Installing NVIDIA card...

**KaIIen** · 06-17-2010

I installed Edubuntu 9.10 on a Dell Optiplex GX260. This system has onboard INtell 846G series video. I want to install an NVIDIA video card. I popped it in the case, diabled the onboard video. I get the POST, the GRUB, no problem. But once I get past the GRUB, all I get is a blank screen. The HDD does not sound like Ubuntu is loading.

**Rubberman** · 06-17-2010

Well, your system was configured to run the Intel hardware, but now you're trying to boot with an nVidia card... Won't work. You can fix this one of a few ways. Here's one that should work for you.

1. Re-enable the intel hardware (leave the nVidia card installed), plug your monitor in, boot. Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf and set the driver to use the vesa driver.
2. Reboot into BIOS, switch off Intel hardware, move monitor to nVidia card, reboot.

With the vesa driver (uses standard on-board video bios), you should be able to get into the system, although your resolution and video capabilities will be limited. So, to continue:

3. Boot into non-graphical interface (console command line), login as root, install proprietary nVidia drivers, let the installer run the nvidia X-11 configuration tool, then test that it works by executing the startx command from the command line. If that works, you are ready to reboot normally.

**KaIIen** · 06-18-2010

Well, I kinda thought that Ubuntu might detect it automatically, as it does most other hardware. I didn't expect it not to even try to load.

There is no file xorg.conf in my /etc/X11 folder. As for the rest of what you said, I got lost after logging into the non-GUI... When I run "sudo Xorg -configure" to create xorg.conf I get the following:

Code:

Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
	If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock
	and start again.


Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
	 at http://wiki.x.org
 for help. 

 ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

**hatebreed** · 06-18-2010

hey kaIIen, have you tried the init 3 at the linux line of grub yet? this should boot to a command prompt allowing you to do the Xorg -configure command. I have read also that you can just choose the recovery option and it will take you to the command prompt also. try this and post results. P.S. the reason that ctrl+alt+f1 isn't working is that you have to shut down the x server in order to run the Xorg -configure.

**KaIIen** · 06-18-2010

OK, booting using recovery option worked. It created "xorg.conf.new" in the root directory. Here is what it contains:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier     "X.org Configured"
	Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
	Screen      1  "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
	InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
	InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
	ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
	FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
	FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
	FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
	FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
	FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
	FontPath     "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
	FontPath     "built-ins"
EndSection

Section "Module"
	Load  "extmod"
	Load  "dbe"
	Load  "dri2"
	Load  "record"
	Load  "dri"
	Load  "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Keyboard0"
	Driver      "kbd"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Mouse0"
	Driver      "mouse"
	Option	    "Protocol" "auto"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
	Option	    "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "Monitor0"
	VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
	ModelName    "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "Monitor1"
	VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
	ModelName    "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
        ### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option     "NoAccel"            	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "SWcursor"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "ColorKey"           	# <i>
        #Option     "CacheLines"         	# <i>
        #Option     "Dac6Bit"            	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "DRI"                	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "NoDDC"              	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "ShowCache"          	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "XvMCSurfaces"       	# <i>
        #Option     "PageFlip"           	# [<bool>]
	Identifier  "Card0"
	Driver      "intel"
	VendorName  "Intel Corporation"
	BoardName   "82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device"
	BusID       "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
        ### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option     "SWcursor"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "HWcursor"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "NoAccel"            	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "ShadowFB"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "UseFBDev"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "Rotate"             	# [<str>]
        #Option     "VideoKey"           	# <i>
        #Option     "FlatPanel"          	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "FPDither"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "CrtcNumber"         	# <i>
        #Option     "FPScale"            	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "FPTweak"            	# <i>
        #Option     "DualHead"           	# [<bool>]
	Identifier  "Card1"
	Driver      "nv"
	VendorName  "nVidia Corporation"
	BoardName   "NV17 [GeForce4 MX 420]"
	BusID       "PCI:1:7:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Screen0"
	Device     "Card0"
	Monitor    "Monitor0"
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     1
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     4
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     8
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     15
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     16
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     24
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Screen1"
	Device     "Card1"
	Monitor    "Monitor1"
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     1
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     4
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     8
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     15
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     16
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     24
	EndSubSection
EndSection

**hatebreed** · 06-21-2010

did you put your invidia card back into the system and see if it works now?

**KaIIen** · 12-22-2010

Originally Posted by hatebreed

did you put your invidia card back into the system and see if it works now?

Menu>System>Administration>Hardware Drivers shows the NVidia driver available. I let it download and install, it wants to reboot. I get into the BIOS and disable the onboard video. The GRUB loads, and then goes to a blank screen. I attempt to hit CTRL-ALT-F3, but as soon as I touch CTRL it pops up this:

failed: Invalid argument
mount: mounting /sys on root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /dev on root/dev failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /sys on root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /proc on root/proc failed: No such file or directory
Target filesystem doesn't have /sbin/init.
no init found. Try passing init= bootarg.

BusyBox v1v13v3 (Ubuntu 1:1.13.3-1ubuntu7) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

(initramfs)

**KaIIen** · 12-25-2010

No one?
Well, decided to try to install the neweest Edubuntu 10.10. However, the CD wouldn't load past the splash screen, so I tried the USB method with same results. It just will not work with my Nvidia card. So I reverted back to the crappy onboard video and was then able to load the cd to install 10.10.

So, at this point, I would like to use the NVidia, but I am afraid that trying to install the NVidia driver again will kill my installation. Of (sad) interest, when I switched over to the NVidia Windows worked perfectly, no setup.

**KaIIen** · 12-30-2010

Just bumpin'...

***elija*** · 12-30-2010

How old (or new if you prefer) is the Nvidia card?

It might be that you need to use the legacy driver if it is older

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