[ale] [video] I'm At My Whit's End: Nvidia and Linux

[Scott Castaline]

On 05/28/2010 08:22 PM, Marc Ferguson wrote:
> Hi Gang,
>
> As the subject implies, I'm at my whit's end when it comes to my current
> specs and running the latest of anything! I know it's a pretty broad
> statement... I tried running Ubuntu 10.04 Live and Fedora 13 Live, but
> neither one of them is showing me any love.  I've load both distros,
> independently, onto my USB flash drive in order to test and install them.
>
> UBUNTU
> I'll start off with this one because it's easy. So; with a fresh quick
> format and then load the distro files onto my USB key, I boot the Ubuntu
> flavor. I get their startup screen and then it gives me the options to
> boot, test, etc. When I try to boot, it seems to go into some odd loop
> and it never starts the kernel. It counts down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... <repeat>
> 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... So; that's the end of that experiment. :(
>
> FEDORA
> Now; this is my distro of choice, but I have been having serious
> video-related issues since the end of Fedora 10. Currently I'm running a
> nVidia GeForce 9400 GT. Before it was an 8600 GT. I stick with nVidia
> because I game on my Windows partition... but I've been without a linux
> desktop for about a month and it's really starting to get to me. I've
> tried just about everything to get nVidia support.  The "nv" drivers
> aren't working. When the x server tries to load them I literally lose
> the signal to my monitor and I have to reboot the machine. I end up
> changing xorg.conf to use the "vesa" drivers just to log in. I've tried
> the forums, IRC, bug reports... no one has an answer as to why it's not
> working.
>
> With the latest Live boot experiment, when Fedora tries to load it's x
> server the oddest thing happens. I get a grid of images on my screen.
> Not of Fedora Live, but my last Microsoft Windows session.  It seems
> that there's a cache in the video card (I really don't know, just a
> guess). The grids are all out of sync so nothing matches, but if you
> were to try and put them together it would be my desktop in Windows.
> I've tried booting into runlevel 3 and creating an xorg.conf file,
> setting it to "vesa" and still no luck.
>
> So; I can't get into Fedora and I can't get Ubuntu to start. Any
> suggestions before I put a gun to my head? Thanks. :D
>
> Oh my specs are:
>
> * Motherboard: BioStar TA690g AM2 (onboard video ATI)
> * Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3600+
> * Memory: 4BG
> * Video: nVidia GeForce 9400 GT
>
> --
> Marc Ferguson
>
> Registered Linux User #410978
> www.fergytech.com <http://www.fergytech.com> | www.digitalalias.net
> <http://www.digitalalias.net>
>
> "When life gives me lemons... I make Linuxaide, hmm good stuff!"
>
>
>
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Marc,
     Just out of curiousity, have you tried with the onboard video. The 
Fedora Forums seem to indicate a problem with nVidia drivers in Linux. 
The ATI OpenSource seem to have finally matured. 3D on ATI is no longer 
experimental but is so with nVidia. Since F11 my ATI has given me no 
problems. Just a thought....