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I'm a linux newbie: Please Help

bigrash

bigrash

Lifer
So I installed Caldera Edesktop 2.4 in dualboot with windows, but I'm having serious problems. So someone please help.

Since I have the Cardexpert GeForce2 MX, during the installation process I chose Nvidia Unknown chipset since the Geforce2 wasn't listed. After the process was finished Linux started booting. but all I got was flickering garbage screen. The whole screen was black with some white marks. I rebooted and got the same problem. so it now looks like i don't have the right driver for linux. I also noticed that during bootup the files CMPCI and BTTV both failed.
I went back to Windows, and I dowloaded the linux drivers but now i don't know how to install them because I don't get the X Window screen in Linux. How can i install them?

Also, I don't mind deleting and installing linux again if it helps. but i tried Fdisk, and since it's a non-dos logical drive, I can't view it or delete it.

can someone help please. I would appreciate all the help i can get.


Please go easy on my cause I'm a Linux newbie here.

 
Best way to install linux is to not configure X until its all done. U'll have to live with the CLI, but thats good for ya ;-)

After linux boots up (even if U can't see anything) hit ctrl-alt F2, or other, to get to a CLI login screen. U can fix it from there.

Good luck
 
no one flames linux newbies, installing the nvidia linux drivers is a very good question. just switch to a different virtual console, like abzstrack said, (press ALT - F1 or any function key). than just follow the instructions contained in them. should be good to go. good luck man.

let us know how it went

 
thanks guys....i appreciate your help.

i tried doing Cont-Alt-F2 and also Alt-F1, but none worked. the screen stays the same. I can't see anything besides some white marks on a black screen.

could it be that it's the refresh rate on my monitor? i heard of people having problems with their monitors. I have the Philips 107P.
 
if ctrl-alt-functionkey doesnt switch to another virtual server, X is probably crashing your whole system. if you dont have any important data, the easiest fix is to reinstall and choose not to start X each boot.

this will allow u to configure the nvidia drivers from the command line and then enter X.

have u used caldera before? how do u like it? ive never installed or used it but im interested to know. i stick to slackware and suse.
 
ok it's been a few days and i've been busy, so i couldn't test it out, but i'm back now. thanks for those that are helping me.


I switched the video card to an older ATI Rage, and Caldera seems to work. Since I got an Unknown Nvidia Chipset during installation, i guess the GeForce2 MX wouldn't work. I downloaded the Linux drivers for it but I don't know how to install it. Can someone show me how to do it?
 
I'm guessing that the drivers are in some sort of tarball (i.e. foo.tar.gz). If so, then, as root, tar -xzvf foo.tar.gz. Should be a README and probably some installation instructions there.
 
I don't use Caldera, and I haven't swapped drivers in forever, so this may or may not be right. There should be a utility you can launch like linuxconf (not that one though, just an example) or something. Maybe it was xconfig, I can't remember. I use TurboLinux so everything has a different name. Anyway, if you have the drivers in the same location as the available drivers, it will add the new one to the screen for you to select from. Kinda like useing "Have Disk" in Windows except that you had better have your disk set up before running the utility.

I have probably just caused more harm then good, it should work, but I wouldn't doubt it if someone comes out and says I'm wrong.
 
You might want to go with something easier to use like Mandrake or RedHat. These both have plenty of write ups for newbies to help them configure whatever needs to be done. Once you get a handle on things move on to whatever distribution interests you or keep the current one!
 
get the drivers in rpm format. from console type "rpm -i nvidiadriverfilename.rpm", then configure your xf86 config file.
 
I am setting up my first nVidia card in Linux for the first time. www.evil3d.net has a few articles on the subject that are specific to distributions (i.e., and article on nVIdia and RedHat, one with Mandrake, etc.).

-SUO
 
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