Nvidia driver issue: now no GUI ... what to do?

[FulciLives]

Hello !!!

I am new to Linux. Played around with a few distros (including Ubuntu 7.04) but fell in love with Linux Mint 3.0

Now the problem:

I had the nvidia driver working BUT I decided to install the nvidia driver again using ENVY thinking that it might be better than the way I did it before (didn't use ENVY the first time around).

Well when my system rebooted I got some error about x windows or x server or something not being set up correct and all I get is a screen of text asking for my desktop log-in and password.

But just text.

How do I fix this?

BTW my nvidia is a GeForce PCX 5300 which is part of the GeForce FX line.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[scorp123]

Don't touch a running system!

Login into the text console with your username and password, try to execute envy again:
sudo -t envy

When it asks for a password, then this will be your own password. And the password is never echoed back, e.g. you have to type blindly, there won't be no asterixes or other stuff you see in the movies ...

[FulciLives]

Thank you very much!

Turns out the correct command was: sudo envy -t

I picked the option to completely remove the Nvidia driver. Then I picked the manual install and picked the first choice (the one that said "newest") and when I tried to start the X-Server (the GUI) it worked!

However I had a restricted driver icon in the bottom right corner before ... now I don't ... so what that means ... I don't know *shrug* ... but everything seems to be working now.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[scorp123]

Turns out the correct command was: sudo envy -t

Ah yeah, right ... Sorry, I was a bit tired

But good thing you found out the correct command. Good job

[fixrman]

But I get this message: sudo: /etc/init.d/kdm: command not found

Tried manual install, but no version of the nVidia driver seems to work now. I have a GeF2MX400 64M in this.

[fixrman]

scorp, I killed it. I am sitting at the Terminal. The subject box I am giving to someone and thought Mint might be useful.

I have 3.0 on the box I am using now, with no problems other than sound. The subject box has a GF2MX400 64MB card in it, a slot1 Athlon 750, dual booted with W2KSP4.

[scorp123]

But I get this message: sudo: /etc/init.d/kdm: command not found

Are you sure that the KDE Display Manager is even installed? Doesn't sound like it.

[fixrman]

No, I am not sure it is installed. I didn't think I had to install anything manually; everything worked fine (except for sound, which still doesn't work) on this box with no intervention on my part.

Sound was fine on Bianca, and with both Cassandra and Bianca I always have to rest screen res. I tried fixes, but none seemed to work.

Anyway, I am thinking of reinstalling Cassie to my box and the other to fix both issues in case I borked the install. What say you?

The second computer was mangled by me by allowing auto config of X, something I read later should not be done.

[scorp123]

No, I am not sure it is installed.

Because, if you use the GNOME desktop than you also most likely use the "GNOME Display Manager" gdm and not the "KDE Display Manager" kdm ... the latter one would only be present if you installed KDE. If you didn't then it's not present. So my suggestion would be to try again, but use gdm instead of kdm ... ?

[tseliot]

But I get this message: sudo: /etc/init.d/kdm: command not found

Tried manual install, but no version of the nVidia driver seems to work now. I have a GeF2MX400 64M in this.

This is not a real error. Both /etc/init.d/kdm and /etc/init.d/gdm are launched by Envy.

Which version of the driver did you install?