Step 2: Configuring X

X is the name of the graphics system that Ubuntu uses. I use an NVIDIA GeForce FX5200 graphics card from EVGA, and I output video to the TV using the s-video hookup. When I booted up linux for the first time, X crashed and left me with a text prompt. So I had to run over to Kelly's computer to look up how to try and start up X again. The command turned out to be startx.

Now I had the familiar ubuntu desktop. Apparently, X turned off 3D mode and was using 2D mode. Before I did anything else, I wanted to run the two commands that everyone should at first boot:

sudo update
sudo upgrade

These commands checks for updates for all software on the computer and then upgrades it if needed. But the way, sudo just means run the command with root (super user) privileges. For example, gedit file (if file is a configuration file) will open the file in a simple text editor in read-only mode, but if you use sudo gedit file, then you can edit it as well.

I knew that NVIDIA released linux drivers for graphics cards, but they also came with their own installer. Part of the beauty of ubuntu is that you can install all programs from a special software repository and it has been tested to work. This webpage tells how to do it the right way. However, X still wouldn't work, and it would keep running in 2D mode, and the TV output was all scrambled. Looking at the log file (/var/log/Xorg.0.log) it appeared that X was using the linux "nv" drivers rather than the official "nvidia" drivers. Now it was time to edit the configuration file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf).

I already had a backup from the previous step, so I did

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

and found the section about "Devices" and changed "nv" to "nvidia". Then I saved and rebooted X (Crtl+Alt+Backspace).

CRASH!

startx wouldn't even work. I had to restore the backup file before I could get X working again

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf_backup /etc/X11/xorg.conf

After searching for about an hour online, I found this website explaining in more detail how to install the drivers. Long story short, I had to go back to /etc/X11/xorg.conf and fine the "Modules" section. In the long list of modules to load, I had to find

Load "GLcore"
Load "dri"

and comment them out

#Load "GLcore"
#Load "dri"

Then the NVIDIA drivers are loaded and X starts fine. Now to configure TV output...