help with video card drivers

[pmitch82]

im new to linux and i just installed ubuntu on my machine and ive went through the update process and i need to update my video card drivers. i have a ati x700 agp, i used the linux driver that poped up in the the updater and that made my machine screen go dark. so i have the actuall ati driver now, and when i go to install it it starts the install process but tells me i need to a superuser. ive looked in the superuser thing and the command is "sudo" but how do i use that in the terminal to install the driver??
thanks

[Pumalite]

Try Envy>
http://www.albertomilone.com/nvidia_scripts1.html

[pmitch82]

envy did not work. same problem as before i installed the driver that envy suggested and now when i boot my machine i get the ubuntu load screen then it just goes black.
any ideas?

[Pumalite]

Maybe this will help:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI

[pmitch82]

that looks like alot to do(or atleast figure out) is it worth it??? i dont know how much that will help the system out. Should i take the time to figure out or just go with the default driver that works?? im not running a very high res only 1024x768 thanks

[Pumalite]

Having an ATI card is a problem because ATI does not support Linux. Next time go with Nvidia.

[pmitch82]

well the card that is in there is a ati x700 I also have a old nvidia 5200, should i switch them out?? i dont play much for video games on the system, just mainly for downloading and surfing and such.
thanks

[Pumalite]

You don't loose anything with trying. Even though the 5200 might have issues of its own. Just choose the right driver in the Nvidia site.

[pmitch82]

when i go into safe mode how do i undo what envy did? and install whatever driver linux defaults to
thanks a ton

[Pumalite]

sudo envy --uninstall-all

[upchucky]

try the nvidia card, and do this exactly as it says step by step,

but watch for the legacy section for the right driver when you download the driver.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=5086971&postcount=6

[Wazoot]

ATI works fine with my Ubuntu..my old comp has an x800. got the restricted drivers for it and worked fine.