Solved: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

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domdog
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Solved: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by domdog »

I just installed
linuxmint-debian-201101-gnome-dvd-i386
it was working well with the computers original integrated graphic card.

I installed into my hp computer a
GForce 6200

I have downloaded the following driver to install.
NVIDIA-Linux-x86-260.19.36.run

It runs alright now, after a couple of restarts, except it seems a bit slow.

I went to the menu and looked around for anything regarding drivers. All I could find was something regarding windows wireless drivers, nothing regarding drivers in general.

when I go to run the above driver I get:

gedit has not been able to detect the character encoding.
Please check that you are not trying to open a binary file.
Select a character encoding from the menu and try again.

Where do I work with drivers in this version of Debian? How do I get the driver above to install?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
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Oscar799
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by Oscar799 »

Moved here from Hardware Support
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TBABill
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by TBABill »

The Debian wiki is a wonderful resource for installing drivers and performing other system admin functions. Here's the link to the nvidia driver portion: http://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

I have not installed an nvidia driver on Debian or LMDE so I hope this helps.
domdog
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by domdog »

Thanks for the wiki link,

I saw this earlier and looked it over:

1) I'm a noobie so it kinda scared the $#@ out of me. I don't like messing around with stuff like this till I know something about what I'm doing....don't want to screw things up.

2) I'm not sure how old it is and if it would still work.

* I suppose if this is my only source of info I could give it a try. I already used the terminal to check out my kernal but at this point it seems a bit over my head.

What the heck is up with Ndiva GeForce situation....the posts on this problem go back a ways.....I haven't found a good clear post that some one new could apprieciate. I've read about the non-propietary drivers development but it all still seems confused and confusing. It seems to me getting drivers set up would be a common noob task.
DrHu

Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by DrHu »

You don't say about the rest of your hardware: the computer
  • How much RAM is installed
    --also you can speed up menus, especially for older graphics cards that won't have as much graphics horsepower by disabling the animation effects in Compiz and perhaps changing the time delay in submenus under Gnome, to eliminate the drag when jumping around menus.
    --additionally nautilus or another file-manager can be customized to speed up its standard operations, this usually means how it starts and opens its default directory , your /home or another, as well as any animation for directory (folder) displays/views..
I have a similar graphics card, and with 1GB of RAM on an older computer, I turned OFF all compiz and file manager animations and shadings (graphic eye candy), which I found help with desktop speeds
zole052

Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by zole052 »

Installing the non-free nvidia-driver on Linux Mint Debian Edition
http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/331
domdog
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by domdog »

My Ram is about 1.4 G
nemesis2all

Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by nemesis2all »

For installing graphics drivers in lmde or any debian based distro you should look into sgfxi and smxi.
domdog
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by domdog »

Ok, so at this pt. I've tried to use the following tutorial.

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/331

When looking at the two options to follow I first looked at the link regarding what graphics cards that option worked with and found my GeForce 6200 in both.

So, I tried both.

I installed each set of packages. After installing each set I entered into the terminal:

nvidia-xconfig

and recieved the following:

WARNING: Unable to locate/open X configuration file.


ERROR: Unable to write to directory '/etc/X11'

I am wondering if I did not understand how to follow, the following direction in, in each option:

When done, execute

nvidia-xconfig

I simply entered , nvidia-xconfig, into the terminal. Is there more that I need to do to "execute" nvidia-xconfig??

When I look in my Package Manager, nvidia-xconfig, is marked with a green box.
zole052

Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by zole052 »

domdog wrote: I installed each set of packages. After installing each set I entered into the terminal:

nvidia-xconfig

and recieved the following:

WARNING: Unable to locate/open X configuration file.


ERROR: Unable to write to directory '/etc/X11'
Try with

Code: Select all

sudo nvidia-xconfig
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kmb42vt
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by kmb42vt »

There's really no need for the 260 driver at all. The default Nvidia driver (195) will work fine for the 6200. I know since it works fine with mine that's installed in an older machine and that includes running compiz. So try this:

Note: There's always a risk since everyone has a different setup but the following should work just fine.

Go to Synaptic, search for and and install the following (for the 195 series only):

nvidia-glx
nvidia-kernel-source
nvidia-kernel-dkms
nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-settings.

****************
IMPORTANT!
****************
After installation, run from a terminal:

Code: Select all

sudo nvidia-xconfig
Now reboot and you should all set.
"Humph. Choice, it is the quintessential Linux delusion, simultaneously the source of it's greatest strength, and it's greatest weakness." (All apologies to The Architect)
domdog
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by domdog »

Well I used, in the terminal:

sudo nvidia-xconfig

And things happened. (I hate putting it this way but, since I'm new to linux and Debian, it's good short description of my real understanding.)

Things got better.....My machine now runs DvD movies with no problem and great clarity.

