Ubuntu and Nvidia (GeForce 6600)

If you happen to evaluate Ubuntu and you’ve got something like a GeForce 6600 you’re out of luck. Your installation will fail loading Gnome.

But no worries. Here’s how to get it working:

• I hope Ubuntu detected your Internet settings, because I won’t get into details. You need to download some packages and the original Nvidia drivers.
• To prevent your system going into a graphical disaster in case something goes wrong, I highly recommend disabling gdm like so: sudo mv /etc/rc2/S99gdm /etc/rc2/_S99gdm. You can switch it back later on, after manual start of Gnome succeeded.
• Install lynx for browsing: sudo apt-get install lynx
• Install your kernel headers. sudo apt-get install linux-headers should give you some module names, then use it again, this time with the appropriate package (like sudo apt-get install linux-headers-386).
• Install a gcc with sudo apt-get install gcc.
• Goto http://www.nvidia.com/linux and download the appropriate driver.
• In the directory you downloaded the driver, issue something like sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6629-pkg1.run.
• If all else fails (no kernel module found locally and online), setup will build a new module.
• If this was successful, you can add a line with nvidia to your /etc/modules.
• Check with lsmod nvidia|grep nvidia whether it is already loaded.
• Edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. Comment out the following lines:

  # Load "GLcore"
  # Load "dri"
  Load "glx"
  # Section "DRI"
  # Mode 0666
  # End Section
  

• /etc/init.d/gdm start should display an Nvidia splash screen and then load Gnome successfully.
• If your XFree works after installation of the nvidia drivers, but fails again after reboot, this could be a startup script changing some TLS libs. Just disable /etc/rc2/S20nvidia-glx (e.g., with mv /etc/rc2/S20nvidia-glx /etc/rc2/_S20nvidia-glx).
  /ul>

  That’s it!

6 Responses to “Ubuntu and Nvidia (GeForce 6600)”

• #1 sunweik Says:
  March 13th, 2006 at 10:50 am

  But I can not find the “S20nvidia-glx” link in rc2 folder.

• #2 Gohar Ishaque Says:
  March 25th, 2006 at 3:36 pm

  Dir Sir/Madam
  Can i have the driver
  NVIDIA GeForce 6600 for Red Hat Linux 9
  I have laptop
  Intel Pentium M 1.73 GHz
  Motherboard Intel 915MG

• #3 frg Says:
  March 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am

  “To prevent your system going into a graphical disaster in case something goes wrong, I highly recommend disabling gdm like so: sudo mv /etc/rc2/S99gdm /etc/rc2/_S99gdm. You can switch it back later on, after manual start of Gnome succeeded.”

  So tell me how are you meant to do this if you dont have a GUI? Does it require installing first or can I use a live CD?

• #4 uberdose Says:
  March 14th, 2008 at 11:52 am

  @frg: You don’t need a GUI for executing this command. The instructions are for a local installation, and beware that this is from 2004.

• #5 Richard F. Brook Says:
  December 9th, 2008 at 6:04 am

  I have an HP MCE m7060n with a P4 3Ghz 2Gb ram and an Nvidia Gforce 8400GS PCI card. The PC BIOS default video can be switched from Onboard to PCI. If I choose Onboard, Ubuntu Ultimate 1.9 will boot OK, using the Onboard Integrated Intel graphics adapter. If I change the BIOS to PCI. Ubuntu will not boot at all. I cannot boot the LiveCD for Ubuntu 8.04 or 8.10 as long as the BIOS is set to PCI. Windows XP MCE works fine when the BIOS is set to PCI. There is no BIOS setting that I can find that will allow Ubuntu to boot when the Video setting is set to PCI.

• #6 LimeSchnaps Says:
  October 10th, 2009 at 7:02 pm

  I have nVidia geForce EN6600 Silent and Ubuntu 9.04 - everything works fine without any lags or smth else. Just installed Ubuntu, then installed proprietary driver… Really got shocked after reading “If you happen to evaluate Ubuntu and you’ve got something like a GeForce 6600 you’re out of luck.”

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