LinuxQuestions.org - Nvidia Driver Install?!

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Nvidia Driver Install?!

Ok after perusing this forum I realize I'm an ultra newbie to the Linux o/s. If someone could help me out here, it would be greatly appreciated.
Basically what I need to know is how do I install a new nvidia driver ( package is a .run file ), and if it fails how do I uninstall it? Now I've read the install file and it reads type "bla bla", however I don't understand where to type this exactally. I've pressed CTRL+ALT+F1 which has taken me to a command line environment, but I didn't figure out how to get back to the GUI ( KDE ) environment. I had to just hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to send the 'kill' signal to all the software.
However before I re-booted I tried typing the instructions in the nvidia readme file and I recieved a message saying I'm not 'root' and dont have the permissions to do this. I do understand that to actually do any configuring on the computer I have to input a root password, but I was not prompted for one.
If it helps any I can maneuver around in the command line environment, but I don't know the srtucture of the o/s to be effective. I actually started using DOS in '86 on my first Tandy computer, and since have used M$ o/s's. As far as compiling anything to get it to work I'm new. Thanks for any help in advance.
:newbie:

Piece of cake ;)

First, before doing any of this, ensure you have downloaded and installed your kernel source files. RedHat lets you do this via up2date (use it while it's still there!), Mandrake should do it via urpmi, etc etc

To save time and hassle, edit your XF86Config file (may be XF86Config-4). You could do this via the command line at the end, but it's easier to do it here.

Quote:

(sec-03) EDITING YOUR XF86CONFIG FILE
__________________________________________________________________________

When XFree86 4.0 was released, it used a slightly different XF86Config
file syntax than the 3.x series did, and so to allow both 3.x and 4.x
versions of XFree86 to co-exist on the same system, it was decided that
XFree86 4.x was to use the configuration file "/etc/X11/XF86Config-4"
if it existed, and only if that file did not exist would the file
"/etc/X11/XF86Config" be used (actually, that is an over-simplification
of the search criteria; please see the XF86Config man page for a complete
description of the search path). Please make sure you know what
configuration file XFree86 is using. If you are in doubt, look for a
line beginning with "(==) Using config file:" in your XFree86 log file
("/var/log/XFree86.0.log"). This README will use "XF86Config" to refer
to your configuration file, whatever it is named.

If you do not have a working XF86Config file, there are several ways
to start: there is a sample config file that comes with XFree86,
and there is a sample config file included with the NVIDIA driver
package (it gets installed in /usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/).
You could also use a program like 'xf86config'; some distributions
provide their own tool for generating an XF86Config file. For more
on XF86Config file syntax, please refer to the man page.

If you already have an XF86Config file working with a different driver
(such as the 'nv' or 'vesa' driver), then all you need to do is find
the relevant Device section and replace the line:

Driver "nv"
(or Driver "vesa")

with

Driver "nvidia"

In the Module section, make sure you have:

Load "glx"

You should also remove the following lines:

Load "dri"
Load "GLcore"

if they exist. There are also numerous options that can be added to
the XF86Config file to fine-tune the NVIDIA XFree86 driver. Please see
Appendix D for a complete list of these options.

Quote:

Before beginning the driver installation, you should exit the X server.
In addition you should set your default run level so you will boot to a
vga console and not boot directly into X (please consult the documentation
that came with your Linux distribution if you are unsure how to do this;
this is normally done by modifying your /etc/inittab file). This will
make it easier to recover if there is a problem during the installation.
After installing the driver you must edit your XF86Config file before
the newly installed driver will be used. See the section below entitled
EDITING YOUR XF86CONFIG FILE.

2 ways to do this: as root (use su), edit /etc/inittab to set your system to boot into command line. Reboot. Or, do the ctl-alt-f1 and at the prompt, login as root.

Quote:

After you have downloaded NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-5336-pkg1.run,
begin installation by exiting X, cd'ing into the directory containing
the downloaded file, and run:

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-5336-pkg1.run

cd to wherever you downloaded the run file and type this in.

Reset your inittab file to the previous runlevel and reboot or do ctl-alt-Fx and you'll be back at the login. You should have seen the Nvidia splash screen prior to your login screen.

All done.

Also, search LQ, this has been asked before.

Check this thread. Scroll down to the second post and the section on installing Nvidia drivers.

Well I'm this far....

I tried the CTRL+ALT+F1 to enter the command line environment, and sucessfully maneuverred to the directory where the video driver was. However I got a message saying that it was currently in use and that "I should leave X' (!?) before continuing.

So not knowing exactally how to return to KDE I just typed reboot. When it rebooted it was in the command line again, so i logged in as root again and tried the same steps over.

Viola' it installed sucessfully, after some experamentation I typed kde and it started to return to the GUI environment. Started being the key word, I now seem to have a kernel conflict and it can't yet return to KDE. I'm assuming in the config files is where the conflict lies. I failed to edit the x86config file first and now i see why it's better to do so. I'm guessing that what I have to do in one cfg file is to tell it to look at teh other kernel to boot, correct? Anyway what is the command to edit and save these config files. It's obviously not the same as the DOS commands, bacause "Print" and 'Edit" don't work.:) Thank again.
:newbie:

I'm using Mandrake 9.2 that I just purchased about a week ago. It's installed on a computer thats sharing a Win2k install. Incidentally I'm thinking of just wiping out the 2K:) Dunno if that info bit helps any.

Quote:

First, before doing any of this, ensure you have downloaded and installed your kernel source files. RedHat lets you do this via up2date (use it while it's still there!), Mandrake should do it via urpmi, etc etc

:study:

I've looked this up but the manual with Mandrake doesn't have any information about this that is detailed enough to do it. I ran into a big problem installing the video drivers. There was a kernel conflict ( even after I had edited the config files first ). I'm not sure what I'm doing incorrectly, but the only thing I haven't done according to direction is mess with the kernel.

So how is it exactly that I go about upgrading? the kernel to 2.6, currently the one in use is 2.4.22.

Nis - that was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks!