Newbie help installing Nvidia graphics driver.

[dagwoood]

I'm a newbie when it comes to Linux and I could do with some help in trying to install the Nvidia graphics driver under Linux :please:.

I've installed Linspire but I think the default graphics driver(is it VESA?)doesn't support my card(6600GT AGP)so the graphics are a bit pants. I can't even adjust the gamma settings. The slider will move, but it doesn't have any effect after a reboot.

My first port of call was here http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display...2_1.0-7676.html and I'm assuming that this is the correct driver for Linspire. I've read the "READ ME" link but I'm still unsure how to go about it.

Would someone be kind enough to post a step by step guide on how to install the driver please?

Cheers, dagwoood.

[scuzzman]

Did a bit of reading - it appears as though the nVidia drivers should be available through CnR. Though if they're not, there are manual install instructions here:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/sh...threadid=339723

[dagwoood]

Thanks for the link scuzzman.

I managed to get the driver installation process to start, only to find out that there isn't a compatible Nvidia kernel included in Linspire. There is one available for download, but it's via CNR, a service that you have to pay for.

Looks like I'll have to suffer bad graphics :(

Thanks again, dagwoood.

[scuzzman]

I would say just compile your own kernel, but I don't think Linspire is capable of that.

[dagwoood]

I would say just compile your own kernel, but I don't think Linspire is capable of that.

The term "compile" has cropped up a lot on different Linux forums I've visited. Am I correct in thinking you use s/w to convert text based code to machine code?

[trackrat]

You might find this helpful.

http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/...211518626/print

[scuzzman]

GCC is on just about every Linux distro. The thing is, Linspire uses a very customized kernel. This is the reasom you can get a new kernel only through CNR. The distro I use is called Slackware. The reason I can easily use a vanilla kernel (an unmodified kernel from kernel.org) is because Pat Volkerding (the maintainer of Slackware) doesn't make any kernel modifications, and thus the distro is perfectly compatible with a vanilla kernel.

[dagwoood]

You might find this helpful.

http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/...211518626/print

Thanks for finding that for me :), the problem is the instructions/terminology are too advanced for me so I'm still non the wiser :(

[dagwoood]

GCC is on just about every Linux distro. The thing is, Linspire uses a very customized kernel. This is the reasom you can get a new kernel only through CNR. The distro I use is called Slackware. The reason I can easily use a vanilla kernel (an unmodified kernel from kernel.org) is because Pat Volkerding (the maintainer of Slackware) doesn't make any kernel modifications, and thus the distro is perfectly compatible with a vanilla kernel.

I'm thinking that starting with Linspire was the wrong way to go in view of how complicated I'm finding it just to install a graphics driver. I'll start a new thread on asking what distro would be suitable for me.

Thank you all for the advice/input, dagwoood.