More Nvidia woes....

rayburn · posted: 2016-10-26 18:57

Hi all,

I have a problem with graphics on my computer when running AntiX, I have solved this in the past by running sgfxi and installing a better driver for my Nvdia card. This time after installing 16, I ran sgfxi as before but it ended up with an error removing current Nvidia driver, and left me with the vesa driver. That works ok apart from a resolution of (I think) 800 x 600, which makes it unusable.

Fortunately, I still have AntiX 15 installed on a different partition which quite happily works with a 1680 x 1050 resolution. I tried copying the Xorg file across to 16 to make it use the fbdev driver that 15 is using, and that has made no difference at all, other than the output of inxi is now showing that the fbdev driver is used. The screen resolution problem remains with Control Centre only showing an option of 800 x 600.

So, I am asking for any advice please, as I seem to be stuck on this one.

I have posted below the outputs of both 15 and 16 in inxi:

Code: Select all

System:    Host: antix1 Kernel: 4.4.10-antix.1-amd64-smp x86_64 (64 bit)
           Desktop: Fluxbox 1.3.5 Distro: antiX-16_x64-full Berta Cáceres 26 June 2016
Machine:   Mobo: Gigabyte model: M68MT-S2P Bios: Award v: F1 date: 12/24/2010
CPU:       Dual core AMD Athlon II X2 250 (-MCP-) cache: 2048 KB 
           clock speeds: max: 3000 MHz 1: 2300 MHz 2: 2300 MHz
Memory:    Array-1 capacity: 8 GB devices: 2 EC: None
           Device-1: A0 size: 4 GB speed: 1066 MHz type: N/A
           Device-2: A1 size: 4 GB speed: 1066 MHz type: N/A
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA C61 [GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a]
           Display Server: X.org 1.16.4 driver: vesa
           tty size: 91x31 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio:     Card NVIDIA MCP61 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.10-antix.1-amd64-smp
Network:   Card: NVIDIA MCP61 Ethernet driver: forcedeth
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 1c:6f:65:bb:a9:10
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 4500.9GB (0.3% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000AAKX size: 500.1GB
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD20EZRZ size: 2000.4GB
           ID-3: /dev/sdc model: WDC_WD20EZRZ size: 2000.4GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 96G used: 12G (13%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda7
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 3.25GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 26.1C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 149 Uptime: 2 min Memory: 184.7/7733.6MB
           Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.3.0 

System:    Host: antix15SE Kernel: 4.0.5-antix.2-amd64-smp x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Fluxbox 1.3.5
           Distro: antiX-15-V_x64-base Killah P 30 June 2015
Machine:   Mobo: Gigabyte model: M68MT-S2P Bios: Award v: F1 date: 12/24/2010
CPU:       Dual core AMD Athlon II X2 250 (-MCP-) cache: 2048 KB 
           clock speeds: max: 3000 MHz 1: 1800 MHz 2: 1800 MHz
Memory:    Array-1 capacity: 8 GB devices: 2 EC: None
           Device-1: A0 size: 4 GB speed: 1066 MHz type: N/A
           Device-2: A1 size: 4 GB speed: 1066 MHz type: N/A
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA C61 [GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a]
           Display Server: X.org 1.16.4 driver: fbdev tty size: 184x54 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio:     Card NVIDIA MCP61 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel Sound: ALSA v: k4.0.5-antix.2-amd64-smp
Network:   Card: NVIDIA MCP61 Ethernet driver: forcedeth
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 1c:6f:65:bb:a9:10
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 4500.9GB (8.5% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000AAKX size: 500.1GB
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD20EZRZ size: 2000.4GB ID-3: /dev/sdc model: WDC_WD20EZRZ size: 2000.4GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 49G used: 17G (36%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda6
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 3.25GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
RAID:      Device-1: /dev/md0 - active raid: 1 components: online: 2/2 - sdb1 sdc1
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 27.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 130 Uptime: 1:40 Memory: 1083.6/7734.1MB Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.3.0

poorguy · posted: 2016-10-26 23:30

rayburn wrote:Hi all,

I have a problem with graphics on my computer when running AntiX, I have solved this in the past by running sgfxi and installing a better driver for my Nvdia card. This time after installing 16, I ran sgfxi as before but it ended up with an error removing current Nvidia driver, and left me with the vesa driver. That works ok apart from a resolution of (I think) 800 x 600, which makes it unusable.

