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Idea #160: Better/easier video card drivers installation and configurability.

bug This entry was marked as not being an idea the 20 August 11. If this is a bug report, please use the Ubuntu bug tracker.
Written by num3thod the 28 Feb 08 at 19:16. Category: Graphics. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: Not an idea
Rationale
I've spent way too many hours on the Ubuntu forum figuring out what to do to install, configure, test and subsequently "try to" roll-back video card drivers.

It's a pain in the freaking neck!

Possible solutions:

- Integrate Envy (as Linux Mint does)
- Develop whole new Envy-like tool
- Add features to the Video Settings dialog, or
- Develop documentation (with visual diagrams) that explains what does what.

Am I alone?

If not, any other possible solutions?
Tags: (none)

488
votes
closed
Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #160
Written by num3thod the 28 Feb 08 at 19:16.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #160 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!
3
votes
closed
Solution #2: To help the RadeonHD and/or Nouveau developers.
Written by spoons the 10 Aug 09 at 21:52.
I think it would be a good idea to have maybe one or two of the Ubuntu developers help improve these drivers so they are in better shape.It would definitely make Ubuntu work better out of the box and give us better application support.

Propose your solution

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Comments
bigdufstuff wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 19:21
The proper way to do this is to get Free and Open Source drivers into upstream products, not hack in non-free solutions.

num3thod wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 19:27
I agree with you on Free and Open Source drivers, but who said anything about hacking in non-free solutions?


ManiacHgh wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 19:42
envy is just broken for me. And plain nvidia installer works fine. I think that documentation should be in more easy-to-find place.

Restricted modules is also hardly broken.

cRoW2k wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 19:53
Envy r0x. Is a must for Ubuntu!

Greyor wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 04:23
I've had great success with Envy thus far. I know that we should have free and open-source solutions, but those solutions are only in their infancy currently... for the time being Envy has greatly helped, even if it is only a stopgap solution.

doas777 wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 13:40

I support open drivers when they work. When they don't I want to have an easier time installing a proprietary one. My ideology does not override my need for TV Out and dual head systems.

I would like the NVIDIA drivers available at install (not first load of GDM, since I have to hack XOrg.conf before GDM will load the first time).

I would also like them to improve the detection of the default video device. Ubuntu (6.06-7.10) all set my xorg to use the integrated Intel video adapter (which is disabled in my BIOS) instead of my NVidia card. any time an update for x causes the conf file to be regenerated, I lose all video, and have to restore from a backup.

I've never bothered with Envy. I'm afraid it may be like Automatix; Dangerous for your system.

shellster wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 20:40
As much as I hate Suse, you gotta love their Sax2 config program. I hate editing xorg.conf or running dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

num3thod wrote on the 1 Mar 08 at 05:18
A new Envy Legacy and the death of Envy New…
http://albertomilone.com/wordpress/

sid350 wrote on the 4 Mar 08 at 03:13
i better do this by my hands. Envy often damages the system - i don't need it. It's much easier to install drivers manually.

YannUbuntu wrote on the 31 Mar 08 at 05:36
+1, video card installation is a major problem.

Concerning your 4th solution ("Develop documentation"), here is an indirect but efficient idea:

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/5832/


brokencrystal wrote on the 18 Apr 08 at 23:13
Do not integrate envy. Adding it to the repository makes sense, but not integrating it into the OS. If anything, build a detection system for hardware based on lspci info and have configuration pre-setup based on that information or something similar that can be updated with normal Ubuntu updates. This would be much better than using a third party application, and it would make Ubuntu much easier to use as well as keeping it up to date when new hardware becomes available.

ubuntu4fun wrote on the 10 May 08 at 14:15
Want better drivers for Your graphics card?
Your HELP is appreciated.

Call for testers for EnvyNG

http://albertomilone.com/wordpress/?p=187

ubuntu4fun wrote on the 10 May 08 at 14:20
Already known BUGS in EnvyNG on Launchpad (some of them need to be confirmed/completed):

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/envyng-core


DJ_Peng wrote on the 10 May 08 at 15:20
Free and open drivers would be almost driver nirvana, but until we can achieve that state of enlightenment including things such as Envy will go a long way to helping convert people from Windows. If it's simply in the repo we need to have a way to make sure new users know it's there, such as including it in Add/Remove Programs, but if the drivers are borked can the use even see A/RP to use it?

+1

Primož Papič wrote on the 7 Oct 08 at 17:21
I agree that something need to be done, as sometimes proprietary drivers just don't work...
I am having problems with nVidia driver and dual monitors, and there are other problems aswell.
+1

Vahan Harutyunyan (Brainstorm moderator) wrote on the 20 Aug 11 at 10:05
Closing in Brainstorm.

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/faq/#question11

"Be precise. An idea should focus on one point only. Don't put a broad scope to your ideas or post multiple ideas at the same time."


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