Compiz doesn't appear to work at all.

[NeuroNova]

Hello, Mint Forums.

I recently installed Linux Mint 11 on my netbook (http://amzn.to/nX0LGA), but Compiz doesn't seem to work at all. I have tried to enable several effects, including desktop cube, wobbly windows, water effect, and paint fire, but I can't get any of them to work. I found some threads that suggested there might be a problem with my GPU drivers, but I'm not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is one of the main reasons I decided to install Linux on this computer.

Thanks a bunch.

[bender1077]

After installation did you run, or were prompted to run, the additional drivers package?


EDIT: When you run the additional drivers package the recommended nvidia driver will be CURRENT. Select this driver to install. When finished you will need to restart your netbook and you should be good to go.

[NeuroNova]

I'm not sure. I went to "Additional Drivers" and I installed everything listed. (There were three items, two of which were GPU-related.) I also installed general updated with the shield icon in the bottom right.

[bender1077]

See my above EDIT.

Is there an option to install NVIDIA CURRENT? If so, install and reboot.

[NeuroNova]

It says "version current", but it also says it's not currently in use. (See here: http://i.imgur.com/RywI6.png). I saw a thread about this before, but the solution didn't work for me. Someone else apparently fixed it by just removing it and installing it again. I had no such luck.

[bender1077]

OK!

Looks like we need to have a little fun then...

First I would disable compiz & all desktop effects.

DRIVERS:
First this:

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sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Add these to your list, I do it at the bottom:

#graphics driver blacklist
vga16fb
nouveau
rivafb
nvidiafb
rivatv

Next lets remove EVERYTHING nvidia:

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sudo apt-get --purge remove nvidia-*

Re-install driver:

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sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install nvidia-current

Load nvidia module:

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sudo modprobe nvidia

(if you get an error here, restart and start from here again)

Create new xconfig:

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sudo nvidia-xconfig

EDIT: REBOOT HERE!

Reinstall nvidia-settings:

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sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings

Let's see if that works!

[NeuroNova]

Ok, so two things:

1. I'm not sure how to disable Compiz, but I went in and unchecked all of the effects.

2. When I entered "sudo apt-get --purge remove nvidia-*" into the Terminal, this is exactly what it said:

• Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree
  Reading state information... Done
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-common' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-current' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-libvdpau-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-vdpau-driver' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-libvdpau' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-libvdpau-ia32' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-libvdpau1' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-libvdpau1-ia32' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-180-modaliases' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-185-modaliases' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-current-modaliases' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-settings' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-173' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-173-modaliases' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-173-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-173-kernel-source' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-180-kernel-source' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-185-kernel-source' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-180-libvdpau' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-185-libvdpau' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-180-libvdpau-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-185-libvdpau-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-current-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-96' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-96-modaliases' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-96-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-96-kernel-source' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-173' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-173-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-180' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-185' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-180-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-185-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-96' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-glx-96-dev' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-va-driver' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-cg-toolkit' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'nvidia-opencl-icd' for regex 'nvidia-*'
  Note, selecting 'vdpau-va-driver' instead of 'nvidia-va-driver'
  Package nvidia-173 is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-173-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-173-kernel-source is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-180-kernel-source is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-180-libvdpau is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-180-libvdpau-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-96 is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-96-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-96-kernel-source is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-173 is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-173-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-180 is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-180-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-96 is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-96-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-180-modaliases is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-cg-toolkit is not installed, so not removed
  Package vdpau-va-driver is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-185-kernel-source is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-185-libvdpau is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-185-libvdpau-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-current-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-185 is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-glx-185-dev is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-current-modaliases is not installed, so not removed
  Package nvidia-185-modaliases is not installed, so not removed
  The following packages will be REMOVED:
  nvidia-common* nvidia-current* nvidia-settings*
  0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 3 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
  E: Could not get lock /var/cache/apt/archives/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
  E: Unable to lock directory /var/cache/apt/archives/

[bender1077]

Do you have synaptic or the mint package manager open while entering?

Either way:

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sudo killall apt-get

Then retry.

