I give up trying to install a linux driver

[urdrwho]

granted this is an old HP ZV5000 with 2 gig of ram but for years before the install of Mate, I had Kubuntu 14.04 KDE running fine with an Nvidia install.

I have tried every way to install the Nvidia driver. I have two other toys that are old but not as old as the HP and they run Cinnamon (one is a Nvidia driver). No problems with them and I'm starting to think it may be that this one is a 64 bit install and the other ones are 32 bit. I don't know.

The Nvidia card is a GeForce 440 Go64

When I do an install there is no Nvidia hidden file that is normally created in the home folder with the name of .Nvidia-settings-rc.

When I create the Nvidia Xorg is when things really go odd. The resolution ma resolution is something like 640 X 480 --- big fonts and icons.

Remove the Xorg and I can get good resolution

inxi -Gx
Graphics: Card: NVIDIA NV17M [GeForce4 440 Go 64M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: FAILED: nvidia,fbdev,vesa,nouveau Resolution: 1024x768@0.0hz
GLX Renderer: N/A GLX Version: N/A Direct Rendering: N/A

[jimallyn]

I have tried every way to install the Nvidia driver.

Which tells us exactly nothing. So, I will ask the obvious question: did you install the recommended driver in Driver Manager?

[Spearmint2]

Are you running bumblebee?

[Neil Edmond]

Maybe I'm blind, but I don't see where you've told us which version on Mint you have installed.

[urdrwho]

Mate 17.3
When I said i tried I have tried every way that meant that I tried the normal protocol of going out (ctrl / alt /F1) stopping MDM and installing Nvidia-current. Then starting MDM. I've read not to start MDM but reboot as soon as Nvidia-current is installed, I tried all ways.

I guess it isn't that I can't get the driver to install, that I can do. I can't get the computer to accept an Xorg file.

[urdrwho]

Not running bumblebee.

Are you running bumblebee?

[Spearmint2]

Do you have this installed? This will check to see.

Code: Select all

aptitude show nvidia-settings

[urdrwho]

Do you have this installed? This will check to see.

Code: Select all

aptitude show nvidia-settings

Apparently it was not installed so I just installed it. Now I see the familiar Nvidia x-configuration program. I'm just accustomed to that getting installed with the driver. Below is the return message I got when I first typed aptitude show nvidia-settings. I'll see how it goes with the program installed.

aptitude show nvidia-settings
Package: nvidia-settings
State: not installed
Version: 331.20-0ubuntu8
Priority: optional
Section: x11
Maintainer: Ubuntu MOTU Developers <ubuntu-motu@lists.ubuntu.com>
Architecture: amd64
Uncompressed Size: 2,389 k
Depends: pkg-config, screen-resolution-extra (>= 0.12), libvdpau1, libc6 (>=
2.14), libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 (>= 2.22.0), libglib2.0-0 (>= 2.12.0),
libgtk2.0-0 (>= 2.8.0), libpango-1.0-0 (>= 1.14.0), libx11-6 (>=
2:1.4.99.1), libxext6, libxxf86vm1
Conflicts: libxnvctrl-dev, libxnvctrl-dev, nvidia-settings-binary,
nvidia-settings-binary, nvidia-settings
Replaces: libxnvctrl-dev, libxnvctrl-dev, nvidia-settings-binary,
nvidia-settings-binary
Provides: nvidia-settings-binary
Description: Tool for configuring the NVIDIA graphics driver
The nvidia-settings utility is a tool for configuring the NVIDIA Linux graphics
driver. It operates by communicating with the NVIDIA X driver, querying and
updating state as appropriate. This communication is done with the NV-CONTROL
X extension.

Values such as brightness and gamma, XVideo attributes, temperature, and OpenGL
settings can be queried and configured via nvidia-settings.

[urdrwho]

Do you have this installed? This will check to see.

Code: Select all

aptitude show nvidia-settings

Rebooted and everything went well except there is still no xorg.config file that was created by Nvidia. I'll make one and see what happens. When the xorg is made is when everything fails and gives a bad screen resolution. Normally I can just delete that xorg and resolution comes back.

