NVIDIA XFree Crash

DarkstarNL · 10-16-2003, 04:57 AM

Hello All

I have a problem that is bothering me very much

Whenever i log in to X as root de PC Crashes after a few seconds,
keyboard, mouse, nothing works anymore. only solution is hard reboot. When i login as a normal user everythings fine!!

A have the latest nvidia linux drivers.

PC info:

PIII 733
Geforce 256 SDR 32MB
Xfree 4.3
Kernel 2.4.22
Slackware (zipslack)

Is anyone experiencing the same problem or has a solution for this.
Please let me know!!

dukeinlondon · 10-16-2003, 06:02 AM

I have had the same problem with normal users for quite a while now. I've played with so many bios and driver settings that I've lost track.

The machine can run for days without problem and suddenly, X looses the keyboard and the mouse and there is no way out other than hard reboot.

I'm running mkd 9.1 with latest kernel and nvidia drivers. .... I hope 9.2 will be better.

DarkstarNL · 10-16-2003, 06:06 AM

I Have tried different distro's, and all of them have the same problem with the nvidia drivers im getting sick of this

IsNoGood · 10-16-2003, 06:07 AM

I had problems like this with some patches to the kernel (namely Con Kolivas's patchset) but I got a buggy video card.Might be worth to try a vanilla kernel.

tillyoubreakit · 10-16-2003, 06:48 AM

Here goes something funny.......get ATI ( hey the 3D dont work) but at least you get a picture.

I have sooooooo many problems with ATI and nVidia doesnt help either. Maybe I should try my old Cirrus Logic with 512kb Ram.

dukeinlondon · 10-16-2003, 06:55 AM

Well, all these problems are with the nvidia drivers, and the 3d works in most games. Just that intermitently, X freezes and X is a big vulnerability to a unix system running it....

I'll revert to the nv driver just to have a try. I am not a gamer anyway so I shouldn't notice much difference. That's the theory anyway

DarkstarNL · 10-16-2003, 06:59 AM

Well um i can use the nv driver but i really need 3d!! And im only getting this when i use the nvidia driver which crashes my system argh!!

dalek · 10-16-2003, 07:11 AM

Mine used to do that. I got it fixed though. The fix depends on the system though. You will have to read the big fat NVIDIA book to tweak yours. It's at the same place you download the drivers. It is big. You need to make some changes to your XF86Config file and the modules.conf file.

After getting that done I have not had those problems. It is a pain to figure out though.

Hope that helps a bit.

dukeinlondon · 10-16-2003, 07:14 AM

Mind me asking what tweaks you've done to your system ? I've been through that but maybe I should have chosen better hours than 11pm -2am. Can't remember what I did then....

dalek · 10-16-2003, 07:24 AM

I added this to my modules.conf file

alias char-major-10-175 agpgart
options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1

I also added another line to the XF86Config-4 file

Option "NvAGP" "3"

That goes right below the Driver "nvidia" line.

This may not work for yours though. I would be ready for it to mess up and have to change them back using vi or something.

Hope that helps.

DarkstarNL · 10-16-2003, 07:35 AM

mm weird changes you have made

NvAGP 3 seems to be default
And agp_try_unsupported detects unsupported cards

dukeinlondon · 10-16-2003, 07:37 AM

Thanks for the tips. I've been down the text console and vi editing of this damn file more than I can recall so no problem.

I still love it, although I could do without a blurry screen of death. :-)

dalek · 10-16-2003, 07:43 AM

All I know is it don't crash and the video card does it's job instead of my CPU. I have seen stranger things before.

I was told that agpgart was part of my problem. It's strange that NVIDIA support Linux with the video card but the motherboard stuff sucks. Next mobo will not have a NVIDIA chipset.

Hope it helps. May need to read the book for specifics.

DarkstarNL · 10-16-2003, 11:18 AM

Okay did it hope it helps

!!!

DarkstarNL · 10-16-2003, 11:51 AM

Ok doesnt work still crashes

anyone have an id??