Ubuntu 12.04 Nvidia Go 6150 driver installation

[deadcat45]

I have and HP Pavilion dv6000 running Ubuntu 12.04 with Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 graphics chip. Each time I try to upgrade my driver for the graphics card it fails at installation. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks



Here is my System Info

System information report, generated by Sysinfo: 12/14/2012 8:02:21 PM
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gsysinfo

SYSTEM INFORMATION
Running Ubuntu Linux, the Ubuntu 12.04 (precise) release.
GNOME: unknown (unknown)
Kernel version: 3.2.0-35-generic-pae (#55-Ubuntu SMP Wed Dec 5 18:04:39 UTC 2012)
GCC: 4.6 (i686-linux-gnu)
Xorg: 1.11.3 (29 August 2012 12:10:05AM) (29 August 2012 12:10:05AM)
Hostname: alex-laptop
Uptime: 0 days 0 h 7 min

CPU INFORMATION
AuthenticAMD, AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-56
Number of CPUs: 2
CPU clock currently at 800.000 MHz with 512 KB cache
Numbering: family(15) model(72) stepping(2)
Bogomips: 1607.28
Flags: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow extd_apicid pni cx16 lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy

MEMORY INFORMATION
Total memory: 1948 MB
Total swap: 1980 MB

STORAGE INFORMATION
SCSI device - scsi0
Vendor: ATA
Model: Hitachi HTS54161
SCSI device - scsi2
Vendor: Slimtype
Model: DVD A DS8AZH

HARDWARE INFORMATION
MOTHERBOARD
Host bridge
Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
PCI bridge(s)
NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 PCI Bridge (rev a2) (prog-if 01 [Subtractive decode])
NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 PCI Bridge (rev a2) (prog-if 01 [Subtractive decode])
ISA bridge
NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 LPC Bridge (rev a3)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Presario V6133CL
IDE interface
NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Serial ATA Controller (rev f1) (prog-if 85 [Master SecO PriO])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Presario V6133CL

GRAPHIC CARD
VGA controller
NVIDIA Corporation C51 [GeForce Go 6150] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Presario V6133CL

SOUND CARD
Multimedia controller
NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 High Definition Audio (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Presario V6133CL

NETWORK
Network controller
Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company BCM4311 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller

[oldfred]

Are you installing the driver that Ubuntu offers in Software sources?
Or trying to instal from a nVidia download.

I prefer the Ubuntu ones.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Bi...om_the_console
See post #19 by Bogan on nVidia drivers from nVidia.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2075318


http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2081649
# You may need headers - meta package for current version:
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic
# only reason to purge is there are several versions, if you know you have different nVidia use that:
#To see available versions:
dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia*
apt-cache search nvidia-sett*
# I used nvidia-current-updates & nvidia-settings-updates, example below is just nvidia-current, use version you prefer
sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current
sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings
sudo dpkg-reconfigure nvidia-current
sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo reboot
May want nvidia-current, nvidia-current-updates or nvidia-current-experimental-XXX for most recent testing version.
apt-cache search nvidia-sett*

[bogan]

Hi!, deadcat 45 & oldfred,

@deadcat:
If you are using the nvidia.com Downloaded driver, be careful which version you use, as the 6xxx series is no longer supported by the latest drivers 310.xx. { This probably also applies to the nvidia-exoerimental-310 driver in Additional Drivers } -- [my guess work].

This is especially so in the case of the Geforce G0 6xxx. Edit: You may need to use the 173.14.35 driver, which is also available via Synaptic Package Manager
as:"Nvidia-173", but be sure to remove any existing nvidia driver first before installing it.

For the standard 6xxx series Nvidia recommend the 304.64 driver, but the Go 6xxx series is not listed as supported by it, although the Go 7xxx is so listed, and 'Geforce Go 6 Series' is not a menu option to search.

@ oldfred: Re: Your link to my: 'How to install Nvidia Drivers' Guide, there is a slightly revised version in Post #51 of the same thread, but I will not be updating it in future, at the request of the OP.

The latest version will be in the Sticky: " Graphics Resolution -Upgrade /Blank Screen after upgrade", in the 'Installation & Upgrade' Forum, currently in Post #1100, page=2.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1743535&page=2

Chao!, bogan.

[Rexilion]

I have the same videocard as the thread starter mentioned. I can recommend him to try nouveau. It's stable for this card with the only exception that the cursor disappears (this happens once 4 weeks or so...) and that hibernation does not work.

3D acceleration seems to be just fine for older mesa libs. However, the recent rework (e.g. libdrm 2.4.33 -> 2.4.34, mesa 8 -> 9 and kernel 3.6 -> 3.7) cause a lot of regressions for pre nv50 cards. This also includes this card. But, 12.04 does not carry these versions, so you should be pretty safe.

[deadcat45]

@bogan:
How do I check to see if I already have any NVIDIA drivers installed? If I do have them how do I Properly Remove them?

[bogan]

Hi!, deadcat45,

lsmod | grep -i nvidia

Will return "nvidia" & some numbers if nvidia is installed and being used; if not, it will not show anything.

The following will tell what is installed, and used:

glxinfo | grep -i opengl
lspci -nnk | grep -iA3

The first will show the actual driver and its version as well as the video card. The second will show the video card description and the driver modules available and in use.

cat /sys/module/nvidia/version

Will return the version number if an nvidia.com Downloaded driver is installed.

To be certain about other non nvidia downloaded drivers the best way is with Synaptic Package Manager , with "nvidia" as the Quick Search filter and 'Status' and 'Installed' selected on the left. There will be a green flag against any installed packages. SCM will not show an nvidia downloaded driver. [ You may need to install the SCM from the Ubuntu Software Center.]

{ In the following : Replace "nvidia-current" with "nvidia-173", "nvidia-current-updates" or "nvidia-current-experimental-XXX" or whatever driver you choose .]

To remove them:

sudo nvidia-installer --uninstall #  if nvidia Download  installed
sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia*
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current 
sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings
sudo dpkg-reconfigure nvidia-current
sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo reboot

{ See oldfred's Post #2 below.}

Chao!, bogan.