Problems Installing NVIDIA's driver

sillav · 03-22-2006, 05:20 PM

Hello again,

I'm trying to install NVIDIA's driver for my laptops video card (GFORCE 4 64MB, on a Compaq Presario R3000).

I'm not sure why it's failing, as I really don't understand the log file that's generated.

I want to install the driver primarily because my display resolution sucks. 8x600 is the best it does. It's a Nerf Display.

Any help with this logged error is much appreciated!

Best,

S.

SHERB142 · 03-22-2006, 05:53 PM

This doesn't help much, but i had the same problem with upgrading the Nvidia drivers in FC4. Luckily, I just hooked the video up to the TV a different way (it was coming out black and white). However, other than switching to runlevel 3? I think and stopping the graphic s (Gnome or KDE) I executed the driver installation and got to the same problem. Let me know if you find a solution. Good luck.. thanks

RottenMutt · 03-22-2006, 06:02 PM

did u have the kernel development package installed? you need to install from runlevel 3 (#init 3).

sillav · 03-22-2006, 06:09 PM

I did have the Kernel Development Package installed, though I've since removed it. I was also running the NVIDIA installer as root in init 3.

I have not found a solution, but I am currently following the release notes for FC5 on installing an exploded source tree, whatever that might be, and will try to re-run the NVIDIA installation once I get that up and running.

Cheers,

S.

jens · 03-22-2006, 11:18 PM

The default FC5 kernel can't compile the nVidia driver(and most other closed source kernel-modules) with the default Xorg package.

You now have two options.

1.Wait till the next kernel is available (this one will be compatible).

2.Use RPMS (worked for me):
http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mj...c5.html#nvidia

sillav · 03-23-2006, 02:09 AM

Thanks Jen,

I'd found that page in my searches for a solution, you didn't have any problems following those instructions? Hmm...I'll have to try again. I got a "can't write to source folder." error.

Anyway, in the meanwhile that it's not fixed I did manage to change my screen resolution. Turns out, the reason I couldn't change the display settings is because when you try to choose generic lcd under the monitor types, you need to double click the arrow to open up a sub menu. Wow. Duh. Though, I'm pretty sure I came across two or three other people having the same issue.

Cheers,

S.

jens · 03-23-2006, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sillav

Thanks Jen,

I'd found that page in my searches for a solution, you didn't have any problems following those instructions?

Nope, it should all just work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sillav

Hmm...I'll have to try again. I got a "can't write to source folder." error.

Are you sure you did everything as root?
Also make sure you have the kernel-devel package installed before you rebuild nvidia-kmod (yum install kernel-devel).

PTrenholme · 03-23-2006, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jens

The default FC5 kernel can't compile the nVidia driver(and most other closed source kernel-modules) with the default Xorg package.

You now have two options.

1.Wait till the next kernel is available (this one will be compatible).

2.Use RPMS (worked for me):
http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mj...c5.html#nvidia

Well, I tried it (the referenced link), and the resulting RPM would not install because nvidia-kmod-common was not installed. And I couldn't find it anywhere. (I didn't look in the development libraries.)

jens · 03-23-2006, 07:15 PM

If you had nVidia before, this should work as well.
Could you you give the full output from your terminal?

Also notice their's a different approach for people who use the stock kernel and who don't

Quote:

2. (NON 2.6.15-1.2054_FC5) Compile the nvidia-kmod package:
[root@charon fc5-nv]# rpmbuild --rebuild --target `uname -m` nvidia-kmod-*.src.rpm

2. (ONLY 2.6.15-1.2054_FC5) Compile using my modified SPEC file:
Obtain the file SPEC file: http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/fi...-kmod-mjm.spec
[root@charon fc5-nv]# rpm -ivh nvidia-kmod-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.15_1.1881_FC5.src.rpm
[root@charon fc5-nv]# rpmbuild -bb ./nvidia-kmod-mjm.spec --target `uname -m`

With the stock 2.6.15-1.2054_FC5 kernel use the second option.

mjmwired · 03-24-2006, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jens

Also notice their's a different approach for people who use the stock kernel and who don't

The stock kernel (2054) is missing a single function call (print_tainted). So my "hack workaround" was to add:
"const char *print_tainted(void){ return; }"
to 'nv.c'. I know it is probably not proper, but oh well.

PTrenholme · 03-24-2006, 08:01 AM

OK, heres's my output:

Code:

$ ls /tmp/nvidia/
kmod-nvidia-smp-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.15_1.2054_FC5.i686.rpm
nvidia-kmod-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.15_1.1881_FC5.src.rpm
nvidia-kmod-debuginfo-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.15_1.2054_FC5.i686.rpm
nvidia-kmod-mjm.spec
xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-1.0.8178-7.lvn5.src.rpm
$ sudo rpm -ihv /tmp/nvidia/kmod-nvidia-smp-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.15_1.2054_FC5.i686.rpm
Password:
error: Failed dependencies:
        nvidia-kmod-common = 1.0.8178 is needed by kmod-nvidia-smp-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.15_1.2054_FC5.i686
$

Note that I had the nVidia driver from livna installed and running fine in FC4, and that I followed the instructions for 2.6.15-1.2054_FC5.

mjmwired · 03-24-2006, 08:13 AM

Not sure if this helps, but I had to install kmod-nvidia and xorg-x11-drv-nvidia RPM at the same time in a single command.

PTrenholme · 03-24-2006, 09:16 AM

Thanks! That wasn't the problem, though. The problem: If you look at the listing of my /tmp/nvidia directory (above), you'll see that I had neglected to do the

Code:

rpm -rebuild xorg-x11-drv-1.0.8178-7.lnv5.src.rpm

so I didn't have the x11-drv rpm to install.

Once I'd run that command, then I could install them together, and now I've got nVidia running under FC5.

My bad. Sorry.