getting nowhere with nvidia x server - just refuses point blank to save config

English Hardware
#1

i spent the best part of 12 hours yesterday with fedora 15 trying to enable the nvidia drivers because i wanted to use Gnome 3 and had zero luck. So once i read that suse was a better bet i installed that.

the nvidia drivers have installed fine and i can get my required resolution of 1440x900 if i use an old saved xorg.conf file i managed to randomly cobble together a few years ago … this is it …

File generated by XFdrake (rev 247269)

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the xorg.conf man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerFlags"
    #DontZap # disable <Ctrl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
    #DontZoom # disable <Ctrl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Disable "dri"
    Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
    Load "extmod"
    Load "type1"
    Load "freetype"
    Load "glx" # 3D layer
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Keyboard1"
    Driver "kbd"
    Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
    Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
    Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Mouse1"
    Driver "mouse"
    Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
    Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Generic"
    ModelName "Flat Panel 1440x900"
    HorizSync 31.5-90
    VertRefresh 60
    Option "PreferredMode" "1440x900"
    
    # TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
    # 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     50.00  768  832  846 1000   576  590  595  630
    
    # 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     63.07  768  800  960 1024   576  578  590  616
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_120"  229.75  1440 1552 1712 1984  900 901 904 965  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_100"  187.55  1440 1544 1704 1968  900 901 904 953  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_85"  156.79  1440 1536 1696 1952  900 901 904 945  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_75"  136.49  1440 1536 1688 1936  900 901 904 940  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_60"  106.47  1440 1520 1672 1904  900 901 904 932  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_50"  87.41  1440 1512 1664 1888  900 901 904 926  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_120"  181.21  1280 1376 1520 1760  800 801 804 858  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_100"  147.89  1280 1376 1512 1744  800 801 804 848  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_85"  123.38  1280 1368 1504 1728  800 801 804 840  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_75"  107.21  1280 1360 1496 1712  800 801 804 835  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_60"  83.46  1280 1344 1480 1680  800 801 804 828  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_50"  68.56  1280 1336 1472 1664  800 801 804 824  -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    VendorName "nVidia Corporation"
    BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce 6100 and later"
    Driver "nvidia"
    Option "DPMS"
    Option "DynamicTwinView" "true"
    Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 8
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 15
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 16
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 24
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout1"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    Screen "screen1"
EndSection

i initially tried clicking “save to x configuration file” and it hung, but then i realised it was because i wasn’t doing it as root. So I set my resolution to 1440x900, saved it to file, which it appeared to do and rebooted.

And it was right back to 1024x768.

If i do xrandr I get this …

xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 240, current 1440 x 900, maximum 1440 x 900
default connected 1440x900+0+0 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768       50.0     62.0  
   960x720        51.0  
   928x696        52.0  
   896x672        53.0  
   800x600        54.0     55.0  
   640x512        56.0  
   640x480        57.0     58.0  
   512x384        59.0  
   400x300        60.0  
   320x240        61.0  
   1440x900       62.0*

So i’m stuck - i can’t understand why the file won’t “take” when I save it. Any help most gratefully received, thankyou.

#2

Please tell us how you installed the nvidia drivers, so we can see (if applicable) where you went wrong.

Did you install using the repository or manually using the driver from www.nvidia.com

If manually, did u follow any guides?
Did you blacklist nouveau?
Are you using openSUSE 11.4?

#3

sorry, i always think i’ve added all the necessary information and end up forgetting the most important parts :slight_smile: I’m definitely using openSUSE 11.4 for a start.

to install the nvidia drivers I went here

SDB:NVIDIA drivers - openSUSE

and, as I have an NVidia 7300LE card, I clicked the first button and the drivers installed.

and I also did …

echo “blacklist nouveau” >> /etc/modprobe.d/50-blacklist.conf

NO_KMS_IN_INITRD=“yes”
in the kernel config file as well

hope that helps, and thanks for your response.

#4

it’s working ! woohooo!!

i signed in this morning and decided to try it again. copied my xorg.conf file into /etc/X11 and then ran nvidia-settings as root. set the resolution and clicked ‘save’. randomly decided to uncheck ‘merge with current file’ and saved it. rebooted and it worked :slight_smile:

can’t believe i never thought to do that yesterday.

anyway it’s working so i’m happy, although the whole system in general does seem to be running a bit slow and laggy … might have to investigate …

#5

Well thats good.

However, there is no need to create an xorg.conf file. The X server should be able to work without one.

Use the xorg.conf as a last resort or if you wish to tune options eg running at a non native resolution.

#6

Very often the presence of an xorg.conf even disturbs.