Visual Effects with NVidia GeForce 8400 GS?

Also almost forgot, it is a PCI card if that even matters.

Not at all. As long as the system can see the chip its fine (it will by default)

I always use this (works with my 512Mb 6150 onboard nvidia):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nvidia-vdpau/ppa; sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx-185

HTH

actionparsnip: This is the read out from me doing what you just suggested

flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nvidia-vdpau/ppa
[sudo] password for flametai1:
Executing: gpg --ignore-time-conflict --no-options --no-default-keyring --secret-keyring /etc/apt/secring.gpg --trustdb-name /etc/apt/trustdb.gpg --keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --primary-keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 71609D4D2F1518FA9C5DC0FB1DABDBB4CEC06767
gpg: requesting key CEC06767 from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: key CEC06767: public key "Launchpad Nvidia Vdpau Team PPA" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1 (RSA: 1)
flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get update
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid Release.gpg
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Translation-en_US
Get:1 http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid Release.gpg [307B]
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net/nvidia-vdpau/ppa/ubuntu/ lucid/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid Release.gpg
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net/pidgin-developers/ppa/ubuntu/ lucid/main Translation-en_US
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid Release.gpg
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ppa/ubuntu/ lucid/main Translation-en_US
Get:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid Release [57.3kB]
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates Release
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/main Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/restricted Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/universe Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/universe Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/multiverse Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid/multiverse Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/main Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid Release
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/multiverse Sources
Get:3 http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid/main Packages [2,953B]
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid/main Packages
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net lucid/main Packages
Fetched 60.5kB in 1s (31.8kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx-185
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
nvidia-glx-185 is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$

Ok try:

sudo apt-get install reinstall dkms

Then reboot, the kernel module NEEDS to be built in this stage.

If its still no good run:

sudo nvidia-xconfig

Then reboot.

Also doesn't work for me actionparsnip =|

Can you give the output of:

dpkg -l | grep nvidia; ls /var/lib/dkms

Thanks

Here's the output of dpkg -l | grep nvidia; ls /var/lib/dkms that you requested

flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$ dpkg -l | grep nvidia; ls /var/lib/dkms
ii nvidia-current 195.36.15-0ubuntu3 NVIDIA binary Xorg driver, kernel module and
ii nvidia-glx-185 195.36.15-0ubuntu3 Transitional package for nvidia-glx-185
rc nvidia-glx-new 169.12+2.6.24.18-28.6 NVIDIA binary XFree86 4.x/X.Org 'new' driver
rc nvidia-kernel-common 20080825+1ubuntu2 NVIDIA binary kernel module common files
ii nvidia-settings 195.36.08-0ubuntu2 Tool of configuring the NVIDIA graphics driv
dkms_dbversion nvidia-current
flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$

sudo apt-get --reinstall install nvidia-kernel-common dkms

May help.

Here are the results

flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall nvidia-kernel-common dkms
[sudo] password for flametai1:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  nvidia-kernel-common
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/75.7kB of archives.
After this operation, 81.9kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 183435 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace dkms 2.1.1.2-2fakesync1 (using .../dkms_2.1.1.2-2fakesync1_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement dkms ...
Selecting previously deselected package nvidia-kernel-common.
Unpacking nvidia-kernel-common (from .../nvidia-kernel-common_20080825+1ubuntu2_all.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Setting up dkms (2.1.1.2-2fakesync1) ...

Setting up nvidia-kernel-common (20080825+1ubuntu2) ...
update-rc.d: warning: nvidia-kernel stop runlevel arguments (1) do not match LSB Default-Stop values (none)

flametai1@flametai1-desktop:~$

flametai1,

It's already in Hardware Drivers. Go to the one that says (versio current) [Recommended] and activate it.

flametai1,

It's already in Hardware Drivers. Go to the one that says (version current) [Recommended] and activate it.

wojox, I have already tried that, still doesn't work.

Hey flametai1,

Sorry about that. I had that same problem before on a fresh install and couldn't figure out for the life of me I needed to do that again.

Did you uninstall the one from the Nvidia site you activated?

Thank you Sam, for anyone else who has the problem look at the first forum post Sam put on here. Fixed my problem in a jiffy.

Thanks Sam, that solved my question.