[mythtv-users] Mythbuntu 8.04 "Low Graphics Mode" with nvidia 8600

[Peter Schachte]

Christopher M. Jones wrote:
> I tried to upgrade my 7.10 Mythbuntu to 8.04 last week. Since then I've
> been around and around in circles over this problem. My googling hasn't
> turned up any definitive answers. 
> 
> Using an nvidia 8600 card mythbuntu starts up in "Low Graphics Mode".
> This card worked fine under the previous 7.10 version. In frustration I
> tried installing etch, and had the same problems. It seems the card
> simply isn't recognized.
> 
> Has anyone had this problem? I'm willing to post whatever message output
> might be helpful, if there is anyone here who is willing to help.
> Surely, someone on this list must be running a similar setup.

I've had a similar problem, but it's the kernel version, not the nvidia-glx 
version, that causes it.  This is an AMD64 machine with an NVidia 5200 card 
connected to a TV via SVideo, on Mythbuntu 8.04.  When I boot the 
2.6.24-14-generic kernel, it works fine (happily, I kept the old kernel), but 
when I boot the most recent kernel, 2.6.24-16-generic, with all the same 
packages installed, I get the low graphics mode problem you describe.  I 
tried reinstalling nvidia-glx-new, dropping back to nvidia-glx, and even 
going back to the default mythbuntu-generated xorg.conf file, all with no 
improvement.

The error in /var/log/Xorg.0.log was that it was unable to load the nvidia 
module, but I can't figure out why.  I do have linux-restricted-modules 
installed and up-to-date, and
/lib/linux-restricted-modules/2.6.24-16-generic/nvidia_new is present and 
contains the same set of files as the .../2.6.24-14-generic/nvidia_new 
directory.  I've also got version 169.12+2.6.24.12-16.34 of nvidia-glx-new 
installed.

So anyway, you might have a similar problem.  Maybe try reverting to kernel 
version 2.6.24-14 and see if that fixes it.

-- 
Peter Schachte              My notion of democracy is that under it the
schachte at cs.mu.OZ.AU        weakest shall have the same opportunities as the
www.cs.mu.oz.au/~schachte/  strongest.
Phone: +61 3 8344 1338          -- Mahatma Gandhi