Mandrake 8.1...STILL no 3D support?????

[pvanosta]

I just downloaded and installed Mandrake 8.1.
2 things stand out:
1. STILL NO 3D support for my Geforce 3, despite a whole new kernel etc...bla, bla, bla...
2. only 4 crappy desktop themes, where 7.0 or 7.1 had a buttload...

I am a very experienced Windows user and pc tech. I am trying to keep an open mind and look at alternatives. Mandrake always has beautiful distros that install easily. BUT: I have tried in 7.1, 7.2, and 8.0 to install the damn NVidia drivers, and could never make it work.
WHY is there no native 3D support for NVidia??? If you plan to EVER take on the desktop user and wean them off of Micro****e, you'll have to make Linux a LOT more userfriendly. I can install Windows XP and have a stable, solid environment, with FULL 3D support for my Geforce.

Now, I have to go and make a 4th attempt to struggle with tar.gz files and make installs and all that crap.
I cannot believe that there is absolutely NO 3D support built in to this last distro. I mean: how hard can it be?????

[TheBouleOfFools]

Ok first of all, I don't recall Windows having native support for my GeForce 3. I booted into 640x480 8bit. What fixed it was installing nVidia drvers. What you need to do is install the drivers too. Go on... it's not that hard. Go to www.nvidia.com (http://www.nvidia.com)
and download the drivers for Linux. Use the RPM ones or the tar.gz ones (I prefer to get the ones from source and compile them. RPM can go suck it). Also, Linux was never ment to be newbie-friendly. Distros like MDK and RH try to do that, but I prefer my :cool:Slackware :cool:. There's always something to do with it.

[pvanosta]

Point well taken.
However:
In my Windows XP, I get native Geforce support and full 3D with all games, with more than acceptable benchmark scores.

Secondly: I'm (obviously not TOO) familiar with the procedure of installing the drivers. I will try it again, one last time...

[rattus]

There's no native support for the GeForce 'cos Nvidia won't open-source their drivers.

BTW, WinXP doesn't support GeForce natively - it does so because Nvidia work with MickeySoft to ensure support.

I'd take your ***** to Nvidia, rather than to Linux ppl.

[TheBouleOfFools]

Originally posted by pvanosta:
<STRONG>Point well taken.
However:
In my Windows XP, I get native Geforce support and full 3D with all games, with more than acceptable benchmark scores.

Secondly: I'm (obviously not TOO) familiar with the procedure of installing the drivers. I will try it again, one last time...</STRONG>

ok ok I'm sorry Don't hurt me plz :)

[rattus]

A link that may be of some assistance in getting your GeForce to work:
http://www.evil3d.net/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.cgi?action=Read&BID=4&TID=230&SID=15101

HTH

[Roy Smith]

i suspect that nvidia would want royalties from mandrake in order to allow the inclusion of nvidia software in a mandrake distribution. since you downloaded the distro, mandrake made no money from you and so cannot really afford to pay royalties to nvidia. nvidia, however, provides drivers to you because you bought their hardware. otoh, microsoft charges for their software so they can afford to pass on their costs to you.

as for themes, i'm sure some are being developed at this moment, but the newer versions of kde just don't have a great number of themes available as yet - the key word being "newer". (you didn't specify kde, but i know mandrake defaults to kde during installation so yeah, i'm *assuming". :) )

i know my little discourse doesn't change anything, but it may be encouraging that those seem to be the only installation/setup problems you encountered. a year ago, you'd most likely have had a bit more trouble. i console myself (wrt linux) with the knowledge that i can do what i please with linux once i've got the distro in my grubby paws, with no worry that some giant corporate bully is going to be able to keep me from using the product as i choose.

my real concern is that there may be a senator or two on microsoft's payroll. i believe they will be known by their actions!

[ 26 September 2001: Message edited by: Roy Smith ]

[pvanosta]

Thank you all. First off: I would like to apologize for letting my frustration shine through in such an extreme form.
Secondly: thank you for all the feedback This weekend, I will take a couple of deep breaths and go through the install again. The evil3d thread will probably prove useful as well.

With regards to NVidia opensourcing their drivers: wouldn't it make sense for them to allow Linux distros to include these drivers? Don't they benefit from hardware support?
That sounds like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Okay, time to re-acquaint myself with Mandrake's inner workings.
Thanks again...

[rattus]

From Nvidia's perspective, it apparently only makes sense if it makes cents.

This is the reason that I will only buy Nvidia cards second-hand (this way I'm not contributing to their coffers)

I'd encourage you to contact Nvidia with your issue, and ask them to provide assistance geting your card working. They'll probably ignore you, but if enough consumers did this sort of thing they'd realise that it makes economic sense for them to play ball.

BTW, I hope you get it going - then you could tell us all what you did that worked.

[OliverW]

Originally posted by rattus:
<STRONG>
This is the reason that I will only buy Nvidia cards second-hand (this way I'm not contributing to their coffers)
</STRONG>

Ehm may I remind you that NVIDIA is one of the only companies (for video chipsets) that comes with support for almost all operating systems. They put very much effort in their drivers if you compare it to other companies.

I have a ATI Radeon, which is in fact a good card, but the drivers support (even in Windows) is very poor. It took ages before the drivers became more or less acceptable. As for Linux, finally in XFree 4.10, OpenGL is supported, where the Geforce already in 4.01 had support for their OpenGl stuff. Why? Because they already had the drivers. =)

[ 27 September 2001: Message edited by: OliverW ]