My whole approch to this problem is something that really goes against my grain.....ie Messing around with things that I have no understanding of what I'm doing. For now though it will have to be.

I'm guessing looking at the tutorial I used and your set of instructions that the basic thing I'm doing is trying out different sets of packages(using the Software Manager to make them available) then running the nvidia-xconfg (via the Terminal) which takes the set of packages I have installed at the time and uses them to setup my card.

True??

In addition to this I would love to learn how to install the nvida drivers I down loaded. Its nice to have options.

Thanks,
Kurt
domdog
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by domdog »

So, taking my understanding at this point I...

Opened up the Package Manager

checked and added the following (taken from kmb42vt, above)

nvidia-glx
nvidia-kernel-source
nvidia-kernel-dkms
nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-settings

I double checked that the were installed (it uninstalled other packages)

Then in the terminal I typed in the following:

sudo nvidia-xconfig

was asked for my password

then I got the following back in the terminal:

Using X configuration file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf".
Backed up file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' as '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'
New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'

When I went to Restart my computer I found that two Operating Systems were available for use, with associated recovery sections. This is a change from before when I only had one. Its a little bit of confused moment for me at this point.

Is this a problem????

There is:

....linux 2.6.32-5-686

and,

linux 2.6.32-5-486

I'm using the default which is the ....linux 2.6.32-5-686

The only information I can add is that I had the following set of packages installed before I installed the above.

nvidia-kernel-legacy-173xx-dkms
nvidia-glx-legacy-173xx build-essential
nvidia-settings
nvidia-xconfig

And ran

sudo nvidia-xconfig

in the terminal.

Have I totally screwed up my installation of Debian???
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kmb42vt
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by kmb42vt »

domdog wrote:So, taking my understanding at this point I...

Opened up the Package Manager

checked and added the following (taken from kmb42vt, above)

nvidia-glx
nvidia-kernel-source
nvidia-kernel-dkms
nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-settings

I double checked that the were installed (it uninstalled other packages)

Then in the terminal I typed in the following:

sudo nvidia-xconfig

was asked for my password

then I got the following back in the terminal:

Using X configuration file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf".
Backed up file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' as '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'
New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'

When I went to Restart my computer I found that two Operating Systems were available for use, with associated recovery sections. This is a change from before when I only had one. Its a little bit of *** moment for me at this point.

Is this a problem????

There is:

....linux 2.6.32-5-686

and,

linux 2.6.32-5-486

I'm using the default which is the ....linux 2.6.32-5-686

The only information I can add is that I had the following set of packages installed before I installed the above.

nvidia-kernel-legacy-173xx-dkms
nvidia-glx-legacy-173xx build-essential
nvidia-settings
nvidia-xconfig

And ran

sudo nvidia-xconfig

in the terminal.

Have I totally screwed up my installation of Debian???
Heh, no you haven't totally screwed up LMDE and it's just a matter of being new to Linux that you didn't realize that you should have uninstalled the older driver (173) packages before you installed the newer versions (195). You see the Nvidia drivers have to compile (build) themselves into the Linux kernel that runs your OS and I believe (and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong)the 173 drivers can only be applied to an older 486 version of the Linux kernel (486 applies to the type of Intel/AMD processor type and PC hardware architecture which is no longer officially supported . It's the 686 PC hardware architecture that's currently officially supported). What I'm thinking that happened is that your original kernel was the modern 686 type but when the 173 drivers were installed it may have had to installed the older style kernel as well in order for the older Nvidia drivers to install properly (or vica-versa). If you boot using the 686 kernel then your using the 195 video drivers. If you boot using the 486 kernel then you're using the 173 video drivers.

That being said, this is just a guess on my part as to what happened but it's probably a good one. But don't worry about the number of kernels you see in the bootloader. It's all the same OS but Linux is flexible and can use more than one kernel to power it. I'd advise using the 686 kernel in your daily use although I'd be interested to know if LMDE boots successfully using the 486 kernel. If it doesn't it's no big deal as you can restart using the 686 kernel.

I do have to hand it to you. For someone new to the world of Linux, picking a Debian based distro (Debian testing no less) was a brave thing to do even if it is a Minty-fied one. :D
"Humph. Choice, it is the quintessential Linux delusion, simultaneously the source of it's greatest strength, and it's greatest weakness." (All apologies to The Architect)
AlbertP
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by AlbertP »

486 compiled programs should work fine on 686, however. I don't know about the compiler system of nVidia, and how it handles the 486/686 difference.
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domdog
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Re: Can not find how to install drivers in Debian 201101

Post by domdog »

Well, I've got it solved to my satisfaction and my card is working very well.

I switched to Mint 10 32-bit Standard.

A hardware icon came up in my panel on the right and informed me that I could get a better driver. The screen gave me clear options and good information.

The hint that, I may be in over my head, as a noob, with the Debian was correct. I'm very happy with the Mint 10

Thanks for the help.
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