Halp! Linux Edition

[legionaire45]

Welp, as the thread title states, I'm having some issues and was hoping someone could help. I'm a major linux noobie here, so my problems are probably really simple to fix, but whatev. Google didn't help much :/.

Before I begin, I'm using Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala RC right now...

First Problem: even though I'm using sudo to get root access I can't edit certain important files. For example, from the terminal I can't even access the x11 directory because it thinks it doesn't exist, even though I can navigate there using the GUI. I'm trying to edit some stuff into my xorg.conf file and I've tried killing x11 and using nano to edit it but it stubbornly refuses to let me save the file.

The other issue is that I've had a bitch of a time getting Nvidia's drivers working on my system. Again, related to that damn xorg.conf file. Every time I install the drivers (following Nvidia's instructions) it basically breaks something - it boots, but it leaves me with the CLI and after a few seconds the screen starts flickering very rapidly. Some stuff online says that you have to edit the busid of the graphics card into the xorg.conf file, but even though x11 isn't even started up it refuses to let me edit it, even with root access.

Also, if anyone knows a better forum to post this, that would be great too; I haven't really looked around much online but I figure that I'll probably be needing a lot more help in the future...

Thanks :)

[Jelly]

First regarding your nvidia drivers, I always just used Envy to get my drivers working: http://albertomilone.com/nvidia_scripts1.html

It edits the xorg.conf file for you too.

Your problem with editing the xorg.conf file is because the file will be protected. Run "sudo xorg -configure". This should create a file in the x11 directory called xorg.conf.new which can be edited to your heart's content, then renamed to overwrite the previous xorg. More info here. (http://www.x.org/wiki/ConfigurationHelp)

Finally, since you're using Ubuntu, the Ubuntu Forums (http://ubuntuforums.org/) are an excellent place to get help; they're really active, so your topics should be answered within a few hours at most.

Man, I miss using linux. The intermittent problems are part of its charm ;_;

[klange]

Are you sure you're navigating to the right directory?
It's /etc/X11 not /etc/x11.

[legionaire45]

Got the nvidia drivers up and running :D

Wobbly windows :3.

Thanks for the help - few more things to get worked out and then I get to do it all again when 9.10 is released for real.

[Heathen]

While this thread is here, and feel free to answer op's questions first, but I cant get my Sigmatel 9221 audio drivers to work. And I don't know fuck all about how to install them myself.

[legionaire45]

While this thread is here, and feel free to answer op's questions first, but I cant get my Sigmatel 9221 audio drivers to work. And I don't know fuck all about how to install them myself.
I believe Sigmatel is now IDT - I got my IDT chipset to output audio from the headphone port using the instructions in the second post in this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1287286).

Basically:

I found a workaround for the sound problem.. it's not perfect, but i'm getting sound.

add this line to alsa-base.conf in /etc/modprobe.d/

options snd-hda-intel model=dell-eq

I don't think I'm getting the 5.1 surround now, the front, back, etc speakers aren't showing up in the mixer... but i'm getting stereo out of the headphone/output jack.

Not ideal, but I guess until/if a proper driver is released it will have to do.

Next thing I guess - I'll have to see if I can get hybrid SLI to work on my setup, or at the very least get linux to boot when more than one of my GPUs is enabled...

[klange]

Wobbly windows :3.
Enable cube and 3d Windows. Change the border color for the windows in CCSM. That was me. I made that.

[legionaire45]

I have the cube enabled (although right now it's actually a cylinder - lol) and I think eye candy is accounted for. Now I need to get sound working properly from my speakers...

Additionally, whenever I close the lid on the laptop or plug/unplug the charger it causes the comp to freeze up and the caps lock/scroll lock lights start flashing...Not sure what's going on with that.

Question - does Ubuntu have something where I can define terminal commands to execute whenever the computer boots up? Right now my wireless drivers aren't starting up at boot and I have to manually enter the following into the terminal to turn the drivers on:


sudo modprobe lib80211
sudo insmod wl.ko


Might post this over on the Ubu forums later...Just get everything fixed up.

So far Linux has been fun - its very responsive, even when running in low power. Not quite as alien as I expected either. Using the terminal isn't too bad either.