NVIDIA 3D Under Linux

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Step One - Install Xfree86 4.0 Or 4.0.1

Here we go, we already experience the first big difference between all the different Windows operating systems and Linux. While Windows is one package from one software developer, Linux is a collection of software from various sources. XFree86 is, per definitionem (yeah, that's how this Latin term is properly spelled), "XFree86 is the underlying software that runs between the video hardware and graphical user interface (aka gui) that people see. " In laymen terms, it's the 'thing' that enables you to see a desktop in Linux, regardless if you are using KDE, GNOME or any other Linux GUI. It talks directly to your graphics card and as such it needs to be of the right version for NVIDIA's latest driver release.

In July Xfree86.org released XFree86 version 4.0.1 and since NVIDIA supplies drivers for 4.0 as well as 4.0.1 it is advisable to upgrade to the latest version right away. Download it from www.xfree86.org and go ahead and install it. If you are experienced enough you might want to go for the source code and compile it, or you choose the binaries that are already available. In both cases the installation isn't really too difficult as long as you stick to the readme and install files supplied.

One word of advice. If you want to make sure that you won't run into too much trouble after the installation of Xfree 4.0.1 and you've got a Linux installation from one of the big distributors like Red Hat, Suse, Mandrake, Corel, ... you might want to avoid booting right into the GUI. Make sure that you change the line 'id:3:initdefault ' if you are using SuSE, or 'id:5:initdefault ' if you are using RedHat or similar to 'id:2:initdefault ' for SuSE or 'id:3:initdefault ' for RedHat et. al. in the file '/etc/inittab '. You can use any text editor you're familiar with. This will boot Linux to the Linux console. From there you can use e.g. Midnight Commander (command 'mc') if you've got to edit '/etc/X11/XF86Config', because you've got trouble reaching your desktop after the upgrade. With the command 'startx' you'll start the GUI. If it doesn't start the GUI or if you get a black screen you can press 'Ctrl-Alt-Backspace' to quit XFree86 and you're back at your console prompt.