[plug] GeForce Video card question

[Dennis Plester]

Chris wrote:

"I have finally managed to get to the stage of being able to install RedHat
7. Trouble is, as you indicate, it fails the install of X during the video
card set up.
It seemed to detect the card OK, but when it goes to start the xserver to
test it, it fails and I get no further having to quit out of that phase. It
could be that I am selecting the wrong option(s). The server I selected was
SVGA as nothing else seemed to fit the bill. Is this correct?  Could you
give me a blow by blow (just for the video related parts) of the set up
sequence for this?
All the info in the doco from NVIDIA tell me how to install their driver but
nothing on how to get to that stage with the right software installed."

I was under the impression that the SVGA would also work on the Geforce 2
MX, but not support all its features. Looks like I was wrong. The
documentation at Nvidia is OK regarding installing their drivers, but the
article at www.evil3d.net <http://www.evid3d.net>  is much, much clearer.

and then Chris wrote...
"All this I have done, and more. Text does work all the way up to the X
install/config. When it goes to start the xserver for the first time to test
the config, it fails. During the install, where I select the software to
install, which xserver should I be selecting? The SVGA one? I thought I
might be selecting the wrong one."
and also...
"I will give it another go tonight, but I don't think it gave me that
option. It got to the stage of asking what monitor I have, then said did I
want to probe the card (I have tried both yes and no here). If I say no it
asks me how much memory the card has then asks what ramdac I have. No answer
to this gives a good result. But I will verify this tonight.  Is the
selection of the SVGA xserver correct though?"

As mentioned above, I thought SVGA would be a satisfactory "safe mode" type
driver to get you going. Clearly it isn't. Does the Red Hat 7 X install
offer a driver called "nv", or list drivers for Nvidia TNT, TNT2 cards? If
so, pick one of these, as they should all work. From a 2D point of view,
these will correctly drive your card. Assuming you want 3D, and Twinview
support as well, you should then go through the process of installing the
latest Nvidia drivers (called "nvidia" in your X config) after you get Red
Hat 7 up and running.
So, put simply, install Red Hat. When it gets to the X set up, seeing as
SVGA doesn't work, select TNT, TNT2 or Geforce if it is there. The driver's
name is "nv" and it is bundled with most of the distributions I've come
across. It will work on virtually any of the Nvidia cards from the TNT
onwards. Once you've done that, and assuming that you can get into X, then
go through the process of replacing the nv driver with the nvidia driver
from the website.
If this doesn't work, there are other options. One is to change
distribution. Mandrake 7.2 will set up the generic nv driver for the
Geforce2 MX during installation (I speak from experience). Another is to rip
out the Geforce2 MX. Stick your old S3 Virge in. Install Red Hat 7. Rip out
the S3. Replace the MX. Boot to the console, not X, and then make the
necessary moves to install the nvidia driver. These are more desperate
measures, and I'm sure the above will work anyway.
Hope this helps Good Luck. Let us know how you go!
Dennis.