Kodi Community Forum

I am loading an old Advent T9408 (64-bit Core 2 duo 4300 1.80 Ghz) machine for use as a desktop/media machine (but not for me).
Running Lubuntu 14.04.2 64-bit.
Everything fine so far except Kodi, which methinks does not like the video card which shows as an NVidia NV44 (Geforce 7100 GS) in the additional drivers search.
Kodi starts, paints the bubbles background, then freezes with a semi-translucent flickering dark bar at the bottom of the screen (about 20% screen height). I have to reboot the machine to get out.
This is using the DVI output to a 1920x1080 Samsung TV.
Currently on the default driver of Nouveau (1.0.111-1ubuntu2~trusty1) which shows as OpenGL 2.1 Mesa 10.3.2 in System Information.
I have an acquired dislike of the NVidia binary drivers and, since the system is only offering the old 304.125 driver, I may go the route of using an alternative spare (but more recent) video card, particularly since the 7100 does not appear to provide sound via the DVI port.
Before I do that, is there anything I can do to get the 7100 to work with Kodi 15, or is the card simply too old?

It should work fine. The nvidia binary drivers are your best best, and should work just fine as is. (Recent) Nouvau drivers are not going to work on that series of cards, to frigging old. I'll repeat that: Nouveau does not work with 7100gs.

And I don't follow your logic. How is it a problem that the 304.125 drivers are old? What good would a newer driver offer?

7100GS is too old for vdpau - throw it if you can.

Yes, but core2duo @ 1.8ghz will handle 1080p without a sweat

OK, the 7100 is out.
The problem with the 304.125 driver is not age. I was trying it when it was new and never got it to work satisfactorily on any NVidia hardware that came my way. On one memorable occasion it translated a display that was sort-of OK on an early version of nouveau, into something suited for Hollywood, with Giant Text marching across the screen and crashing into the sides, stubbornly resisting any suggested hacks to reduce the text to more readable levels. I dumped the NV and went with the on-board Intel on that one, limited as it was, but the machine served as a household PC brilliantly.
When recycling PC's, you work with what you get, as best you can.