NVIDIA FX5200 and Ubuntu

[ekerr]

I am proposing purchasing a system with the NVIDIA FX 5200 graphics card, and installing Ubuntu 6.something

Are there any problems with this card. At this stage I simply want it to work, out of the box, and I can worry about the 3D GLX etc. later, unless there really is an idiot proof method of getting this to work as well!

Any advice would be appreciated

I am very much a beginner with Linux, so any advice will need to be simple for me - thanks and a Happy new year to you all!

Ed

[Rhakios]

That graphics card should work fine with Ubuntu, mine has with a variety of operating systems. IIRC Ubuntu even provide the nvidia drivers now. It's certainly there in the Kubuntu alternate install CD for 6.10.

[ekerr]

Thank you for your kind reply. Let's hope I can make it all work!!

[Rhakios]

If you get one with the DVI output as well as the usual VGA one, then you can set up two monitors as well

[AJB2K3]

Id say always go for the dvi if you have a dvi monitor but it doesn't matter as both type can do duel monitors.

[donoreo]

I have a 5200 in one of my computers. Works great with the Xorg driver and the Nvidia driver. I use the Nvidia one.

[bigjohn]

No reason why a 5200 shouldn't work, theres been support for it with the linux nvidia driver for ages now.

[ekerr]

Thanks everyone. It makes such a difference belonging to a forum that has peole prepared to answer questions, and they are polite as well!! Long may it contimue! A Happy New year to you all!

Ed

[jolharg]

It works fine (Suse isthe only one so farout of suse and mandriva that can get xgl) but as someone probably said, you need commercial drivers. Wink to install, though. Brilliant card.

[ekerr]

Not quite the "Wink to install, though." I struggled to get the Resolution up to my 1280 x 1024.

Got there in the end, but I am not sure how I did it, and I do not seem to have any graphics tools available.

Nor can I tell if I have 3D enabled etc.

How can i tell if it is installed correctly?

What should I have done - any clues here please?

[towy71]

Have you looked at http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/ I use it for any ubuntu installations that I do, it gets all the usual suspects working (weird codecs, nvidia/ati drivers, M$fonts, DVD stuff and all)
I have an FX 5200 working fine with 3D under various distros

[Marrea]

ekerr
I installed an FX5200 in my Asus Terminator last September and I basically followed the instructions at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Binar ... wto/Nvidia (although that particular page seems to have been revised slightly since then). You'll find quite a lot of information there.

In my case, with Dapper, after installing the driver I still had to go into xorg.conf and change "nv" to "nvidia" - in the "Device" section - myself. You might like to check whether you need to do the same with yours.

One easy way to check whether you have 3D enabled is to try playing something like Planet Penguin Racer.

[ekerr]

Brilliant - thanks to Marrea and towy71 for two helpful links, and your advice.

When I get a chance I will have a go and post my results!

Ed

[ollie]

Nor can I tell if I have 3D enabled etc.

How can i tell if it is installed correctly?

What should I have done - any clues here please?

Open a terminal and enter the following code:

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steve@bxcomp01:~> glxinfo

You will get a long list of configuration details, scroll to the top and you should see something similar if the installation has worked:

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name of display: :0.0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
server glx version string: 1.4
server glx extensions:


To see the performance details enter the following in your terminal:

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steve@bxcomp01:~> glxgears


A screen with gears should open and information similar to this should appear in the terminal:

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15303 frames in 5.0 seconds = 3060.563 FPS
15342 frames in 5.0 seconds = 3068.266 FPS
15377 frames in 5.0 seconds = 3075.309 FPS
15127 frames in 5.0 seconds = 3025.399 FPS


Hope this helps!

[Marrea]

Yes - and if you don't see direct rendering enabled and NVIDIA mentioned at the top of the output from glxinfo, you won't be able to hurtle down the snowy slopes collecting herrings.