paul246
December 27th, 2015, 06:58 PM
I am attempting to give Ubuntu a go. I've never used it, or any form of Linux before, and I'm completely stuck. I've managed to install 14.04 on my old Dell laptop; I have gotten as far as logging in to my account and then the screen goes completely blank. I have spent a lot of time trawling through forums and help sites and from this I believe I need to install a driver for the NVIDIA graphics card. I have found a couple of guides on how to do this, but I am so completely new to Linux I can't figure them out.
i have gone to NVIDIA's website (from my Mac mini) and downloaded what I believe is the correct driver onto a USB stick. I have managed to switch the (Ubuntu) laptop to Terminal view (ctrl+alt+F1) and now I'm stuck. Can anyone offer up a COMPLETE BEGINNER step by step explanation of how to do this? I would stress again that I have absolutely zero experience of working in command line. So I can't make sense of guides like these:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/Nvidia#Ubuntu_14.04_and_up
http://www.beginninglinux.com/home/graphics-drivers/install-nvidia-custom-driver-on-ubuntu-12-04
even though I'm sure they're painfully obvious to more experienced Linux users.
If needed my computer spec (most of whic means nothing to me) is:
Dell Inspiron 5150
mobile Pentium 4 HT 3.06 Ghz/1.60 Ghz
application CPU: Enabled
Current CPU speed: 3.06
level 2 cache: 512 KB
system memory: 2048 MB
video controller: NVIDIA GeForceFX5200
video memory: 64 MB
panel type: 15" Super XGA+
audio controller: Sigmatel 9750
modem controller: Broadcom Polaris
primary hard drive: 80 GB
modular bay: DVD+RW
Huge thanks for any help anyone can offer
i have gone to NVIDIA's website (from my Mac mini) and downloaded what I believe is the correct driver onto a USB stick. I have managed to switch the (Ubuntu) laptop to Terminal view (ctrl+alt+F1) and now I'm stuck. Can anyone offer up a COMPLETE BEGINNER step by step explanation of how to do this? I would stress again that I have absolutely zero experience of working in command line. So I can't make sense of guides like these:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/Nvidia#Ubuntu_14.04_and_up
http://www.beginninglinux.com/home/graphics-drivers/install-nvidia-custom-driver-on-ubuntu-12-04
even though I'm sure they're painfully obvious to more experienced Linux users.
If needed my computer spec (most of whic means nothing to me) is:
Dell Inspiron 5150
mobile Pentium 4 HT 3.06 Ghz/1.60 Ghz
application CPU: Enabled
Current CPU speed: 3.06
level 2 cache: 512 KB
system memory: 2048 MB
video controller: NVIDIA GeForceFX5200
video memory: 64 MB
panel type: 15" Super XGA+
audio controller: Sigmatel 9750
modem controller: Broadcom Polaris
primary hard drive: 80 GB
modular bay: DVD+RW
Huge thanks for any help anyone can offer