I'm new to Linux and I'm trying to configure 3d acceleration. Since the generic 'nv' driver that came with my Mandrake 9.1 didn't support 3d hardware, I downloaded the self-installable drivers from nvidia. After succesfully installing (?) them I can't start X: the log says that the nvidia kernel module can't initialize, and that there are 'no valid screens'. (The module itself is loaded according to /sbin/lsmod). Only if I switch to the old 'nv' driver in XF86Config-4 does X work again.

I'm no linux guru so I haven't a chance to solve this by myself. The nvidia README.txt file offered some hints for diagnostic but no clue for the solution.

Does anybody know what may be wrong?

thanks!!

Theres a nifty litle tool that checks your installation, dunno how good it is though but it might be worth checking out, its called
"nv_check.sh" and you should be able to find it thru google!

Cheers, Klod

Thank you! I tried the script and it found out lots of useful things. Turns out that the nvidia kernel module is not properly loaded (? I thought it was...). Trying to compile & link it ('make install' on the nvidia sources) produces heaps of errors that I've not decoded yet... looks like a lot of work ahead. Has anybody compiled the module successfully? i.e has anybody installed the drivers by compiling them instead of just running the installer? if so, a few hints would save me lots of doc browsing

Thanks for your help!!

what happens when you run the nvidia script from nvidia.com?
does it try to compile the module for you?

check to see if this:
alias char-major-195 nvidia
is in your modules.conf file which it sounds like its not, and when you add it, do a modules update, and then try to startx

I had that same problem. I use an other distro, but also a new one, like you. The first time I downloaded a driver from nvidia, I got the wrong one. You got to look very carefully at their site, the link to the right (new) drivers was somewhat hidden. In the end I got the right driver + kernel (very important, don't forget that one) and it worked out allright.

Good luck and have fun with it!

he has redhat so the shell script is sufficient. if he download the ia64 script it wouldn't install if he tried anyways, so if he is this far then he got the right one.

The installer script didn't compile anything unless it did it silently. It looks like it just removed old library files, etc. an copied the new ones. I guess the binary module was already included but somehow has to be linked to the kernel, or loaded at startup; and that's what I'm going to try today...

In the modules.conf file there's only 1 entry for 'nvidia'

alias /dev/nvidia* nvidia

I'll try adding the line you suggested, and will find out what it means

btw, I've tried 'make install' on the nvidia makefile and the computer hangs with a kernel panic message; it's not only me that's panicking...

Thanks for your help!