Zotac 8400 Gs Driver
Lane Frisch
I am having difficulty getting my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS to work with my new graphics card. I don't really understand the Linux display stack, so I hope it is something easy. I don't know best how to describe my problem, so will give as many details as I can.
When I first turned on the server, the new card displayed a graphic startup screen with a good resolution so I thought all was good. Then I got a GUI message box stating that Ubuntu was running in low graphics mode. I believe I chose to continue anyway for one session. I was able then to proceed to the graphic desktop. I am using a Gnome Throwback (metacity) 2D desktop because the performance is so awful with the standard Ubuntu desktop.
Something also seems to have broken settings because now the Gnome Throwback graphic desktop won't launch. I appears to start loading, then gives up and takes me back to the login-in screen. I had to change to a different desktop (LXFE if I recall correctly) to get to a desktop.
I tried running nvidia-settings, but it displays a GUI window that seems to only be for creating application profiles. It doesn't seem to have anything about my card or my monitor. The window title for this application is "NVIDIA X server settings" and there is a way to save settings. I haven't don't this because I don't know what I am supposed to call the saved file or where to put it.
I have a vague sense that I might have to configure my xorg.conf or some such files. But I'm lost as to where to start. askubuntu com/questions/4662/where-is-the-x-org-config-file-how-do-i-configure-x-there (I don't have enough reputation points to post more than two links) thread seems to imply that it isn't used any more.
I have also read on the web that there are different drivers that can be use. I think one was called "bumblebee". I thought I was getting drivers from NVidia (see the PPA I posted above), but I'm not sure.
This thread: askubuntu com/questions/115477/get-and-install-nvidia-geforce-8400-gs-driver recommends getting drivers directly from nvidia, and I found this: www nvidia com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us) that has a search feature for the correct card, and for my system it leads to this page.
I decided to remove the PPA I added at the very beginning, show in initial post above. I started synaptic package manager, then menu Settings->Repositories, then [Other Software] tab, and unchecked entry for -edgers/ppa/ubuntu trusty main.
I thought this might be a great way to switch drivers. So I chose the first option, and clicked [apply]. It displayed "applying changes" and started a progress bar that did not move despite waiting many minutes. So I clicked [Cancel]
I decided that since this link (www nvidia com/download/driverResults.aspx/95164/en-us) link connects to the same version 340.96, that I would get the drivers directly from NVIDIA after using their search engine to enter in my exact card.
...I downloaded the driver and ran it as root. It told me that I had to exit my X-server first, and to read the README from the NVIDIA website. So I read it from here: us download nvidia com/XFree86/Linux-x86/340.96/README/index.html .. Holy cow!, now I am terrified to install the driver. It describes compiling modules for the kernel, and maybe they will have to be cryptographically signed, and I have to have the proper versions of libraries, such as glibc (which I can't find in my system).....
Both zip and exe files downloaded just fine, might be worth throwing them in the archive, these cover Geforce 6, 7 and 8 cards for 98se.(Both AGP and PCIe variants, pretty sure they should work just fine for PCI versions which are using a bridge chip)
The readme that comes with it is quite extensive and has a ton of detail, even has support for 9000 series cards too, with the proviso that PCIe may or may not work correctly depending on motherboard.
Really nothing to lose by giving them a go I guess, if they work great if not then at least you know to go to a lower series GPU.
There is no way for 8400 GS or ANY other DirectX 10 class card for that matter, to work as 3D accelerator under Windows 98.
In best case, you may be able to get "Standard VGA" driver working - and that's it.
"Tweaked" driver only adds HardwareIDs to .inf file, and it may even brick your Win98 install after using it.