again. If you need help in Windows,send me a pm. (I'm not that great at it, but I can Google my way around the Net until I come up with a fix for things -- as long as it's not networking or system admin.

No problem. Hope the rest of your time playing with Linux is a little less work.

[Oldmartian]

I get a GUI I cannot copy, I'll do what I can.
Here ya go...

fred@fred-desktop:~/Desktop$ ls
build-essential log new file~
build-essential log~ Nvidia Error
Fred's RDP Test.rdp NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-169.12-pkg2.run
gnome-terminal.desktop nvidia-xconfig-1.0.tar.gz
Link to Accounts.xls Ubuntu-Linux vs. Windows
Link to gnome-terminal.desktop Ubuntu-Linux vs. Windows~
fred@fred-desktop:~/Desktop$ sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-169.12-pkg2.run
Verifying archive integrity... OK
Uncompressing NVIDIA Accelerated Graphics Driver for Linux-x86_64 169.12............................................ .................................................. ..............................................
Received signal SIGINT; aborting.
Signal caught, cleaning up
fred@fred-desktop:~/Desktop$

The signal it caught I'll have to hand type:
ERROR: You appear to be running an X server; please exit X before installing. For further details, please see the section INSTALLING THE NVIVIA DRIVER in the README available on the Linux Driver download page at Welcome to NVIDIA - World Leader in Visual Computing Technologies.

The readme they are talking about is the 100-plus small print document I referred to as a 53-page document (stuff that might apply to me.)

That means I have to get down to the CLI, which I cannot do because I don't have a root password.

I'll play further but I'll send this first.

[Oldmartian]

Here's what I get with Modprobe and what is in my X11 directory:

fred@fred-desktop:~$ sudo modprobe
Usage: modprobe [-v] [-V] [-C config-file] [-n] [-i] [-q] [-Q] [-b] [-o <modname>] [ --dump-modversions ] <modname> [parameters...]
modprobe -r [-n] [-i] [-v] <modulename> ...
modprobe -l -t <dirname> [ -a <modulename> ...]

fred@fred-desktop:~$ cd /etc/X11
fred@fred-desktop:/etc/X11$ ls
app-defaults xorg.conf xserver
cursors xorg.conf~ Xsession
default-display-manager xorg.conf.1 Xsession.d
fonts xorg.conf.2008-05-16-01 Xsession.options
rgb.txt xorg.conf.2008-05-16-02 XvMCConfig
X xorg.conf.2008-05-16.2 Xwrapper.config
xinit xorg.conf.failsafe
xkb Xresources
fred@fred-desktop:/etc/X11$

On previous bouts with Linux in years past, I've messed with xorg.conf and lost all graphical support. The install was useless without a monitor, except for experts, or course <grin>

I care not to go there based on what I see in the README.

[Oldmartian]

Techiemoe

I finished up your tutorial and now I have both monitors working at 800x600 resolution.

Your instructions say to edit the xorg.conf file looking for the section Device-->Idintifier--> Nvidia GeForce 2, which of course there isn't one.

Here is the xconf.org file:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by failsafeDexconf, using
# values from the debconf database and some overrides to use vesa mode.
#
# You should use dexconf or another such tool for creating a "real" xorg.conf
# For example:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Boardname "vesa"
Busid "PCI:2:0:0"
Driver "nvidia"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
Vendorname "Generic LCD Display"
Modelname "LCD Panel 1680x1050"
Horizsync 31.5-65.5
Vertrefresh 56.0 - 65.0
modeline "640x480@60" 25.2 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -vsync -hsync
modeline "800x600@56" 36.0 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync
modeline "800x600@60" 40.0 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
modeline "1024x768@60" 65.0 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -vsync -hsync
modeline "1280x960@60" 102.1 1280 1360 1496 1712 960 961 964 994 -hsync +vsync
modeline "1280x1024@60" 108.0 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync
modeline "1400x1050@60" 122.61 1400 1488 1640 1880 1050 1051 1054 1087 -hsync +vsync
Gamma 1.0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Defaultdepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 1400 1050
Modes "1400x1050@60" "1280x1024@60" "1280x960@60" "1024x768@60" "800x600@60" "800x600@56" "640x480@60"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
screen 0 "Default Screen" 0 0
screen 1 "screen1" rightof "Default Screen"
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "glx"
Load "v4l"
EndSection
Section "device" #
Identifier "device1"
Boardname "vesa"
Busid "PCI:2:0:0"
Driver "nvidia"
Screen 1
EndSection
Section "screen" #
Identifier "screen1"
Device "device1"
Defaultdepth 24
Monitor "monitor1"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1400x1050@60" "1280x1024@60" "1280x960@60" "1024x768@60" "800x600@60" "800x600@56" "640x480@60"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "monitor" #
Identifier "monitor1"
Vendorname "Generic LCD Display"
Modelname "LCD Panel 1680x1050"
Horizsync 31.5-65.5
Vertrefresh 56.0 - 65.0
modeline "640x480@60" 25.2 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -vsync -hsync
modeline "800x600@56" 36.0 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync
modeline "800x600@60" 40.0 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
modeline "1024x768@60" 65.0 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -vsync -hsync
modeline "1280x960@60" 102.1 1280 1360 1496 1712 960 961 964 994 -hsync +vsync
modeline "1280x1024@60" 108.0 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync
modeline "1400x1050@60" 122.61 1400 1488 1640 1880 1050 1051 1054 1087 -hsync +vsync
Gamma 1.0
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "Xinerama" "true"
EndSection

I guess we're not done yet, huh?
In trying to configure the hardware, the Nvidia 9800 wasn't there, so I chose some Nvidia 8000.

If this ever works, can I delete the resolution lines I know I will never use?

Fred

[terabyte1]

Go into Terminal (applications > accessories) and type:

sudo cp /etc/x11/xorg.conf /etc/x11/xorg.conf.backup

(this gives you a backdoor if the driver don't work)

go into Synaptic Manager and search for your nvidia driver - be it Nvidia-glx or Nvidia-glx-legacy (as for Geforce 1 and 2) and install your driver.

after it has installed, go back into your terminal and type:

sudo nvidia-glx-config enable

Reboot your systerm

if it don't work type in:

sudo mv /etc/x11/xorg.conf

this should take you back to the status quo before you started all of this.

Hopefully these instructions will work for you.

Good luck!

terabyte1

[Oldmartian]

I'm working on the now...

Synaptics had some Envy stuff installed, so I removed them on the chance they were interfering with nvidia. (I tried the envy install a few days ago.

I have nvidia-glx-new installed, which seems to be an XFree86 driver, but I don't have an XFree86 directory, so there's no confusion there.

I have nvidia-kernel-common and nvidia-settings installed.

I do NOT have installed:

nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-kernel-sourse

I'm sending this in case I get cut off doing this...