Configuration of Nvidia chipset based graphics cards (SuSE 7.0)

Support knowledgebase (sliesch_behling_nvidia_configuration)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Version 7.0
This article refers to an older version of SuSE Linux. Therefore some of the informations given in this article may be outdated or the article may contain stale links.

XFree86: Version 4.0

Request:

You have a graphics card with one of the mentioned chipsets.

The following cards can be configured, but the 3D support isnīt satisfactorily with SuSE Linux 7.0:


        TNT     ULTRA TNT2      Integrated TNT2         Geforce DDR
        TNT2    Vanta TNT2      Geforce 256             Quadro

The following cards are not or partly supported by XFree 4.0 and 4.0.1 (2D und 3D)and canīt be configured therefore:


        Geforce2 MX     Geforce2 MXR    Geforce2 Ultra
        Geforce2 GTS    Quadro2 Pro

Procedure:

Minimal Installation 2D / Software 3D (low downloadsize)

  1. Please download the following packages from our FTP server or one of the mirror server:

  2. ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/XFree86/XFree86-4.0.2-SuSE/suse70

    - xloader-xxx.rpm

    - xmodules-xxx.rpm

    - xshared-xxx.rpm

    ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/XFree86/XFree86-4.0.2-SuSE/suse70/sax2/

    - sax2-xxx.rpm

  3. Mount where required the directory/device in which the downloaded files do exist, if they are not in a standard directory like e.g. /tmp/ or /home/username. For further information regarding "mount", please have a look at our supportdatabase

  4. http://support.suse.de/en/sdb/html/maddin_fstab.html

  5. Start YaST and choose an confirm the following topics one after another with enter/return

  6. 
    Package Management
    Install packages
    Source
    choose a directory (e.g. /cdrom/)
    
    
  7. Mark the downloaded packages with the spacebar and install with F10. Exit YaST and reboot your system. To start your system in runlevel 2, please type at the boot prompt (LINUX boot:)

  8. linux 2

  9. Now start SaX2 with the following option:

    sax2 -m 0=nv

  10. Configure your hardware, but do not change the driver for the graphics card! Test and save the settings.

  11. After finishing the configuration successfully, start the graphical user interface with "startx" or "init 3" (for the graphical login).

  12. If you want to use the graphical login, you can adjust this feature by using YaST liked described as follows:

  13. 
    Start YaST and choose
    -> System Administration
    -> Login configuration
    
    1. graphical
    2. choose XDM or KDM
    3. all
    
    

Full installation 2D / Software 3D (all XFree86 4.0.2 Packages)

  1. You can find an explicit instruction, how to install XFree 4.0.2 with SuSE 7.0 in our supportdatabase. Please have a look at:

  2. http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/wessels_how_to_install_xfree.html

  3. Please download all packages from our ftp server that you can find with the links below:

  4. ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/XFree86/XFree86-4.0.2-SuSE/suse70/

    ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/XFree86/XFree86-4.0.2-SuSE/suse70/sax2/

  5. Mount if necessary the directory/device which containes the downloaded files, in case that they do not exist in a standard directory like /tmp/ or /home/username.

  6. Start YaST, and choose the following topics one after another and confirm them with enter/return

  7. 
    Package Management
    Install packages
    Source
    choose a directory (e.g. /cdrom/)
    
    
  8. Mark the downloaded packages with spacebar and install with F10. Exit YaST and reboot your system. To start your system in runlevel 2, please type at the boot prompt (LINUX boot:)

  9. linux 2

  10. Now start SaX2 with the following option:

  11. sax2 -m 0=nv

  12. Configure your hardware, but do not change the driver for the graphics card! Test and save the settings.

  13. After finishing the configuration successfully, start the graphical user interface with "startx" or "init 3" (for the graphical login).

  14. If you want to use the graphical login, you can adjust this feature by using YaST liked described as follows:

  15. 
    Start YaST and choose
    -> System Administration
    -> Login configuration
    
    1. graphical
    2. choose XDM or KDM
    3. all
    
    

Full installation 2D / Hardware 3D

    Preposition:

    The installation is without guarantee due to the varying and often unreproducable behaviour of the respective graphics cards with the drivers from NVidia.

    The installationsupport isnīt able to help you due to the various sources of errors. Please download the optimized Nvidia drivers from the following URL:

    http://www.nvidia.com/Products/Drivers.nsf/Linux.html

  1. Please download all packages from our ftp server that you can find with the links below:

    ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/XFree86/XFree86-4.0.2-SuSE/suse70/

    ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/XFree86/XFree86-4.0.2-SuSE/suse70/sax2/

  2. In addition please download the following packages from Nvidia:

  3. http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=linux

    and search for the actual NVIDIA_GLX* and NVIDIA_kernel packages

  4. Mount if necessary the directory/device which containes the downloaded files, in case that they do not exist in a standard directory like /tmp/ or /home/<username>.

  5. Deinstall with the command

    rpm -e mesasoft

    the software-3D-support.

  6. Start YaST, and confirm the following topic one after another using enter/return
    
    Package Management
    Install packages
    Source
    choose a directory (e.g. /cdrom/)
    
    
  7. Mark the downloaded packages with the spacebar and install with F10. Exit YaST and reboot your system. To start your system in runlevel 2, please type at the boot prompt (LINUX boot:)

  8. linux 2

  9. Now start SaX2 with the following option:

    sax2 -m 0=nvidia

  10. In case that SaX2 does not start with this parameter, please check the BIOS-settings and, if possible, choose the

  11. SETUP DEFAULTS.

  12. Configure your hardware, but do not change the driver for the graphics card! In addition choose "load 3D-modules" and mark "glx". Test and save the settings.

  13. After finishing the configuration successfully, start the graphical user interface with "startx" or "init 3" (for the graphical login).

  14. If you want to use the graphical login, you can adjust this feature by using YaST liked described below:

  15. 
    Start YaST and choose
    -> System Administration
    -> Login configuration
    
    1. graphical
    2. choose XDM or KDM
    3. all
    
    
  16. Now you can ckeck the hardware acceleration: Open a shell/console on the desktop an type

    /usr/share/mesa/demos/gears

    to test the framerate.


Info:   In case of a Pentium III 500 with the GeForce2MX-card approx. 1700
        Fps should be displayed.

Keywords: NVIDIA, GEFORCE2GTS, GEFORCE2MX, XFREE86, UPDATE, GLX, TNT2, VANTA

SDB-sliesch_behling_nvidia_configuration, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 19. Feb 2001
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 30. Aug 2001 by wessels (sdb_gen 1.40.0)