DISPLAY TROUBLES

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I am a brand new Linux user migrating over from Windows. I have installed openSuSE 11.0 GNOME on my newly formatted system. When the GUI loads the screen displays something like TV snow with a large gray box that seems to be my mouse cursor because it moves when I move my mouse. I am thinking that I need to install my video cards drivers which I have on CD, but I have no idea how to install the drivers. I can get to the run level 3 prompt, but then I have no idea what to do. PLEASE HELP! I’ve been at this problem for 2 days :eek:

AMD 3200 32bit processor
1024 ram
200 bg hdd
Geforce 6600GT

2

Hi
Have a look here (I prefer the hard way, 1-click never seems to work
for me :slight_smile: )

http://en.opensuse.org/Nvidia

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.0 x86 Kernel 2.6.25.11-0.1-default
up 3:12, 1 user, load average: 0.35, 0.12, 0.10
GPU GeForce 6600 TE/6200 TE - Driver Version: 173.14.12

3

UPDATE:
processor is actually an AMD Athlon 64…a friend gave me the box and I just double checked the processor type.

Does the 32bit version of SuSE work with the Athlon 64 or will only the 64bit version work?

With Win the 32bit version will work with the Athlon 64, which tells me the processor is capable of scaling down to 32bit…I just don’t know if SuSE is capable of scaling down the processor.

4

The above is fine, but with one hitch. The “easy” 1-click requires you to be in a gui, running the browser. The “hard” way requires first installing the kernel source, gcc, and make packages, which most users would do from YaST Software Management - in the gui. But you can’t get into a gui. So, there are a several alternatives to consider:

First, you can run yast from the command line in what’s called “ncurses” (it’s like how graphics used to be displayed in DOS). The command at the prompt is simply “yast” and the menu will come up. You navigate with the arrow and tab keys. Certainly not as friendly as the real gui, but all the functionality you need is there. Go to Software Repositories and add this one: the type is “http” (w/o quotes) and the server is “download.nvidia.com” and the directory is “opensuse/11.0”. Finish that, and then go from the menu to Software Management. In the Search box, search for the name “nvidia” and you’ll see a dozen or so packages. Select “x11-video-nvidiaG01”; it will additionally select for you the kernel module package. Proceed with the installation of those packages, exit, and reboot (“shutdown -r now”). If with reboot you don’t go into the gui, at the prompt do “sax -r”, to bring up sax and configure the card and your monitor; again, reboot. If this all doesn’t work, post back and get more help.

A second alternative, strictly from the command line. Using zypper, the package management program that’s behind that YaST gui. Here’s the code, from the command prompt, you must be root:

zypper sa http://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/11.0 nvidia-driver
zypper in x11-video-nvidiaG01

That will add the repository and install the driver along with the kernel module (btw, that’s a zero in “G01”). I would use this method, but some folks want to use a gui, so I gave you the above, too. Well, a sorta gui.

Finally, re the “hard” way - IMO the main advantage there is to get a version of the driver different than what is in the repository, in order to get a particular feature in a newer driver or for a bug fix. But your card is mature, and its doubtful this would apply. This method compiles from source code, and is not compatible with the repository method. That is, if you ever want to switch to the easier repo method, you will need to uninstall the driver with the installation script used in this method, before installing from the repo. If you want to go this route, post that back and I’ll give you the code to do it all from the command line.

Regarding 64-bit/32-bit - perfectly fine to use 32-bit linux OS on a 64-bit machine. You can use the 64-bit OS, but on your box it won’t give you any meaningful gain and it will probably create a bit of nuisance. So stick with the 32-bit OS.

5

Thanks for the help. I’ve been using that install guide, but I have no internet connection because without a display I don’t know how to configure connectivety. Is there any way to install the Geforce drivers without being online?

6

Hi linuxusr1

You can still use yast from runlevel 3. It will start a CLI version of the utility, allowing you to configure your network settings if necessary.

7

Thanks to mingus725 for the detailed responce! Unfortunatly I have no Internet connectivity and can therefore not access the Nvidia server for the driver. How can I configure Internet connectivity from outside the GUI? If I had Internet connectivity I think I could get the driver installed. Many thanks again for your time.

8

Hi
Run the ncurses version of yast2 which is just yast from the console :slight_smile:

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.0 x86 Kernel 2.6.25.11-0.1-default
up 6:40, 1 user, load average: 0.19, 0.09, 0.08
GPU GeForce 6600 TE/6200 TE - Driver Version: 173.14.12

9

Do you know of any guides for configuring network connectivity from non GUI yast? I know how to access non GUI yast, but I could really use a guide for configuring connectivity.

10

It has similar menu layout to graphical yast, so try it.

