Hi all,
I'm new to linux and have almost got my new media center finished after a tough struggle with drivers.
I'm having trouble with my graphics driver now. I have a Nvidia 7300gt and currently have the latest driver installed via envy (I have also tried manually installing the latest driver from the nvidia website, but with the same problem)
The drivers work fine untill I install linux MCE.
No driver shows up in the 'graphics driver' box under the visual tab of the MCE conf screen; when I set the graphics option to u2 with blending it tells me that renderaccel (amongst others) is not enabled. Clicking the option to enable these exits the x-server which then fails to restart (I had to re install kubuntu when this happened, although re-installing the nvidia driver in diagnostic mode may have fixed this).
If I choose to run in U1 mode then I can run through the MCE setup process, although the screens are poorly rendered (very faded and blue with jumbled checkboxes and parts of the kubuntu desktop visable).
The kubuntu environment also shows signs of a bad / no graphics driver - the screen goes white for a few seconds while loading the kubuntu desktop, fast page scrolling is jumpy and the logout screen blend to grey shows a black or mal-rendered desktop.
I notice that the graphics driver in the kde display manager is 'vesa' not the installed nvidia driver. I can select a Nvidia 7 series driver from the dropdown menu but this doesn't improve my driver problems, and I assume this is the built in kubuntu driver, not the nvidia driver I have installed - very confused!!
I would greatly appreciate any answers, suggestions in getting my graphics up to scratch! the card should be more than capable for linux MCE!
Cheers
Gareth
For further info, heres the rest of my system specs:
cpu: amd Athlon 4200+
mem: 512mb corsair value select (could this be an issue? does MCE reqire more than 512mb???)
mobo: foxconn nf4
TV card: hauppauge hvr-1100
HDD: 400gb seimens sata
psu: themaltake 500w
dvd drive
soundgraph imon lcd + imon pad remote
i would advise you to let linuxmce to install by itself the nvidia driver (from installer).
I tried installing linux MCE without a pre-installed nvidia driver, it prompted to install a nvidia Proprietary driver. I clicked ok, it installed and rebooted, but the resolution was stuck at 640x480, and would not increase.
Would this be rectified by changing the display (in kde display manager) from plug and play to generic??
I have an acer 17" flatscreen monitor
Also, the installed nvidia driver shows up on the xorg.conf file, is this file over-ridden by linux mce? is there a linux mce xorg.cof equivellant that is loaded instead of xorg.conf??
of course you can change the monitor model in kde display manager. you have to find your monitor model in that list. also, xorg.conf is modified my linuxmce.
My monitor model isn't listed.
I'm going to try uninstalling my current nvidia driver, install the driver from linux MCE, and set my monitor to generic.
This should work, although I would have prefered the envy nvidia driver to work as it comes with the nvidia settings interface - looks useful for adding a TV out (I want my media center to display through a CRT TV via s-video).
Has anyone managed to get a CRT TV working through s-video with linux mce + nvidia card?
You might want to have a look at the Display Drivers (http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/Display_Drivers) Wiki page.
Hit ESC when booting GRUB Menu and load up in recovery mode from there you can install the linux nvidia drivers from the command line I had to "apt-get install libc-dev" then "sh NVIDIA" complete the filename and path to where you have saved it
I had tried installing the nvidia drivers from the nvidia web site in init 1 mode but when I then installing LMCE it still prompted me to install the properatry driver (suggesting that no driver was detected) So I installed LMCE's driver and after reboot the x-server wouldnt load (not even after using the xorg.conf backup).
I did manage to get LMCE running using it's nvidia driver (after reinstalling everything) but that messed up by clicking the kde display manager to change the resoultion. And again the x-server wouldn't start.
So, I have decided to try out mythbuntu instead (since I only need the media bit) and see how that goes.
Thanks for your help!
is it a "great" problem or effort to look on the internet what refresh rates your monitor is supporting? and then to input them in kde display manager (monitor section)? i don't think so. i have also a monitor which is not listed in any linux distro, but it works very well as long as i put the refresh rates manually.
I've done that, my monitor should run up to 1280x1024 @ 75 Hz, although for some reason this setting buggers up the x-server (have to reload my backup xorg.conf. 1024x748 @ 60 seems to work fine. I don't think Its a refresh rate issue.
Anyway, I will give LMCE another shot- it's all about playing around.
Strangely though with any driver I use nvtv does not detect a compatable graphics card. I have an XFX Nvidia 7300gt. Does anyone know if this card is def supported by nvtv??
Also since the kde display manager does not show that I am using a nvidia driver I am beginning to wonder if i'm missing something out when installing it...
When envy says the driver is installed its installed right?
try to use the new RC version of LMCE and see what you get.