I recive this error when I try to boot using the nvidia driver, if I use nv it runs fine.

(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module!
(EE) NVIDIA(0): *** Aborting ***
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.



Kernel: 2.6.8.1-12mdksmp
Card: GeForce FX 5900

Install 2.6 source

$ urpmi kernel-source

I thought I had already installed the kernel source using the gui package installer.

Do I need to reinstall the nvidia drivier any special way?

Probably not

I installed the kernel source you said, and reinstalled the driver and I got the same error.

It says that the Build Operating System is the enterprise kernel, I use the smp one. could that be causing problems?

I had this same problem. First, when you get get that error again type "su" then enter to enable you to use the super user privileges then type "modprobe nvidia". After that type startx and that should bring you into the graphical interface. If that works then you need to add an alias into the /etc/modprobe.conf file. In mine I used:
"alias eth0 nvidia" without the quotes
Then I just restarted and everything works great. Good luck

Still does not work. I dont understand why it works with the nv driver and then it doesnt work with the nvidia drivier. This same computer was running fine with Mandrake 10.0 and Nvidia 6111 driver.

Anyone have any other ideas

I've got exactly the same problem. 10.0 with 6111 worked, 10.1 with 6629 doesn't.
The module can't be loaded with modprobe nvidia
It says the module has an invalid module format and can't be inserted. I can't get it working compiling the old driver either.
Help is greatly appreciated!

Try installing the source kernel via the GUI ... I originally used urpmi and requested the 3rd CD and installed everything sucessfully, but the driver would not compile until I installed the source from the GUI.

If you already can't get into the GUI, run XFdrake and set it to use the vesa driver for the time being (it's in the Xorg section)

OK, I finally got it working: my mistake was that I did an update from 10.0 to 10.1 but I didn't have CD2 at hand, so I skipped it in the update process. Although the new sources had already been installed, something else must have been on CD2, that prevented the driver from being compiled correctly. After having updated the system with CD2 the kernel module could be compiled the correctly by the NVIDIA-Installer script

I have the same problem as the guy that started this post. I don't know what to do to fix it because I've read all I can read and tried all I can try. Here's what happens to me: I got the kernel sources from RPMDrake (yes the current one for my kernel 2.6.8.1-12mdk) and edit the init file to say 3, exit X server and run the Nvidia installer. It finished, I edited xorg.conf, and upon reboot I got the exact same problem as the first post.

I tried to use modprobe nvidia but I get this:

Fatal: Error inserting nvidia (/lib/modules/2.6.8.1-12mdk/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia/nvidia.ko.gz):
Invalid module format

WTF????

I just want to get this darn driver installed so I can play America's Army.

PLEASE Help