Hey rayburn,

I have the same thing happen to me when I tried to install the nvida driver it left me with 800x600 resolution without option.
My graphics card is an"nvidia geforce 210". I tried everything followed the"sgfxi" from the links I was given and all seemed to go well I thought. __{{emoticon}}__
Then I tried installing the nvidia driver using"Synaptic Package Manger" still a no go. I'm sure that I screwed something up the fist time with"sgfxi" but it's pretty hard to screw up using"Synaptic Package Manger". __{{emoticon}}__

Well by the end of all this I finally wound up doing a new install and leaving it as it came out of the box using the"open source" driver.
I know there has got to be a fix somewhere for this.

Just thought I'd pass along my experience.

The PoorGuy __{{emoticon}}__

skidoo · posted: 2016-10-27 02:31

one or several of these past discussions may be enlightening:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=5643
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=5554
post32863.html#p32863
post31453.html#p31453
post26579.html#p26579
post22137.html#p22137
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2973
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=562

BitJam · posted: 2016-10-27 03:15

I did a Google(sgfxi GeForce 7025) and found that the MX dev m_pav solved this problem back in 2009:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=20523"
linktext was:"GeForce 7025 Live cd only boots with vesa driver"
====================================
.

The solution is to use the 177.80 version of the nvidia driver. You might be able to download it from
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_ia32_177.80.html"
linktext was:"Nvidia"
====================================
directly and then build and install it. If sgfxi has an option for the 177.80 driver then that may be your best option. The oldest Nvidia driver I saw in Synaptic was 304.xx.

The fundamental problem is that the closed-source nvidia drivers for older hardware aren't always updated to work with newer kernels. IOW, you may be simply out of luck. You should really use a kernel that has been patched to fix the dirty cow bug. I'm not saying it's hopeless. At least you now know to look for the 177.80 version of the nvidia driver. It's not clear to me if the open source
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames/"
linktext was:"nouveau driver"
====================================
claims to support your 7025 card or not.

One solution might be to downgrade to the 4.0.5 kernel, especially if antiX provides a patched version to fix the dirty cow bug. You may need to wait a few days or a week for a patched antiX kernel.

rayburn · posted: 2016-10-31 07:48

Thanks to all of you for your helpful replies, I have been away and without proper internet access, now I am back I will investigate this issue and report back.

kmathern · posted: 2016-10-31 13:39

The solution is to use the 177.80 version of the nvidia driver. You might be able to download it from Nvidia directly and then build and install it. If sgfxi has an option for the 177.80 driver then that may be your best option. The oldest Nvidia driver I saw in Synaptic was 304.xx.

I'm fairly certain the 177.80 driver won't work with antiX-15/16, it wasn't a longterm support Nvidia driver like the legacy nvidia drivers shown here:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_32667.html"
linktext was:"http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_32667.html"
====================================
.

The 177.80 Nvidia driver most likely only supports a 2.6.x series kernel and whatever Xorg version was the current one at that time.

The 304.xx nvidia legacy driver should support the GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a gpu (see link above).

rayburn · posted: 2016-12-24 16:45

Finally I have got around to solving this problem, well sort of anyway. I bought a new graphics card (ati) and all seems to be well at last. It was only a cheap card as I don't play games at all, and just needed a basic graphics card.

I am not sure what the problem with antiX-16 was, but it was not a problem with AntiX-15.

Thanks all for your helpful advice.

rayburn · posted: 2016-12-24 16:49

I have just edited the thread title....