Confused: Inconsistint Installs

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I have 2x Dell Precision 390’s. Identically configured with 2xRaid1 1Gb, 8Gb Ram and a Quad core processor. I installed the first system, 11.1 with all updates and NVidia drivers for my NVS285. When I move windows around they become semi-transparent - I seem to have acceleration. I installed the second system (as near as I can tell, identically). I don’t have the semi-transparent background, and my bash does not have [up][down] history on the arrow keys. This is all I have discovered thus far, I am not sure what else I am likely to find. Also, on the boot of this second system I see a brief message complaining about sound. Both systems are 100% operational in terms of hardware and sport the same BIOS version and settings.

Just a little concerning…

2

Looks like you’re having one of the latest NVIDIA GPU’s. To check if 3D acceleration is active, open a terminal window and do:
glxinfo | grep direct
If the NVIDIA driver is working correctly it at least should say:
direct rendering: Yes

If not, I assume the card is too new, and only supported by NVIDIA’s beta drivers. I also assume you’re running 64bit.

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Start the Software installer and make sure you have the pattern ‘Linux Kernel Development’ installed.

Open a terminal window and issue following commands:

mkdir NVIDIA-driver
-Creates a folder ‘NVIDIA-driver’ in your homedir.

cd NVIDIA-driver
-Makes you enter the ‘NVIDIA-driver’ folder.

wget ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Li...90.25-pkg2.run

-Downloads the latest beta driver from NVIDIA

Now logout of your desktop back to the login screen. At the graphic login screen, hit Ctrl-Alt-F1. This brings you to the console, with a text based login. Login with username and password. Now issue the following commands to install and configure the driver. You will be prompted for your rootpassword on all the ‘su -c’ commands. but that’s for your own security.

cd ~/NVIDIA-driver
-Enter the folder where driver installer was downloaded.

su -c ‘init 3’
-Change runlevel to 3: no X-server (so no graphic desktop)

su -c ‘sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-190.25-pkg2.run -q’
-Starts the driver installer. Accept the licence and confirm all steps. The driver will be built and installed. After it finishes succesfully, you’ll have to tell the X-server to use it:

su -c ‘cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf .’
-Make a copy of the working xorg.conf to the NVIDIA-driver folder.

su -c ‘sax2 -r -m0=nvidia’
-This starts sax2. It may take a while to start. At the screen you will see, click ‘Change configuration’. In the next screen you will see your card, though it may not have the proper name. In the properties you can set NoLogo and RenderAccel, by just clicking the mentioned options. Check screen resolution. Click OK, Save. And exit.
Now you’re back in the console screen. The last command exits you from the console and starts the X-server:

su -c ‘init 5 && exit’

Full 3D and all desktop effects from here on.

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Good luck

3

…or just swap the hard drives, see what happens :wink: