Newbie can't get nVidia Geforce 5200 FX working!

[alienexplorers]

If you use Envy you may need to select manual install, but first remember to use the unload driver option to clear what you have loaded now. If you use the manual install option try using the 96.xx.xx driver. I found that it worked best with my FX5200 nvidia card.

[Woodzo]

Ok, just for kicks... you might want to try installing your driver through Envy-ng.
Go to SYSTEM>ADMINISTRATION>SYNAPTIC PACKAGE MANAGER
then SETTINGS>REPOSITORIES and under the "Ubuntu software" tab, make sure that all options are marked, then go to the "Updates" tab and mark all options under "Ubuntu updates" (4 options), close and hit the reload button (if not reloaded already). Now search for envyng and mark the envyng-gtk and envyng-core packages for install. Install them and then, go to APPLICATIONS>SYSTEM TOOLS and run envyng, select NVIDIA on the left and Install driver (automatic selection)...

Just done all that, still 640x480 and no other options (apart from 320x240).

[alienexplorers]

In nvidia-settings there are no other resolutions listed. That is kind of strange if you have the correct driver loaded.

[Woodzo]

If you use Envy you may need to select manual install, but first remember to use the unload driver option to clear what you have loaded now. If you use the manual install option try using the 96.xx.xx driver. I found that it worked best with my FX5200 nvidia card.

Just done that and two rather interesting things occured...

1) When I uninstalled the nVidia driver and rebooted, the res suddenly became 800x600.

2) Manual installation of 96.**.** crashed and I had to run Envy a second time, which (on reboot) led to...

640x320 and 320x240 AGAIN!

[Woodzo]

In the screen section make sure your looks like this:

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-0"
Option "metamodes" "1024x768_60 +0+0"
Option "AddARGBVisuals" "True"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
EndSection

On the line Option "metamodes"... should that be a space or a tab between 1024x768_60 and +0+0?

[Victormd]

Just done that and two rather interesting things occured...

1) When I uninstalled the nVidia driver and rebooted, the res suddenly became 800x600.

2) Manual installation of 96.**.** crashed and I had to run Envy a second time, which (on reboot) led to...

640x320 and 320x240 AGAIN!

You shouldn't be having this much trouble with the FX5200...
does your login screen have the right resolution?

[Woodzo]

Try adding the line in red to your monitor section of your xorg.conf file:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
Modeline "1024x768_60.00" 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795 -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

In this section you may also have to add your monitors horiz freq and verticle refresh rates. I am including part of my xorg.conf to show what I mean:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Delta"
HorizSync 31.0 - 68.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 85.0
Modeline "1024x768_60.00" 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795 -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

I haven't tried this, as I don't know my monitor's horizontal and vertical refresh rate.

The TFT is a Compaq FP 5315. I can't find any info on Google.

[Woodzo]

does your login screen have the right resolution?

Nope, the res is wrong from the login screen onwards.

Is it a really ****** GFX card? It did come with an old PC.

Does my monitor need a driver perhaps?

[Victormd]

I haven't tried this, as I don't know my monitor's horizontal and vertical refresh rate.

The TFT is a Compaq FP 5315. I can't find any info on Google.

56-76 Hz vertical, 30-61 KHz horizontal

[Victormd]

Nope, the res is wrong from the login screen onwards.

Is it a really ****** GFX card? It did come with an old PC.

Does my monitor need a driver perhaps?

I've used that card with ubuntu and did run into a little bit of trouble with it but the changes proposed earlier solved the problem... I don't think your monitor needs a driver...