What is the model number of your card, so we could guide you step by step... It differs slightly with models.

NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS
my main os is vista thats wat i'll be downloading the files on i dnt have any direct internet access to download through 64 studio.
Thanks really appreciate the help!

The easiest way would be to use synaptic and to install the files with an internet link to the 64studio repositories.

Failing that, the install DVD has some files on it you could use. Do the following:

• open Synaptic. It could be under -> or under depending on your system state. I'll guess yours is at the first...
• In Synaptic, go to -> . It opens a dialog with the package repositories. Make sure there is a tick next to one of the "cdrom" repositories. Click "Close".
• Click "Reload"
• Click on "Search" and type in the search field "nvidia
• Select the package nvidia-glx by right cliking, on it and selecting "mark for installation"
• Click "Apply"

The packages will install.
When done, open a terminal

$> sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

It will open a text editor.

Edit the line
Driver "nv"
under "Device"
to be "nvidia"
and save.

Now reboot your system and keep your fingers crossed...

the only problem is the GUI won't start because of the x server and i'm in a terminal window all CL. What can i do? Also what would i do if i coulf connect to an ethernet connection? Ideally though i'd like to avoid that!
Thanks

Did you follow the FAQ instruction where you temporally change the driver to vesa?

yes and all i got was a blank screen! Frustrating really because i'm excited about it! Any other recomendations?
thanks

Anyway, the only way I made the nvidia drivers work on 64studio was using their installer (169.07 works, both 32 and 64 bit), and running nvidia-xconfig. The resulting xorg.conf may need some fixes though.

The best way when you have a terminal in front of you is executing this commands:

wget http://it.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/169.07/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-...

or, if you're on 64 bit:

wget http://it.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/169.07/NVIDIA-Linux-x...

apt-get install pkg-config

chmod +x NVIDIA-Linux-x86-169.07-pkg1.run

or

chmod +x NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-169.07-pkg2.run

depending of what package you downloaded.

then run

nvidia-xconfig

and try to reboot. See what happens, and if something's wrong, look at the output of X, you might need to tweak a pair of options.

i'm having problems when i get to the apt-get bit! its saying that it is not finding the package.its downloading fine!
any help? thanks

another way to install that NVIDIA says to do, that I had to, was to get into the same directory, and type "sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-169.07-pkg2.run"

Hope that helps others who need the NVIDIA drivers. The install package when run that way will automatically configure everything for you :)

Some of the links on this topic are old, and newer versions of the drivers might have been made available. Check the links from the nvidia page before using wget.

I don't have my computer with 64studio connected to the internet, nor do i have a means to do so at the moment. I am running 64studio 2.1rc1 and i have a NVIDIA 8600gt 512mb.

since i don't have it connected to the internet i downloaded the driver with a different computer, burned it to a data cd and then put it into the computer with 64studio. I then mounted the cdrom and then opened it and typed the sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-169.12-pkg2.run

it then goes to the installer screen and right off the bat says:
WARNING: Skipping the runlevel check (the utility 'runlevel' failed to run).

then it takes me to the license accept screen and after accepting it says:
No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you like the installer to attempt to download a kernel interface for your kernel from the NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nvidia.com)
to which i say no because no internet connection....

No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; this means that the installer will need to compile a new kernel interface.

then:

ERROR: Unable to find the development tool 'cc' in your path; please make sure that you have the package 'gcc' installed. If gcc is installed on your system, then please check that 'cc' is in your PATH.

ERROR: Installation has failed. please see the file '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details. You may find suggestions on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux driver download page at www.nvidia.com

this is the first time i have ever used linux so i am pretty lost on what to do now.

any suggestions? is it still too soon for the 8600gt or is the cdrom thing not the way to do it or what?

i also had tried the vesa thing but it just made the screen go blank.

You need the development tools to be able to compile anything...
To get that you need a connection to the internet normally.

I don't have the RC1 disk, as I just upgrade over the net. Using synaptic check you install disk for the package "build-essential"

I don't the exact information, but I remember reading somewhere that the nvidia display modules need the matching kernel headers to your kernel installed before compiling and installing. Look for a kernel header package with synaptic and install, then try again. Your running kernel number can be found with

uname -a

Do you know the native resolution and horizontal & vertical refresh rate of your display? You can configure your graphics card with

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg (as root)

to use the generic VESA driver which all display cards should work with.
I usually drop my system to single user mode with

init 1

when adjusting the xserver. Running a single user mode requires root password and after that the system shuts down all unnecessary services, including GDM (Gnome Display Manager).Just feed the values of your display there and you should be able to get some kind of graphic display. Of course choosing something like size 1024x768x60 Hz should work - is your display a LCD, TFT or CRT screen?

After your new xserver has been configured, issue the command

init 2

and the system will start all services (hald, GDM etc.) and logs the root user out - no need to reboot. Init 2 is the normal runlevel of Debian based systems with graphic display. You can find out more about this with

cat /etc/inittab | less

Good luck!

how do i search for it with synaptic if i can't even get a GUI?
as i said previously the vesa just gives me a blank screen.

can i use a live musix cd to install the video drivers to 64studio using it's synaptic somehow?

To find it break later during an upgrade. True, "their" drivers may be newer, but it will be easier in the long run sticking with 64studio's installer.

tkellicut, Synaptic is just a GUI for apt. You can update the list with (as root in a terminal) apt-get update. You can search with apt-cache search program-name. You can install with apt-get install program-name.

To reconfigure any program (and this can be especially helpful with X problems) run:
dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Substitute other program names for xserver-xorg if needed.