Optiplex 670 - nvidia reconfiguration - HOWTO?

[Lexje]

Hi folks,

First time on this board, so excuse me if I need to find my way and perhaps ask stupid questions..

I succesfully managed to install LinuxMCE on a Dell Optiplex 670 with its original nvidia VGA onboard.
As this card has no S-Video output I have replaced it with a NX8600GT card.

1. Problem is that upon booting X does not properly appear.
First I see the Kubuntu loading sign.
Then after some beeping the Linux MCE launch manager appears...
Next the screens turns black.
Also, in Launch Manager the UI type selection possibility is not present. I can run the UI diagnostics tool allright..

I intend to firstly use the system as a hybrid and would like to connect TV via S-Video.

2. Another point is I would like to reconfigure remote drives being connected. How can I do this?
During install, Linux MCE picks up all my smb shares.
Apparently something keeps these from properly mounting, but it takes a lot of CPU while MCE is trying to mount all these...
How can I remove them?

3. Is there a way F7 / F?? to switch between Kubuntu desktop and MCE interface?

Thanks for helping out, and most of all thanks for wonderfull LinuxMCE!!

Erwin

[orionsune]

I probably can't help you, but i'd like to give you my experience with my 8600GT.  Since we have the identical cards.

When I first installed MCE on my machine with the 8600GT, and the AVWizard runs, I got a black screen on my default VGA out port.  I had to select the proper output and resolution blindly.  I went off memory and used the arrow keys, but can also use the number keys.  I know this doesn't help you, but I think it is interesting you are having a video issue with 8600GT and so did I.

[rwilson131]

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/AVWizard#What_to_do_if_A.2FV_Wizard_does_not_start

[orionsune]

Then after some beeping the Linux MCE launch manager appears...

rwilson131, i'm not sure about your analysis, if you read his post carefully, he's getting into X and claiming the Launch Manager is appearing, then the screen turns blank.  What you are suggestions is the classic "wrong selected output" thing, I don't think thats his problem.  It sounds like his screen is going blank AFTER it gets into KDE.  If it were an output selection issue, then he's never see the Launch Manager, ever....

2. Another point is I would like to reconfigure remote drives being connected. How can I do this?
During install, Linux MCE picks up all my smb shares.
Apparently something keeps these from properly mounting, but it takes a lot of CPU while MCE is trying to mount all these...
How can I remove them?

Use your web browser and type in the ip address ofyour linuxmce box.  Once you login, on the left pane, scroll down and click "Show Device Tree" and on that device tree look for your remote drivers listed in the left pane.  Click on one, then in the right pane you should see a link near the top called "Delete Child Device". 

To manually configure your remote drives, since automatic is not working for you, you can try this guide. http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Howto:_Using_Network_Shares

[Lexje]

Hi folks,

Thanks for trying to help out.
In the mean time I havent come much further than finding the command to start the AVWizard.

I am sure I have not run

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sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg with this machine.

1. How come it has switched form 6 to 4 desktops? (Where to configure this? I don't even know where?)
2. As far as I'm aware you can't easily start 2 instances of Xserver, and I have to launch X manually... (this has also changed sometime allthough I don't know why or when...)

3. At first I heard the beeps but did not know what they meant; If I'm not mistaken, I first get a shorter beep, and then after a while I get a longer series of beeps. I think to know now they are linked to the AVWizard.
But when I try (using keyboard, I have nothing else) to press shift key on the keyboard, nothing happens...

Do I have to keep this key pressed continuously? How long? If I do, the system starts beeping rythmycally.

Is there no way to set these choices (1:DVI, 2:VGA...7: 1024x768) manually in a conf file?

I have dug up some information in the manual of the Fiire Chief (which I don't have) that exactly states the same choices for picking connector and resolution, but this is with a remote control - which I don't have.

?? I don't have anything attached to the S-Video outlet of my nvidia card. Would it be possible that the system defaults to this connector??

Thanks for sticking with me!!

[orionsune]

Hey, I just had a thought.  I ran into a strange ass problem the other day, where after installing the nvidia proprietary drivers for my 6200 agp card, X wouldn't start up.  I have no idea why this is, but come to find out, the nvidia module was being loaded during startup, and that prevented X from starting up.   I removed the module from memory with a

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rmmod nvidia

And X started up perfectly using the same proprietary drivers I just updated with.  That reminds me again, since you can get to a shell prompt, have you downloaded and tried updating your nvidia drivers?  I had to do this to get into AVWizard when switching from an ATI card to an NVIDIA card without re-installing.

Oh, I ended up adding 'rmmod nvidia' to one of my startup scripts, box has been running great for weeks now.

[MrJohnBravo]

LexJe
       I just changed my system from 7.04 to the beta 4 and in the process switched from an old ATI(8mb) to a freshly purchased used nvidia 5200 with an svideo out. Anyway All that to say that I used Envy to configure my nvidia drivers after I installed Kubuntu but before I installed Beta 4 . It worked pretty flawlessly  and maybe it will help you out. Here's the link to Envy http://www.debianadmin.com/envy-ati-and-nvidia-drivers-installation-made-easy.html.

    Also after I did that I had to have a monitor attached to my NVidia vgaout and an svideo cable so that when I ran the AV wizard I could see the screen after switching to SVideo NTSC-M on the Display settings screen in the AVwizard.

I hope some of this will help

Mr Johnathan Bravo

--Ohh MAMA!!--

[rwilson131]

Yes you are right, I missed to part about seeing Launch Manager.

what about this:

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Display_Drivers#X-windows_won.27t_start_for_AVWizard

It talks about nvidia cards not seeing the proper screen. 

Last thought.

[Blackhat]

what driver is xorg.conf using?  My 8x00 series kept trying to use the "nv" driver and it took a bit to convince it to use the "nvidia" driver.