I installed openSUSE 11 off of a dvd and chose kde 4 but then later downgraded to kde 3.5. Now I want to use Compiz but when I turn on desktop effects, nothing happens. It may have to do with the fact that I don’t have proper drivers for my 256 mb geforce 8500 card. I tried to install the drivers through yast but little seems to have change.
Help?
Sorry to piggyback your thread, but I have the same problem, but in Gnome. Can anyone help?
oh…some more information. I am using the 64bit version if this helps solve the problem.
The nVidia drivers through YaST or ‘one click install’ sometimes do not work.
Download the driver from the nVidia site;
NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-173.14.05-pkg2.run for newer cards or the legacy for olders cards.
open a terminal and type:
su
(password)
init 3
cd ~/where you put the NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-173.14.05-pkg2 file
sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-173.14.05-pkg2.run
And follow the instructions, just answer ‘yes’ to all 
Finished ? Type:
init 5
or
startx
You should be OK. Remember that anything you change in the kernel department needs you to repeat the procedure.
now i have a new problem. Whenever I try to download something in firefox. the download window has nothing in it???
help?
oh and btw, those instructions ealier didn’t work
Hi,
How I got my NVidia drivers installed was through Yast ->and added the nvidia repository, then searched for nvidia in the software manager, and installed through there.
Heeter
none of these things are working!!! i need help like none of the effects things in emerald, compiz, or even the desktop config work 
stay cool and inform us about 2 things:
- did you install the nvidia drivers no matter from yast or with nvidia’s installer
- post here your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file
I did the drivers with Yast and herer is that file
/…/
SaX generated X11 config file
Created on: 2008-06-26T22:39:25-0400.
Version: 8.1
Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2005
Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users>
Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)
PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
Section “Files”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/local”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/URW”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Speedo”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/PEX”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/kwintv”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/truetype”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/CID”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/xtest”
FontPath “/opt/kde3/share/fonts”
InputDevices “/dev/gpmdata”
InputDevices “/dev/input/mice”
EndSection
Section “ServerFlags”
Option “AllowMouseOpenFail” “on”
Option “ZapWarning” “on”
EndSection
Section “Module”
Load “dbe”
Load “type1”
Load “freetype”
Load “extmod”
Load “glx”
EndSection
Section “InputDevice”
Driver “kbd”
Identifier “Keyboard[0]”
Option “Protocol” “Standard”
Option “XkbLayout” “us”
Option “XkbModel” “microsoftpro”
Option “XkbRules” “xfree86”
EndSection
Section “InputDevice”
Driver “mouse”
Identifier “Mouse[1]”
Option “Buttons” “14”
Option “Device” “/dev/input/mice”
Option “Name” “Logitech USB Receiver”
Option “Protocol” “explorerps/2”
Option “Vendor” “Sysp”
Option “ZAxisMapping” “4 5”
EndSection
Section “InputDevice”
Driver “evdev”
Identifier “Mouse[3]”
Option “HWHEELRelativeAxisButtons” “7 6”
Option “InputFashion” “Mouse”
Option “Name” “Logitech VX Nano Laser Mouse”
Option “Pass” “3”
Option “Vendor” “Sysp”
Option “evBits” “+1-2”
Option “keyBits” “~272-287”
Option “relBits” “~0-2 ~6 ~8”
EndSection
Section “Monitor”
Option “CalcAlgorithm” “XServerPool”
HorizSync 31-48
Identifier “Monitor[0]”
ModelName “1024X768@60HZ”
Option “DPMS”
Option “PreferredMode” “1024x768”
VendorName “–> VESA”
VertRefresh 50-60
UseModes “Modes[0]”
EndSection
Section “Modes”
Identifier “Modes[0]”
EndSection
Section “Screen”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Depth 15
Modes “1024x768”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 16
Modes “1024x768”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
Modes “1024x768”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 8
Modes “1024x768”
EndSubSection
Device “Device[0]”
Identifier “Screen[0]”
Monitor “Monitor[0]”
EndSection
Section “Device”
BoardName “GeForce 8500 GT”
BusID “1:0:0”
Driver “nv”
Identifier “Device[0]”
VendorName “NVidia”
EndSection
Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
InputDevice “Mouse[3]” “SendCoreEvents”
Option “Clone” “off”
Option “Xinerama” “off”
Screen “Screen[0]”
EndSection
Section “DRI”
Group “video”
Mode 0660
EndSection
Section “Extensions”
Option “Composite” “off”
EndSection
Section “Device”
BoardName “GeForce 8500 GT”
BusID “1:0:0”
Driver “nv”
Identifier “Device[0]”
VendorName “NVidia”
EndSection
you don’t use nvidia driver at all - Driver “nv” is not it, should be Driver “nvidia” but pls DO NOT make this change by hand
according to this how-to when you have drivers installed all you need in 11.0 is to run simple-ccsm and to enable the desktop effects. try it, perhaps you need to install it with yast first.
