Page 2 of 3

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:58 pm
by duffman91
Chapter 3. Configuring X for the NVIDIA Driver
__________________________________________________________________________

The X configuration file provides a means to configure the X server. This
section describes the settings necessary to enable the NVIDIA driver. A
comprehensive list of parameters is provided in Appendix D.

In April 2004 the X.org Foundation released an X server based on the XFree86
server. While many Linux distributions will use the X.org X server in the
future, rather than XFree86, the differences between the two should have no
impact on NVIDIA Linux users with two exceptions:

The X.org configuration file is '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' while the XFree86
configuration file is '/etc/X11/XF86Config'. The files use the same
syntax. This document refers to both files as "the X config file".

The X.org log file is '/var/log/Xorg.#.log' while the XFree86 log file
is '/var/log/XFree86.#.log' (where '#' is the server number -- usually
0). The format of the log files is nearly identical. This document
refers to both files as "the X log file".

In order for any changes to be read into the X server, you must edit the file
used by the server. While it is not unreasonable to simply edit both files, it
is easy to determine the correct file by searching for the line

(==) Using config file:

in the X log file. This line indicates the name of the X config file in use.

If you do not have a working X config file, there are a few different ways to
obtain one. A sample config file is included both with the XFree86
distribution and with the NVIDIA driver package (at
'/usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/'). Tools for generating a config file (such as
'xf86config') are included in many distributions. Additional information on
the X config syntax can be found in the XF86Config manual page (`man
XF86Config` or `man xorg.conf`).

If you have a working X config file for a different driver (such as the "nv"
or "vesa" driver), then simply edit the file as follows.

Remove the line:

Driver "nv"
(or Driver "vesa")
(or Driver "fbdev")

and replace it with the line:

Driver "nvidia"

Remove the following lines:

Load "dri"
Load "GLCore"

In the "Module" section of the file, add the line (if it does not already
exist):

Load "glx"

There are numerous options that may be added to the X config file to tune the
NVIDIA X driver. Please see Appendix D for a complete list of these options.

Once you have completed these edits to the X config file, you may restart X
and begin using the accelerated OpenGL libraries. After restarting X, any
OpenGL application should automatically use the new NVIDIA libraries. If you
encounter any problems, please see Chapter 5 for common problem diagnoses.
From the readme.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:17 am
by dzjepp
lol, you gotta fuck with text files to get a driver working

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:20 am
by bork[e]
That's a good reason not to try it out, what was I thinking?

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:37 am
by +JuggerNaut+
dzjepp wrote:lol, you gotta fuck with text files to get a driver working
:!:

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:37 am
by Timbo
http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/BinaryDriverHowto

The important bit is:

NVIDIA Graphics Card

1. sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx
2. sudo nvidia-glx-config enable

You can do it by manually by editing the config files directly, but why would you? The above two commands do the same thing. Almost any problem you run into will be documented in the ubuntu wiki or in the forums. Usually the folk in the forums give good advice.

If someone advises you to edit text files, 9 times out of 10, you don't have to. They either get some kind of ePenis hard on from doing so, or don't know there are easier ways.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:40 am
by Timbo
Oh yeah, and in general, if you want to install programs find "Synaptic package manager" in the "System" menu. You can get more (unsupported) programs added by using the universe and multiverse repositories, have a look on the wiki/forums if it's not obvious how to do this.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:42 am
by dzjepp
+JuggerNaut+ wrote:
dzjepp wrote:lol, you gotta fuck with text files to get a driver working
:!:
I like your posting style. :clownboat:

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:53 am
by bork[e]
Timbo - Nice man thanks!

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:05 am
by bork[e]
1. sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx
2. sudo nvidia-glx-config enable

Those the only two commands I need to run? It says further down on that page that an optional feature can be installed, is it going to take me to a graphical install like in windows where I can choose the rest?

Sorry for the mass of questions, just trying to get everything straight before I get home tonight.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:17 am
by Timbo
The nvidia-settings package just puts an extra item in one of the settings menus that allows you to change gamma and that digital vibrance crap. You don't need it to simply install the driver.

"Edit: That script worked for me perfectly, but keep sure to have the right version of linux-restricted-modules installed (it must match the version of the running kernel)."

