I ran the command you mentioned and have only 1 video device(0).
There is no xorg.conf in my /etc/X11/ folder only a xorg.conf.install
I read in an earlier post that you recommended the “hard way” and that is the approach I will take to install any driver from here on out. And not do this in X window mode but in su mode from a terminal after a reboot, select 3 and follow the hard way…
I also saw closer to the top of this thread that the “Legacy” driver pkg from nvidia is the one you recommended. And like you questioned “How do I know it’s the right proprietary driver?”
I don’t.I did try installing once today and I didn’t do it like you suggested and that’s how I broke my system and had to reinstall the OS.
I have not installed anything optional yet, no nvidia. Everything is as it landed during the installation process.
“hwinfo” was not asked by me. Caf4926 was interested in that. The problem with that command is it does not always reliably indicate what driver is in use. It has this:
Driver Info #0:
XFree86 v4 Server Module: nv
But I can not be certain the “nv” driver is in use as it is unusual to have “nv” and be stuck at 800x600. I suspect the “fbdev” or “vesa” driver may be in use, and the only way to find out reliably is to follow my advice here: How to check what graphic driver is installed That will confirm if indeed this is the ‘nv’ driver or the ‘vesa’ or the ‘fbdev’.
Its NOT that difficult to follow.
I really appreciate everybodys help!
If you find it too difficult, then open the file /var/log/Xorg.0.log with a text editor, and PASTE the contents of that file here: New - Pastie and press paste, and that will give you a website/URL (ie "http:// … " address). Post here the URL and I will look at it and TELL you what driver is in use.
<script src=‘http://pastie.org/966840.js’></script>
OK, thanks. Its easier to read from this link: #966840 - Pastie](http://pastie.org/966840)
Thats clear, you are indeed using the “nv” driver.
Lets 1st see if we can get the “nv” driver to use a BETTER resolution than 800x600. You can do this by using the graphic ‘wizard’ sax2.
- Reboot your PC and as soon as the boot/splash menu (where you choose a regular boot or fail safe) appears, press “3” (no quotes) and a ‘3’ should appear in the options line of the boot menu. Then press < enter > to proceed with the regular boot.
- login as a regular user to the full screen text mode.
- once logged in, type “su” (no quotes, and enter root password)
- run sax2 by typing:
sax2 -r -m 0=nv
(that is zero equals nv) … I assume your PC has ONLY 1 graphic device.
- tune sax2 to the best graphics you can get. If that works exit sax2. Sax2 will have created a custom /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.
- reboot your PC then to test with:
shutdown -r now
this time do NOT press ‘3’.
Does that work?
Note you can always delete the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to get back to where you are now (at 800x600).
Got to take care of some business. Print these directions out and follow them and then I’ll be back.
Thanks again for all your help - mike
Good luck. I’m going to bed for the night.
that sax2 command has fixed my display so I can now adjust it from 1280x1024 down. How cool!
Thanks!
I executed the steps you suggested for grep-ing FDEV, VESA, etc and didn’t see anything about “nv” in all that.
How did you or would I know to use nv?
I also saw something about man (something). Is that manpages? I’ve heard the word but have no clue how to use them. Is ‘nv’ covered in the manpages? How do I know if I have the necessary manpages to manpaage? If I man nv and nothing happens, do I need to go get a nv manpage from somewhere?
I have a fair amount of experience with another OS but am pretty weak with this stuff.
Great ! Sorry that it was a bit painful to get here. It always is in Linux the first time one dives into a new area.
Typically, “nv” is the openSource driver for nVidia hardware. You told is a few times you had nVidia hardware. So that in itself suggested to use the “nv” driver.
Then you ran the
hwinfo --gfxcard
that caf4926 suggested, and that included this in the output
Driver Info #0:
XFree86 v4 Server Module: nv
which suggested the “nv” driver was in use, albeit I confess I was skeptical.
So you then uploaded the content of the /var/log/Xorg.0.log to New - Pastie and in that content we saw many occurrences of this: " (II) NV(0) " and that confirmed the “nv” driver was in use.
You stated you had no /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, and that suggested that the automatic resolution detection of Xorg was not working well with the “nv” driver, and the content of the /var/log/Xorg.0.log also confirmed that assessment. Hence the above suggested to me you needed a custom /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to manually force a better resolution that the automatic xorg detection was unable to provide (by creating an /etc/X11/xorg.conf file - … if you look now you will see you now have such a file).
As to how a new user would know, … they would simply read one of the links I provided which had this as a post: openSUSE Forums - View Single Post - openSUSE Graphic Card Practical Theory Guide for Users for NVIDIA hardware and its stated very clearly there that there is an open source graphic driver called the “nv” driver and there are explanations there as to how one can use “sax2” to create a custom /etc/X11/xorg.conf to better tune the driver.
Does “man nv” not work ? it works on my PC. Did you try:
man nv
Now the performance you get with the “nv” driver is not as good as what you can likely get from the “nvidia” driver. And when you are willing to go through another iterative experience (which will be a learning curve possibly with stumbles along the away) we can try installing and then loading the proprietary “nvidia” driver, using “the hardway” that I alluded to earler.
Congratulations thou, on getting the higher resolution. This DOES get easier with experience.
Congratulations thou, on getting the higher resolution. This DOES get easier with experience.
…and good work too oldcpu, for helping yet another new user trawl their way through a sometimes convoluted process in order to get progress with their graphics configuration.
I will be back on this to attempt the better performance driver, but not today. And I’ll do more reading before that effort as well.
thanks again all - mike