[NeuroNova]

It says:

• apt-get: no process found

I tried to purge/remove nvidia again anyway and it gave me the same error as before.

[bender1077]

OK... well there is something that is using apt-get.

Open System Monitor > Processes > View and select All Processes

- Find the apt-get process running and end the process.

Then re-try.

If still no go run these to remove the lock:

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sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/lock && sudo rm -rf  /var/cache/apt/archives/lock

Then run:

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sudo apt-get upgrade

And proceed to re-try.

[NeuroNova]

I didn't see anything using apt-get (http://i.imgur.com/cI7S6.png), but I removed the lock, ran apt-get upgrade, and tried again. It let me remove Nvidia and re-install the driver, but when I entered "sudo modprobe nvidia" it gave me the following errors:

• sudo modprobe nvidia
  WARNING: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf line 58: ignoring bad line starting with 'vga16fb'
  WARNING: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf line 59: ignoring bad line starting with 'nouveau'
  WARNING: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf line 60: ignoring bad line starting with 'rivafb'
  WARNING: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf line 61: ignoring bad line starting with 'nvidiafb'
  WARNING: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf line 62: ignoring bad line starting with 'rivatv'
  FATAL: Module nvidia not found.

I restarted, but the errors are still there. It looks like those are referring to the blacklist configuration. Did I do this right (http://i.imgur.com/sQyzQ.png)? Do I need to put "blacklist" in front of each line?

edit: I added blacklist to each line, saved, then tried again. The "WARNING" errors went away, but the final error remains: "FATAL: Module nvidia not found."

[bender1077]

Let's install:

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sudo apt-get install nvidia-kernel-common nvidia-settings

Also, please post the output of :

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inxi -G

This will give me the exact nvidia gpu we are using.

[NeuroNova]

• sudo apt-get install nvidia-kernel-common nvidia-settings
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree
  Reading state information... Done
  E: Unable to locate package nvidia-kernel-common

• inxi -G
  Graphics: Card-1 Intel N10 Family Integrated Graphics Controller Card-2 nVidia Device 0a76 X.Org 1.10.1 Res: 1366x768@60.0hz
  GLX Renderer N/A GLX Version N/A

[bender1077]

OK. Well this is interesting.

Just to clarify, did you install 32 or 64bit LM? As your netbook has 2g RAM, I would hope 32bit.

I am going to advise we install the latest nvidia driver manually, unless anyone else can think of a faster solution.

The fastest solution of remove driver, re-install driver did not work per the OP.

[NeuroNova]

I have 32-bit, not 64-bit. I have an extra couple gigs of ram coming in the mail, but I think I'll stick with 32-bit anyway, because I've had bad experiences with 64-bit Linux. I couldn't even get flash working on it.

It looks like the installation didn't completely fail, because this is what my Additional Drivers menu says now: (http://i.imgur.com/KykKm.png). But I still get the "E: Unable to locate package nvidia-kernel-common" error.

I'd gladly re-install Mint if it would help. I've been messing with it for a while, so maybe I screwed something up. I don't have much on the hard drive yet, so I wouldn't really lose anything.

[bender1077]

I have definitely done my fair share of re-installs! I can get everything set up just as it was before I broke now in about under 2 hours including restoring all media!

It's best to do a fresh install and see if that helps before loads of data are potentially able to be lost!

It may be beneficial to read up on how some people running Debian and Ubuntu have configured their graphics for the nvidia ion gpu.

Let me know if you need any other assistance.

[NeuroNova]

Reinstalled Mint 11 from CD.

Installed all of the updates, including the additional Nvidia driver from the Additional Drivers menu.

Enabled effects in Compiz, then restarted.

Still not working.

Rage. I'll search around more later. Other suggestions are welcome in the meantime. I'll check back later.

[bender1077]

I noticed that in your inxi -G output that there are 2 different graphic devices.

1. Intel
2. NVIDIA

I am willing to bet that there has to be something to this, but I have no experience with netbooks. There has to be some sort of conflict, but not exactly sure.

Good luck, and anyone who has some Asus 1215N experience would be greatly appreciated around here.