That bit is important. The restricted modules (kernel drivers that have licensensing terms that aren't "free") probably aren't installed by default. It may be that these need to be installed. You can do this with the command:

sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules-386

It may be that installing nvidia-glx does this for you - I don't remember.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:44 am
by bork[e]
allright cool. Thanks again.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:51 am
by Postal
If I could take the time to ask here: whenever I load XMMS or BMP, and play a song, it freezes on me. All the ubuntu system sounds work perfectly, and all my codecs are in the right place.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 3:32 am
by SOAPboy
Postal wrote:If I could take the time to ask here: whenever I load XMMS or BMP, and play a song, it freezes on me. All the ubuntu system sounds work perfectly, and all my codecs are in the right place.

OMG LINUX IS MORE STABLE THAN WINDOWS OMGWTFBBQ

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 3:38 am
by Postal
It is. Fuck off, it's just a media player issue.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 3:52 am
by +JuggerNaut+
SOAPboy wrote:
Postal wrote:If I could take the time to ask here: whenever I load XMMS or BMP, and play a song, it freezes on me. All the ubuntu system sounds work perfectly, and all my codecs are in the right place.

OMG LINUX IS MORE STABLE THAN WINDOWS OMGWTFBBQ
there's no need for that last one

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 4:01 am
by SOAPboy
+JuggerNaut+ wrote:
SOAPboy wrote:
Postal wrote:If I could take the time to ask here: whenever I load XMMS or BMP, and play a song, it freezes on me. All the ubuntu system sounds work perfectly, and all my codecs are in the right place.

OMG LINUX IS MORE STABLE THAN WINDOWS OMGWTFBBQ
there's no need for that last one
Giving the fanboy a hard time is all
Postal wrote:It is. Fuck off, it's just a media player issue.
OMGWTFSTABLEBUTCRASHESOMGWTF!!

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 11:48 am
by duffman91

User Name: soapboy
Nick Name:
Real Name: **SOAP**
Country: United States
Age:
Gender: Male
Status: Virgin

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:09 pm
by ^misantropia^
Postal wrote:If I could take the time to ask here: whenever I load XMMS or BMP, and play a song, it freezes on me. All the ubuntu system sounds work perfectly, and all my codecs are in the right place.
Assuming this happens in X, what window manager are you using? More specifically: what sound daemon, if any, is running? As root, what does `ps -A | grep -i "esd\|alsa\|arts"` print?

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:42 pm
by Postal
It happens in Gnome or KDE...in KDE however, upon startup, I get an error to the effect of "using the null sound device" because it's busy or something.

No sound daemon (that I know of, at least)

Also, as root, that command returns a new line simply saying ">", letting further commands be typed.

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:45 pm
by Postal
oh wait I typed the command incorrectly..

it returns

7647 ? 00:00:15 esd

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:55 pm
by bork[e]
hey, anyone know where the hell the nvidia menu is in linux. In windows you can just right click or run it from the task bar but for the life of me i can't find the thing.

I need to up the gamma on my monitor b/c of the shit CRT I've had for years...

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:59 pm
by ^misantropia^
Postal wrote:oh wait I typed the command incorrectly..

it returns

7647 ? 00:00:15 esd
That's Gnome. In XMMS, press Ctrl+P and select "Audio I/O plugins". Set the output plugin to "eSound Output Plugin x.x.xx". Make sure /dev/dsp exists (`mknod /dev/dsp c 14 3` to create it) and you have read/write access to it (when in doubt, do `chmod 666 /dev/dsp`).

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:01 pm
by ^misantropia^
bork[e] wrote:hey, anyone know where the hell the nvidia menu is in linux. In windows you can just right click or run it from the task bar but for the life of me i can't find the thing.

I need to up the gamma on my monitor b/c of the shit CRT I've had for years...
You can get it as a separate download from NVIDIA's website IIRC (not sure, don't use it myself).

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:47 pm
by Postal
whoa, you are the man misantropia.

that fixed BMP, XMMS, AND got Firefox to play sound for .swf files.

:up:

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:49 pm
by duffman91
bork[e] wrote:hey, anyone know where the hell the nvidia menu is in linux. In windows you can just right click or run it from the task bar but for the life of me i can't find the thing.

I need to up the gamma on my monitor b/c of the shit CRT I've had for years...
Whatever window manager you're running (kde, gnome, blackbox, or whatever) should have a settigns tab where you can play with all that.