Fresh install Redhat 7.3 and GeForce 2 MX 200 - HELP

[UNOHU]

Severe newbie.

I had this PC configured with RH 7.2 and a Voodoo2 and have since upgraded to 7.3 and GF2 MX200. I'm wanting to get Unreal Tournament running on it. I figured I'd be rip roaring ready to go after installing the MX200 but after getting RH 7.3 up and running I tried Tux Racer out and still have the same old poor performance that I did with the Voodoo2.

If I install the NVidia Linux drivers will everything be hunky-doory or will I need to install GLIDE or OpenGL?


This is a great site! Thanks in advance for any help!


IF AN ADMIN READS THIS PLEASE MOVE IT TO THE HARDWARE FORUM.
Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to what forum I was in.

[aaronk42]

I also have RH 7.2 and a GeForce2 MX...and my graphics performance was terrible when I first installed. But once I installed the nvidia drivers, all was well...very well. :)

[UNOHU]

GREAT!

How did you do it?????????? Detailed list would be great; command line entries, files used, error messages to ignore, etc.

I'm an extreme newbie. I work on windows PCs all day and bearly have time to look at any linux stuff at home so I don't have much experience with Linux. I don't even know how to change runlevels.

Any help is appreciated!

[mychl]

Heres what you have to do.

Go to Nvidia and get the latest NVIDIA_kernel_*.tar.gz and the corresponding NVIDIA_GLX_*.tar.gz file. The * will be the version, make sure they match!.

Now, as root, untar both files. tar zxvf NVIDIA*

Then cd into the NVIDIA_kernel directory, and type make.

Once that finishes, cd ../NVIDIA_GLX and again, type make.

Once that is done, edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file, and find the line that specifies your driver. It should say now, nv, you want to change that to say nvidia.

Save the file, and start your xserver, or restart it....

That should be it

[UNOHU]

I'm sorry all, I've been using MS products for the last 12 years so I'm accustomed to DOS commands but Linux is just bewildering and frustrating to me.

Do I need to get out of KDE? I assume that I do. How do I switch runlevels? Do I need to edit the "inittab" file? If so can I do THAT in KDE? CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE stops X, right?

It's not helping my situation that I have no internet connection on the working PC that sits next to this new Linux box.
I think I need "extreme-have-no-frickin-clue-linuxnewbie.org"

[pepper]

Why not download the RPM versions of the NVIDIA Linux drivers.

1. If your not sure which ones you have to download there is a file on the download page that you can download. This file will determine which files you need. The file's name is NVchooser.sh. To execute this file the command is: sh NVchooser.sh

2. Once you download the right files install them with the command RPM -ivh <file name> .

3. Edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. Look for where the driver for your card says "nv" change that to "nvidia" Also where it hass all the loads. Remove the Load "dri" and Load "GLcore" modules. Make sure that the Load "glx" is there, if not put it in.

4. Your /etc/modules.conf file will have a new alias added to it after the instalation of the Nvidia drivers. Check to make sure that the new alias is not butted up against another one. If it is just put it on a new line.

5. If you want to change your runlevel from starting X to just starting to the command line login edit your /etc/inittab file. change id:5:initdefault: to id:3:initdefault. To start the X server when logged in at the command line type startx. I suggest doing this incase any problems arise. That way the X server will not try and load every five minutes.

hope this is good for you,

pepper

[mychl]

You do not need to exit KDE. You can do it from a terminal.

You also can use the RPMs, its really up to you. I prefer to compile them from source, which is using the tar.gz files.

RPMs are somewhat like install files.

Either way. Open a terminal and at the prompt type su, then enter your root password. Then go ahead and either follow the above instructions for the tar.gz files, or the rpm files.

Let us know how things go

[UNOHU]

OK - here is what I've done:

- Reinstalled RH7.3 just to get back to a fresh system after severely screwing up XF86Config-4. It was kinda funny to load X at 1600x1200 and watch to mouse jump all over the top of the screen. =)

- booted into KDE as root and opened a console window

- Ran NVchooser.sh. It told me that I needed the files:
NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.rh73up.i386.rpm
NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.i386.rpm

- Copied my current XF86Config-4 to XF86Config-4-original so I could get the info on the mouse and keyboard into the new config

- ran rpm -ivh NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.rh73up.i386.rpm

- ran rpm -ivh NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.i386.rpm

- tried creating a new XF86Config file by running XFree86 -configure but couldn't do that as X was already started

- like a dummy: booted to runlevel 3 to edit the XF86Config-4 manually but couldn't figure out how to load two files at once in 'vi'

- booted back to runlevel 5 and now all I get is the screen looking like its switching modes.

I will try to figure out how to boot to runlevel 3 via GRUB and edit the XF86Config-4 and modules.conf files as "pepper" states3. Edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. Look for where the driver for your card says "nv" change that to "nvidia" Also where it hass all the loads. Remove the Load "dri" and Load "GLcore" modules. Make sure that the Load "glx" is there, if not put it in.
4. Your /etc/modules.conf file will have a new alias added to it after the instalation of the Nvidia drivers. Check to make sure that the new alias is not butted up against another one. If it is just put it on a new line.
I have not seen the modules.conf so I hope I can figure out what the new "ALIAS" is and edit accordingly.

