I recently used a Knoppix disc to install Debian on my Hard Drive. Everything worked okay and I started KDE just fine. I installed Half Life using WINE and everything was still going okay. When I tried to run Half Life the video just froze. I assume this is because the generic vesa driver I was using did not have 3D support. I downloaded the latest NVIDIA driver and installed it. I edited it and changed "vesa" to "nvidia" and ran "modprobe nvidia" then started xserver. I got the NVIDIA logo and a black screen with some green squares. I'm assuming this is because 3D support is enabled, but for some reason linux isn't using it correctly. It's only a video freeze. When I fumble around on the keyboard I am able to get sounds that would lead me to believe that kde is working. Pressing Control-Alt-F1 brings me to the command line and that displays just fine. I have a GEFORCE FX5500 with 256MB of video memory with the most recent NVIDIA driver (downloaded yesterday). It shouldn't make a difference, but my Hard Drive is formatted with ReiserFS.

Before any questions are asked, the most important one is did you read the README? I can guarantee your problem will be solved if you took the time to read it. ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Li...106/README.txt

I will, however, show you what you most likely need to do, since you didnt tell us if you had already done this.
(taken from the README)

I followed the instructions in the readme... for some reason I can't even get a command line now. Just a bunch of green squares, or a black screen. I've been waiting half an hour now for some kind of coherent video, and I'm getting nothing. The only thing I can do is control-alt-delete to restart. I do see the little penguin and all the startup text on startup. The screen flashes the NVIDIA logo, then I get nothing.

Since I can't get a command line now, I can't even uninstall the drivers.

Boot with the Knoppix CD then mount your root partition on the HD and either change the driver back to nv or delete/rename the startup link (/etc/rc5.d/S99KDM) so the X server will not get started. While you are at it copy the file /var/log/Xfree86.0.log somewhere safe so you can refer to it later to see where the errors are occurring when you try to start X. And have you added the line:
To the file /etc/modutils/aliases then having run update-modules to have the information entered into the /etc/modules.conf. If not then you can add it to the modules.conf file by hand as a stop-gap measure until you get the X server starting properly then edit and update-modules so your changes will not be lost next time the file is re-generated. If you cannot get it going seeing the XF86Config-4 file you are trying to use along with the errors from the log file would be nice along with the make/model of your monitor as well.

I have been running Fedora Core 2 for a while now, the NVIDIA drivers are perfect, but I just can't get it to run under knoppix. I don't get it. I have the exact same problem with Gentoo (even when using emerge). I don't really like FC2 that much because they intentionally make it near impossible to recompile the kernel (which I have had no problem doing under gentoo or debian/knoppix). Is there possible something enabled by default that conflicts with the nvidia module? The only difference I can think of between FC2 and Debian is that FC2 comes with x.org as the default, and of course the actual kernel. What I find ironic is that all the articles I've seen claim that FC2 and NVIDIA don't work well together... I'll try to post my XFREE86 config file, but I seem to be having some trouble changing my default runlevel to 3, that should only take a few seconds.

From the KDM greeter screen choose console login from the Menu then login as root and /etc/init.d/kdm stop and you will stop the X server that should have nothing to do with posting the file though you can do that with the X server running. How about a summary of the steps you have taken if it does how I do it.

First compiled a new kernel left the kernel source linked to /usr/src/linux.
So the nvidia driver has no choice but to find it.

Second when rebooting with the new kernel at the KDM greeter screen use CTRL + ATL + F1 keys at the same time to get the console vt1 and login as root then use /etc/init.d/kdm stop to stop the X server.

Third change to the directory containing the Nvidia driver and run it.

Fourth edit the /etc/X11XF86Config-4 file and comment out.
And add the Load "glx" if it is not there and make sure the driver is changed from "nv" to "nvidia".

Fifth now add the.
To the file /etc/modutils/aliases and then run update-modules to have the information entered into the /etc/modules.conf. reboot and it should work.

if I could get to the KDM greeter screen, I wouldn't have this problem. I change my runlevel to 3, however. After the NVIDIA logo flashes, I get a black screen.

Quote:

First compiled a new kernel left the kernel source linked to /usr/src/linux. Code: [HappyTux:/home/stephen]# ll /usr/src/linux lrwxrwxrwx 1 stephen src 11 2004-08-06 03:52 /usr/src/linux -> linux-2.6.7 So the nvidia driver has no choice but to find it. Second when rebooting with the new kernel at the KDM greeter screen use CTRL + ATL + F1 keys at the same time to get the console vt1 and login as root then use /etc/init.d/kdm stop to stop the X server. Third change to the directory containing the Nvidia driver and run it. Fourth edit the /etc/X11XF86Config-4 file and comment out. Code: Section "Module" # Load "GLcore" # Load "dri" Load "ddc" Load "int10" Load "bitmap" Load "dbe" Load "vbe" Load "extmod" Load "glx" Load "record" Load "xtrap" Load "speedo" Load "freetype" Load "type1" EndSection And add the Load "glx" if it is not there and make sure the driver is changed from "nv" to "nvidia". Fifth now add the. Code: # Added by me for Nvidia card alias char-major-195 nvidia To the file /etc/modutils/aliases and then run update-modules to have the information entered into the /etc/modules.conf. reboot and it should work.

I get what you are saying to do. This is all in the official NVIDIA guide thing. My problem being that I did this, and I just get a black screen. Changing the drivers back to vesa, or to nv works except that I now get an error when starting xserver. Specifically:
kcminit crashed and caused a signal 11
I did not get this before installing the nvidia module.
I've added the alias, I edited my XF86Config-4, all I get is a black screen. Is there any kind of conflicting library or module I need to get rid of??? Has anyone done this specifically on knoppix? I know this works on other distros. I've read the install guide a million times.

For the kmcinit you may want to try moving the .kde directory out of the way and let KDE recreate it with the default settings (eg. mv /home/user/.kde /home/user/.kde.backup). For the X problems you need to post the log file when the problem happens so we can get a look at it.

Is rivafb compiled into the kernel by default? It isn't showing up as a loadable module. This is the third time I've installed the NVIDIA drivers on this particular system, but the first time I've noticed the error. Could this be causing a problem?

I guess I was not specific enough the /var/log/XFree86.0.log is the file I need to see and the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file you are using would be nice to see as well. The log file needs to be one where the nvidia driver fails to load properly if necessary copy it to a backup before starting X again then post the backup file. And you do not mention whether you have tired the the .kde move for the sig 11 problem also I have never had to use the rivafb module to get my card working.

Okay. I think I solved my problem. What I meant by the rivafb module and the error is that I noticed an error (well... a warning at least) saying that the rivafb module would conflict with the nvidia driver. Since it wasn't a loadable module, it could have been compiled into the kernel, causing the error. I got the source for the kernel I was using and recompiled without it. I also cut out some of the other crap I didn't need while I was at it. Installed the NVIDIA drivers perfectly. I must have just missed the warnings the first couple times I tried to install. UT2004 is running perfectly.