Because the laptop screen is dead / dying I have an external screen hooked up. Kubuntu disply setting used to show two monitors and I could choose the primary. Mate only shows one display screen available. The screen description is unknown and there is no refresh rate. Resolution is fine. Wonder it is part of the problem.

I'll see what happens once I make the xorg.config using Nvidia.

[urdrwho]

With Xorg made with nvidia x-config restarted mdm and 640 X 480 resolution. Sigh?!?!?

[dark]

Add this PPA to Software Sources: ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
Click "Update the cache" button on top right.
Install Nvidia driver 384.98 from Driver Manager.

Assuming Nvidia still supports GeForce Go 4 Series.

[Pjotr]

For that ancient graphics card (bought in 2002 or thereabouts?), you can only successfully install the closed non-free nvidia-96 driver. Which in its turn, can only be installed in Linux Mint 13 at the very latest.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-disp ... river.html
(click on the tab "supported products")

Linux Mint 13 has reached EOL, so that's not a viable option. Don't try to install the nvidia-96 in Mint 17.x or later: it'll fail. Unfit graphics stack.

My advice: stick to the default open-source driver you have now, and be glad that Linux hasn't abandoned support for your museum piece yet....

[mr_raider]

I'm surprised kubuntu 14.04 worked any better than Mint 17. They use exactly the same nvidia driver packages. Were you using nouveau or nvidia proprietary driver in Kubuntu?

[urdrwho]

It is a museum piece and only meant to be a play toy. Is it play or frustration? No it is play. Turning away from my main computer, taking a break from work, trying to get a museum piece working with modern day things is playing.

For that ancient graphics card (bought in 2002 or thereabouts?), you can only successfully install the closed non-free nvidia-96 driver. Which in its turn, can only be installed in Linux Mint 13 at the very latest.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-disp ... river.html
(click on the tab "supported products")

Linux Mint 13 has reached EOL, so that's not a viable option. Don't try to install the nvidia-96 in Mint 17.x or later: it'll fail. Unfit graphics stack.

My advice: stick to the default open-source driver you have now, and be glad that Linux hasn't abandoned support for your museum piece yet....

[urdrwho]

Nvidia was installed and working. It took a while and was many years ago that I did it that I can't remember what I did or how.

I'm surprised kubuntu 14.04 worked any better than Mint 17. They use exactly the same nvidia driver packages. Were you using nouveau or nvidia proprietary driver in Kubuntu?

[urdrwho]

I installed that driver and it did install. But it ran hot as heck and my fans wouldn't stop. Removed it, purged all Nvidia and now the fans are quiet.

Odd is that even though I am back to Nouveau, when I go to the display setting, I now have setting to choose different refresh rates.

Add this PPA to Software Sources: ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
Click "Update the cache" button on top right.
Install Nvidia driver 384.98 from Driver Manager.

Assuming Nvidia still supports GeForce Go 4 Series.

[Pjotr]

It is a museum piece and only meant to be a play toy. Is it play or frustration? No it is play. Turning away from my main computer, taking a break from work, trying to get a museum piece working with modern day things is playing.

For that ancient graphics card (bought in 2002 or thereabouts?), you can only successfully install the closed non-free nvidia-96 driver. Which in its turn, can only be installed in Linux Mint 13 at the very latest.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-disp ... river.html
(click on the tab "supported products")

Linux Mint 13 has reached EOL, so that's not a viable option. Don't try to install the nvidia-96 in Mint 17.x or later: it'll fail. Unfit graphics stack.

My advice: stick to the default open-source driver you have now, and be glad that Linux hasn't abandoned support for your museum piece yet....

I understand, but what I'm trying to say is: attempting to make a closed non-free Nvidia driver work for your ancient graphics card, is a dead end. Nvidia has simply dropped its support for that card long ago.

Unlike, luckily, the developers of the default open-source Nouveau Linux driver:
https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/

Not that I'm criticizing Nvidia, far from it: it's amazing for how long they've kept the closed non-free nvidia-96 Linux driver alive. It was last updated in 2012, which update made it fit for the graphics stack of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS / Linux Mint 13. That meant that its practical lifespan was extended to April, 2017.