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!

[pepper]

I have found a way to locate files that I can't find. I use the locate command. ie "locate modules.conf" at a command prompt. However if you never used the command before use "updatedb" before the locate coomand. Also in the modules.conf file the aliases that should be in there for your video card should be something like

alias char-major-10-175 agpgart
alias char-major-195 NVdriver

If you need me to I will post my modules.conf file and show you it.

I hope this is better.

pepper

[UNOHU]

OK...this is getting frustrating...AGAIN. :mad:

- I've made the proper changes to the XF86Config-4.
- The modules.conf contains on one line:
alias char-major-195 NVdriver
- I boot to runlevel 5
- I see the NVidia splash screen (that I'm going to DISABLE after I get everthing up and running)
- I type root for the user in the graphical login
- right after I type the 't' the system locks up and I can do nothing but power off or reset the machine
- reset the PC and QUICKLY logged in as root at the graphical login. KDE starts but the PC locks up as soon as 'Kandalf's tips' starts displaying the text for the tip.:confused:
- I looked in the XF86Config-4 after booting to runlevel 3 (I've found out how to change runlevels via GRUB, just edit the kernel line by adding " [number of desired runlevel]". Note the space before the number. eg. kernel blah blah /dev/hda1 3)
- I found a section of dri settings and removed them - NO CHANGE :rolleyes:
- I screwed up my XF86Config-4 file again and formatting makes me feel better like I'm getting some sort of revenge for all of my trouble with Linux so that's what I've done. :D

I have not attempted to install the NVidia drivers again yet. At the moment I don't like the way my BIOS is configuring all of my devices. I have it set to assign an IRQ to the VGA but it assigns IRQ 5 which I have ALWAYS devoted to sound. My PnP ISA SB16 is being configured on IRQ 10. If I disable the automatic IRQ assignment to the VGA card IRQ 5 switches to the USB controller and NO IRQ is assigned to the VGA card. Do I need an IRQ assigned to the VGA card for Linux to work properly?
I'm going to get the BIOS updated and see if I can't get the resources configured the way I want. Then I'll get everything in Linux working properly * and backup my config files before I try to install the NVidia drivers again.

*Currently I'm getting a /dev/dsp error when entering KDE. Any suggestions? It worked fine for a while. I exitted X and ran 'setup' to configure my sound card and it shot a modules error at me. I restarted and disabled the VGA IRQ assignment, ran 'setup' and sound worked fine.

pepper:
If you could post your modules.conf file I would appreciate it. Just 2 or 3 lines before and after the proper lines for NVidia operation. I KNOW I don't have the 'alias char-major-10-175 agpgart' line above the NVidia line. Is that needed?

THANKS TONS TO EVERYONE CONTRIBUTING!:p

[pepper]

This is my /etc/modules.conf

alias parport_lowlevel parport_pc
alias eth0 8139too
alias wlan0 prism2_pci
alias char-major-195 NVdriver <--NVIDIA driver
alias char-major-10-175 agpgart.

If you want me to post the parts of xf86config-4 file that you need to change let me know. One other thing, did you create the modules.conf file or was it already there? I am not sure that you need the agpgart alias. It worked for me without it. But someone put in a post and I added it to aliases list. Oh another thing that I just remembered that same person told me to check my bios settings for AGP 2X support and to change it to 1X support. this guy said that after changing that feature it started to work correctly. It sounds like the problem your having.

[UNOHU]

OK - It's working perfectly it seems...I can run Tux Racer in all it's glory. :D

__ 1. Installed Red Hat 7.3
__ 2. Logged in to KDE as “root” and opened a shell console
__ 3. Downloaded “NVchooser.sh” to “/root/”
__ 4. Ran “NVchooser.sh” by using the following command in a console shell:
sh NVchooser.sh
__ 4. Downloaded, to “/root/” the kernel and GLX driver files that “NVchooser.sh” said to use in RPM format. In my case; “NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.rh73up.i386.rpm” and “NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.i386.rpm”.
__ 5. Installed the kernel driver by using the following command in the shell console:
rpm –ivh NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.rh73up.i386.rpm
__ 6. Installed the GLX driver by using the following command in the shell console:
rpm –ivh NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.i386.rpm
__ 7. Using “Kate” I edited “/etc/X11/XF86Config-4” with the following changes:
Remove if exists:
Load “GLcore”
Load “dri”
Entire section at end of file regarding “dri” parameters

Change, keep or create:
Change “nv” to “nvidia”
Keep or create Load “GLX” in the same area that the Load “GLcore” and Load “dri” lines were
__ 8. Using “Kate” I edited “/etc/modules.conf” inserting agpgart just above NVidia line as follows:
alias char-major-10-175 agpgart
alias char-major-195 NVdriver
__ 9. Restarted PC and entered BIOS
__ 10. Changed AGP setting to 1x instead of 2x
__ 11. Booted PC normally, logged in and played Tux Racer with NO SLOWDOWN.

To quote Homer J. Simpson: WHOO HOO!
Now, does anyone have an opinion on making a NHF out of this?

THANKS TO ALL THAT HELPED ME OUT! It was a good experience to get down in the topsoil of Linux like this.