if still no effects try 10.3 instructions:
logout, switch to console with Ctrl+Alt+F1
login as root and issue the commands:
rcxdm stop
nvidia-xconfig --composite
nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals -d 24
reboot
the system will reboot, log in and enable the effects
if again no positive result then you will need to install nvidia drivers by hand, for some reason repository drivers don’t work with some cards
if this is the case post here and, if you need, we’ll give specific instructions how to acomplish the task
I too had problems with the Geforce 8500 card wich i installed a couple of days ago on a Intel core 2 duo machine with openSuse 11.0 64 bit. I ended up doing a clean install and used the following Nvidia repository:
Server name: download.nvidia.com
Directory on Server: /opensuse/11.0
This may or may not be the default repository but i got this from the nvidia webside.
I then ticked “nvidia-gfxGo1-kmp-default” and
“x11-video-nvidiaG01” and clicked accept
I rebooted and it has been working perfectly ever since. Here is how my xorg.conf file looks like:
Section “Monitor”
Option “CalcAlgorithm” “XServerPool”
DisplaySize 340 270
HorizSync 30-81
Identifier “Monitor[0]”
ModelName “SYNCMASTER 913V”
Option “PreferredMode” “1280x1024”
VendorName “SAMSUNG”
VertRefresh 56-75
UseModes “Modes[0]”
EndSection
Section “Modes”
Identifier “Modes[0]”
EndSection
Section “Screen”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Depth 15
Modes “1280x1024” “1280x960” “1280x800” “1152x864” “1280x768” “1280x720” “1024x768” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 16
Modes “1280x1024” “1280x960” “1280x800” “1152x864” “1280x768” “1280x720” “1024x768” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
Modes “1280x1024” “1280x960” “1280x800” “1152x864” “1280x768” “1280x720” “1024x768” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 8
Modes “1280x1024” “1280x960” “1280x800” “1152x864” “1280x768” “1280x720” “1024x768” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
Device “Device[0]”
Identifier “Screen[0]”
Monitor “Monitor[0]”
EndSection
Section “Device”
BoardName “GeForce 8500 GT”
BusID “1:0:0”
Driver “nvidia”
Identifier “Device[0]”
Screen 0
VendorName “NVidia”
EndSection
Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
InputDevice “Mouse[3]” “SendCoreEvents”
Option “Clone” “off”
Option “Xinerama” “off”
Screen “Screen[0]”
EndSection
Section “DRI”
Group “video”
Mode 0660
EndSection
Section “Extensions”
Option “Composite” “on”
EndSection
Compiz is working fine now, the only problem i have is that the Emerald theme is not persistant, it defaults to the KDE theme after every re-boot. No big deal really.
I hope this will help a bit.
if you want emeral for default decorator set
ccsm -> Effects -> Window decoration -> Command
to: emerald --replace