Type ‘yast’ to start it, then navigate to Netwotk Devices > Network Settings. From here, you can configure your network hardware. Some questions:

Are you using wired ethernet or wireless? The former is generally easier to configure without X-window system running.

Do you connect via ADSL router?

Do you know if you use static ip or dhcp?

11

I am connecting directly to my cable modem via an Ethernet cable. I believe I am using DHCP and not a static IP. I’ll go in and check those settings from yast…then I’ll be back on to check for more sage advice. Thanks!

12

Does anyone know of a good place that will tell me how to configure my network hardware?

13

You should all ready be connected, provided your hardware is supported. Do you know what ethernet chipset you have? The following commands may provide useful info:

lspci -v (to yield hardware details if necessary)
ifconfig (to give network device info)
route

14

Apparently I have an nVidia CK804 Ethernet Controller…it’s built into my motherboard. I think that the hardware is supported, but still no connectivity! Any more help is very much appreciated.

15

I’m getting this message “No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site;” does this mean my computer actually connected to the ftp site? The message goes on to say that I “will need to compile a kernel interface for my kernel” How do I compile a kernel interface? What is a kernel interface? Thanks guys

16

The openSUSE HCL suggests this chipset is supported. I’m not familiar with this chipset, but maybe try the forcedeth driver? Try doing

modprobe forcedeth (as root)

If you need more help with this, I suggest you start a new thread specifically for ethernet support (might get missed here). Post the lspci output in that thread.

17

linuxusr1 wrote:

>
> Does anyone know of a good place that will tell me how to configure my
> network hardware?
>
>

The CK804 NFORCE4 ethernet is fully supported out of the box in opensuse
10.2, 10.3 and 11.0. It uses the forcedeth module (I always see that
as ‘force deth’, instead of ‘forced eth’ {Grin} )

You’ll need to be root.

Yes, I know, you’re in console mode.

Type “yast” to start the Yast setup program

The arrows, tab and enter keys work for navigation, press ALT+highlit letter
to choose something.

In Yast, press DOWN arrow 3 times to select ‘Network Devices’, press TAB to
move to right column, press DOWN arrow 3 times, press ENTER, wait while
network settings module loads.

You’re on a wired connection, using dhcp…

Press ALT-G, for global settings

Press ALT-T, for traditional control mode

Press ALT-E, to disable IPV6, can cause issues for some people

Press ALT-O, to return to the device overview tab

Press TAB 3 times to move highlight to the list of network devices, you may
have only the CK804, you may have more.

Use the arrow keys to highlight the “CK804 Ethernet Controller”

Press ALT-I, new screen appears

Press ALT-Y, to choose Dynamic Address, it SHOULD say “DHCP” in the next
box, if not, press TAB, DOWN, then use the arrows to highlight DHCP, press
ENTER.

Press ALT-N, you’re returned to previous screen listing CK804 Controller,
should now say “DHCP” under “IP Address” column.

Press ALT-S, ALT-T, type in a meaningful hostname, leave the Domain name
alone unless you actually have a domain to put in there.

Press ALT-C, to clear the checkbox for “Change Hostname via DHCP”

Verify the checkbox for “Change /etc/resolv.conf manually” is CLEARED, press
ALT-A to toggle it.

Press ALT-F, to finish configuration and write the new settings.

Press ALT-Q, to exit Yast

Your network should now be working.

Test this by typing:

host yahoo.com

You should get a bunch of information, addresses, and “mail is handled by”
lines.

If not… type:

rcnetwork restart

And try the ‘host yahoo.com’ line again.

Once your network connectivity is up and running, you can use Yast to add
the nvidia repository, and then install the nvidia drivers and kernel
module.

Do you wish a keystroke guide for that too? Honest, it works JUST LIKE the
gui version, but you have to press the little squares with squiggles on
them, can’t click.

Hope this helps.

–
L R Nix
lornix@lornix.com

18

Thanks so much for the information and help. I am now connected to the Internet…some of my problem was that I use a company called Comcast as my ISP…I normally use a router with a cloned MAC address…I now have my Linux box connected directly to the router and everything works! Now I’m back to the Nvidia driver problem, which I will work on with renewed vigor now that I have connectivity. Thanks again to all, and any more info on the Nvidia install would be great…and I’ll do my best with what I’ve got.

19

The instructions I posted above should get you the nvidia driver. If after rebooting you don’t go right into KDE or Gnome, at the command prompt, do

sax2 -r

and you should see that the nvidia driver is recognized, then you can configure your card and monitor.

20

OH MY GOODNESS!! mingus725 we are not worthy…thank you so much…I have finally booted into the GUI environment with full graphics and mouse control and I’m well on my way to being a Linux devotee! Thanks to all for the help it has been truly invaluable.