Linux Freedom

I have an HP Media Center Edition PC model M7060n. It is a 3Ghz P4, 2Gb ram, 3 SATA 200Gb HD, PCI only slots, Realtec Integrated Audio, Intel Integrated Video adapter, Nvidia Geforce 6200 PCI card, Plextor Internal 716a DVD writer, Samsung DVD Ram, LG External DVD Writer, and WinTV HD PCI card.

I am new to Linux. I retired from Kodak, in 2003, after 34 years. The last 20 years of my career, I worked in Research IT, however, I was mainly involved with PC's and Macs, and not Unix or Linux machines.

I am an avid listener to the SoundBytes Radio Show. Nick Francesco is always raving about Linux, as are some of my IT friends. I set up a 2Ghz Celeron PC, for my son, and put Ubuntu Ultimate 1.8 on it. The install was flawless and it runs great.

The PC that I am currently using (referenced at the top of this message) is running Windows XP MCE. I decided to Dual Boot Ubuntu and Windows. The problem I ran into was that the LiveCD, of any version of Ubuntu, would Crash, upon booting. My PC BIOS allows me to switch the Default video from PCI to Onboard. When I switch the Default video to Onboard, and plug the monitor into the Integrated Intel video adapter, the Ubuntu LiveCD boots fine and I can install any version of Ubuntu. If, however, I change the Default video adapter, in the Bios, to PCI, both the LiveCd, and any installed versions of Ubuntu, will crash.

By chance, I happened to connect one Monitor to the Integrated Intel video adapter and one Monitor to the Nvidia 6200 PCI card. With the BIOS set to Onboard video adapter, I booted Windows and although it started the Boot, displaying on the Monitor connected to the Onboard video adapter, it automatically switched to the Nvidia card, and displayed the Windows Logon on the Monitor connected to the Nvidia card.

After some Trial and Error, while leaving the BIOS set to Onboard video, I was able to Boot the LiveCD, Install any version of Ubuntu, on a HD, and Boot Ubuntu off that HD. I then would go to Hardware Drivers, in Ubuntu, Install the Nvidia driver, Enable it, and when I Rebooted, Ubuntu would switch to the Monitor with the Nvidia card and allow me to Login.

Despite the fact that I have successfully loaded the Nvidia driver, Ubuntu will only Boot, successfully, with the BIOS set to Onboard video. It is a bit of an inconvenience as I have to make the choice to Boot from Ubuntu or Windows, from the Grub Menu, which displays on one Monitor, and then Login from the display on the other Monitor. Despite that, both OS's work fine.

I only have one machine, and I need Windows for some software that will not run on Linux, yet.

The Nvidia 6200 OC is the newest Nvidia card I could get that is PCI based. All the newer cards are either AGP or PCIe.

Can anyone explain, technically, why this is working and if there is any way modify Ubuntu so I can just use the Nvidia card only?

I am trying to find ways to move everything over to Linux. I currently connect my Nvidia card to my HDTV, using DVI out of the Nvidia card to VGA on the HDTV. I currently cannot go DVI to HDMI unless I use an Nvidia 7000 series or better adapter, but that would require a newer PC.

Your card requires a "legacy" driver.

Assuming you have some sort of display, you should enable the third-party and restricted repositories in "Software Sources".

Then go to "Add/Remove Software" and find EnvyNG

Install, then simply follow the app from there to install the driver that works for you (probably the middle one).

I am running a XFi gammer PCI with Win 7 64bit build 7100 and it sounds better than it does with my XP running on same system. Win 7 allows the full pontichel of the XFi card to be used. I would say save the mone and just run the one you have untill you do some more recherch or save up money and buy a PCI-E sound card. I would just stick with sound blaster if you buy another card.