Developers cost money, and the Nvidia company has to be profitable or die....

[Spearmint2]

Do you have this installed? This will check to see.

Code: Select all

aptitude show nvidia-settings

Rebooted and everything went well except there is still no xorg.config file that was created by Nvidia. I'll make one and see what happens. When the xorg is made is when everything fails and gives a bad screen resolution. Normally I can just delete that xorg and resolution comes back.

Because the laptop screen is dead / dying I have an external screen hooked up. Kubuntu disply setting used to show two monitors and I could choose the primary. Mate only shows one display screen available. The screen description is unknown and there is no refresh rate. Resolution is fine. Wonder it is part of the problem.

I'll see what happens once I make the xorg.config using Nvidia.

Did you also install it?

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings

[urdrwho]

Yes I had settings installed. I am familiar with what should be in the setting screen when started but on this install the settings were totally blank. It is as if nouveau is so hard wired that Nvidia isn't allowed to enter. of them. The laptop monitor has a bad back light. I could use the laptop screen if I wanted to make the room dark and point a lit flashlight at the screen.

I can get a response from both monitors but I am thinking that Nvidia setting does not see any

xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 4096 x 4096
VGA-1 connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 338mm x 270mm
1280x1024 60.0 + 75.0
1024x768 75.1* 70.1 60.0
832x624 74.6
800x600 72.2 75.0 60.3 56.2
640x480 75.0 72.8 66.7 60.0
720x400 70.1
LVDS-1 connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 331mm x 207mm
1280x800 60.0 +
1024x768 59.9*
800x600 59.9
640x480 59.4
720x400 59.6
640x400 60.0
640x350 59.8

Do you have this installed? This will check to see.

Code: Select all

aptitude show nvidia-settings

Rebooted and everything went well except there is still no xorg.config file that was created by Nvidia. I'll make one and see what happens. When the xorg is made is when everything fails and gives a bad screen resolution. Normally I can just delete that xorg and resolution comes back.

Because the laptop screen is dead / dying I have an external screen hooked up. Kubuntu disply setting used to show two monitors and I could choose the primary. Mate only shows one display screen available. The screen description is unknown and there is no refresh rate. Resolution is fine. Wonder it is part of the problem.

I'll see what happens once I make the xorg.config using Nvidia.

Did you also install it?

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings

[Spearmint2]

Try this;
Open the text editor and create a file, name it .xprofile (makes it a hidden file) and place in your home user's folder. In that file copy/paste this below, then reboot to your user. That was using my monitors and command cvt, so may not work for yours. If you need a higher resolution later, then just follow the example in the file.

xrandr --newmode "1280x720_60.00" 74.50 1280 1344 1472 1664 720 723 728 748 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode VGA-1 1280x720_60.00
xrandr --addmode LVDS-1 1280x720_60.00
xrandr --newmode "1280x720_70.00" 88.25 1280 1352 1480 1680 720 723 728 752 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode VGA-1 1280x720_70.00
xrandr --addmode LVDS-1 1280x720_70.00
xrandr --newmode "1600x900_60.00" 118.25 1600 1696 1856 2112 900 903 908 934 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode VGA-1 1600x900_60.00
xrandr --addmode LVDS-1 1600x900_60.00
xrandr --newmode "1600x900_75.00" 151.25 1600 1704 1872 2144 900 903 908 942 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode VGA-1 1600x900_75.00
xrandr --addmode LVDS-1 1600x900_75.00

then open Display in your OS and set it to one of those if you can.

You can find your own cvt settings for modeline by following example below.

Code: Select all

~ $ cvt 1600 900 60
# 1600x900 59.95 Hz (CVT 1.44M9) hsync: 55.99 kHz; pclk: 118.25 MHz
Modeline "1600x900_60.00"  118.25  1600 1696 1856 2112  900 903 908 934 -hsync +vsync