nVidia with SMP Kernel

Lord C · 02-20-2005, 07:06 PM

I have been installing nVidia drivers for a long time, and they always worked fine.

Now I am using Mandrake 10.1, with a SMP kernel
(Im on a dual-processor pc, so mdk automatically gives me this smp kernel).

During installation of the nVidia drivers it gives me an error, telling me there is no precompiled driver, and it will need my kernel source to create a new module.
The thing is, there is no downloadable source for 2.6mdk-smp (sp?) kernel, and therefore im kinda stuck.

Unless there is a manual way to do it?

It used to be so easy

foo_bar_foo · 02-20-2005, 10:41 PM

the kernel source is just the kernel source
smp is just an option in the config
so the source code is all the same

Lord C · 02-21-2005, 05:54 AM

Well I have downloaded the source to no effect.

nVidia suggests it cannot use a module nvidia.no, something to do with me having the wrong soure

Code:

-> Kernel module compilation complete.
ERROR: Unable to load the kernel module 'nvidia.ko'.  This is most likely
       because the kernel module was built using the wrong kernel source files.
       Please make sure you have installed the kernel source files for your
       kernel; on Red Hat Linux systems, for example, be sure you have the
       'kernel-source' rpm installed.  If you know the correct kernel source
       files are installed, you may specify the kernel source path with the
       '--kernel-source-path' commandline option.
-> Kernel module load error: insmod: error inserting './usr/src/nv/nvidia.ko':
   -1 Invalid module format
ERROR: Installation has failed.  Please see the file
       '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details.  You may find suggestions
       on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux
       driver download page at www.nvidia.com.

Valhalla · 02-21-2005, 02:53 PM

Not to point out the really obvious, but have you tried specifiying the kernel path manually i.e. the --kernel-source-path=. Alternately, is there a symlink from /usr/src/linux -> /your/kernel/srcpath.

Lord C · 02-21-2005, 04:46 PM

I tried a symlink :/

Valhalla · 02-21-2005, 09:47 PM

This is probably over-kill, but you could always compile yourself a brand new kernel, and if you do that, the module is gauranteed to work. I know there are some kernels with odd patches that older versions of the nvidia installer can't compile against. Just make sure you have the newest version.

randyding · 02-21-2005, 11:54 PM

Right after you do a failed install check your syslog for a line that may look like this.

Code:

kernel: nvidia: Unknown symbol __VMALLOC_RESERVE

If you see this, then you, like me, are just out of luck until Nvidia fixes their driver. Nvidia has a chat forum on their web site and I've been camping on it listening for news of a fix. Nvidia does know about the problem.