New Nvidia Card not working in Buntu.

[Pepse]

I just installed a new EVGA Nvidia chipped 1GB PCI-E card in my computer and it works good in win7 but when I boot to Kubuntu 10.10 Trinity I get a command line. I log in and this is what I get:

Last login: Thu Nov 3 10:04:59 CDT 2011 on tty2

Linux me-EP43-UD3L 2.6.35-30-generic-pae #61-Ubuntu SMP Tue Oct 11 16:31:56 UTC 2011 i686 GNU Linux

Ubuntu 10.10

Welcome to Ubuntu!

*Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com

System information as of Thu Nov 03 23:42:47 CDT 2011

System load: 0.09 Processes: 128

Usage of/: 44.5% of 140.71 GB Users logged in: 0

Memory usage: 1% IP address for eth0: xxx.xxx.x.xxx

Graph this data and manage at https://landscape.canonical.com/

2 packages can be updated.

0 updates are security updates.

New release 'natty' available.

Run'do-realease-upgrade' to upgrade it.


In my opinion none of this is relevant to my video problem. I also tried recovery mode and got nowhere. That is nothing got repaired.

Ideas??

Later. Pepse.

[camelrider]

If the screen shows a command prompt try: startx

[Pafnoutios]

What was the old video card?

[Pepse]

The old card is an Nvidia Qudro FX 128 MB. PCI-E, of course.

Later. Pepse.

[saikee]

Try startx as suggested by camelrider.

If the card doesn't work it should trigger an error log/message with which you can identify the cause.

Sometime in the past all Linux has a configuration file /etc/X11/xorg.conf that keeps a record of the drivers used for the X server but newer kernels seem to be able to manage without it. However I believe you can still re-create such configuration file as described here. (http://askubuntu.com/questions/4662/where-is-the-x-org-config-file-how-do-i-configure-x-there) I can't try it as it complained my X server is working.

Once you got the xorg.conf you can edit it, say using nano or vi, to try different drivers. The drivers are held in /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers. It is possible your Ubuntu is using a driver out-of-date driver relative to your hardware. I would try nv and vesa to see the response.

[Pepse]

Well, I will give you the error I got from "startx" :

[= =] Log file: '/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Nov 5 2011 13:31:12

[= =] Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf

[= =] Using systemconfigdirectory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d

NVIDIA: Could not open the device file /dev/nvidia0 (input/output error).

(EE) NVIDIA(0): The NVIDIA GPU at PCI:1:0:0 is not supported by the 173.14.28

(EE) NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA driver.

(EE): NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device!

(EE): Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

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

Please also check the log file at '/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information ((I got bashed for trying that))

ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

giving up

I don't remember this kind of error years ago. I am guessing that the problem might be that Kubuntu 10.10 Trinity might be out of touch? I ran my Gentoo 11 live disc and it works.

Later. Pepse.

[saikee]

You should now have /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Inside it there is a section on the video card. The driver selected by the kernel under the heading "Driver".

If it is "nv" you can change it to "vesa" and try startx again.

[Pepse]

No luck. When I type that command in I get bashed. I also went to your link to ask linux and when I got in to recovery mode it asked for the Root Password. Don't know what they want but it ain't my regular Buntu password.

Later. pepse.

[saikee]

If you have an error log as stated previously in /var/log/Xorg.0.log you can check this file. Do this in a terminal that you have already got like
sudo cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Can you list the kernel response if you type?
sudo ls /etc/X11

[mrrangerman43]

So why don't you put your old card back in long enough to download the Nvidia driver for the new card. Then put the new card back in and boot up into recovery/single user mode change to the directory that contains the driver and install it. Most Nvidia driver setups will let you know if you lack any dependencies, then it's just a mater of sudo apt-get install what you need until the Nvidia driver installs right.

[Pafnoutios]

The new nvidia drivers could also be installed from the command line with sudo apt-get install nvidia-current
but I don't know if X or the kernel will automatically try the new drivers or ignore them and keep trying the old ones that don't support your new card.

[Pepse]

Well after painstakingly :D writing down the commands that saikee gave me to use I did the command from Pafnoutios and re-booted and here I am back in Linux; Whew. The driver version is 260.19.06, and it is seeing my GeForce 8400GS.

So this is solved. I again thank everbody that helped with this.

Later. Pepse.

[mrrangerman43]

The new nvidia drivers could also be installed from the command line with
Code:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-current

but I don't know if X or the kernel will automatically try the new drivers or ignore them and keep trying the old ones that don't support your new card.

Thanks for that info, I don't use Ubuntu I use Debian so installing video drivers are a little more involved. I'll have to add that command to my linux command book for the future.

[trilarian]

Thanks for that info, I don't use Ubuntu I use Debian so installing video drivers are a little more involved. I'll have to add that command to my linux command book for the future.

Just a FYI, this command does not work in Debian. You can read over the Debian wiki here (http://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers#Comparison_of_nvidia-installer_and_the_Debian_way) if you wish, but generally the Debian way is to (can issue apt-cache search nvidia-glx to see all options):

apt-get install nvidia-glx nvidia-kernel-source

You don't need X to be off (like the Official driver), but you do need to restart X for the updates to take effect.

[mrrangerman43]

trilarian

Yah I know that command wouldn't work with Debian. I just wrote it down so if I ever do need it. I do at times play with Ubuntu. The biggest reason I don't use Ubuntu is the lack of a root account. I know I can install a root account but in my experience Ubuntu still want to default to the sudo user account created at install.

Note: I am not bashing Ubuntu its just not my cup of tea.

[trilarian]

The biggest reason I don't use Ubuntu is the lack of a root account.

Precisely my complaint. I understand it is probably for the best since it is marketed towards new users, but I've never gotten used to sudo.

Kids and your fancy sudo, get off my lawn!

[stumbles]

Precisely my complaint. I understand it is probably for the best since it is marketed towards new users, but I've never gotten used to sudo.

Kids and your fancy sudo, get off my lawn!

I would not agree that it is the best; its the same approach used by Windows and such a thing just makes it more difficult to administer.