I have searched and searched for answers to a problem installing drivers for an nvidia vanta card in a Compaq 5320 computer using Fedora Core 4. I have used every combination of every post on this forum and nothing resolves the video.

I have tried installing Mandrake 10.1 and Mandriva and they have the same problem.

I run the driver using the latest download form nvidia's site. It always says that it cannot find the Kernel header files and aborts. I've tried to point to the kernel files with the option on the command.

I really want to switch to Linux, but if over 15 hours to find a driver for a popular video card are the start of the troubles, I don't see how I can get anything done except trying to configure the machine.

I've even went as far as to have a friend recompile the kernel.

15 hours is enough, is there any information that would help me figure out the problem that any of you know of?

Should I just consider myself non-Linux compatible and give it up?

well, I use debian, but normally these drivers compile without problem, assuming you have the kernel headers from which your running kernel was made. There should be a symlink pointing to them in /lib/modules/<kernelversion>/build. normally, they reside in /usr/src/linux. If you use a precompiled kernel, search for a package called linux-<version>-headers or kernel-<version>-headers or something similar. this has to be installed.

hth, Flo

Don't know about the fedora, but with mandrake/mandriva it normally doesn't install the kernel sources by default.

So, if you haven't already updated the software tools/software manager i.e. you currently just have the install disc installation without updating from the net etc, theres two choices.

Modify the software sources, to see if theres an updated kernel version waiting to install, because if so, you'd want to get the update installed and get the kernel-sources too match that, or establish what kernel your install is using and then get the kernel-sources that match that one (they are normally on one of the discs).

I'm gonna suggest that you try the first method, because if you go for the second and manage to get the nvidia driver working, then you'd have to do it all again (though you may feel that it's good for the learning - Oh and whenever a new kernel version is released you'd normally have to rebuild the nvidia driver kernel module - the driver install does that for you, but thats why you need the kernel and the kernel-sources).

So, my suggestion.

You have a net connection I presume. Go to the easy urpmi site, select the version of the software that you're using, architecture etc etc (in the dropdowns), section 2 of the easy urpmi, check all 6 boxes and use the dropdowns to select the nearest geographical mirrors (which may or may not work, I always used to try the UK mirrors, but if they were slow or didn't let me in, I'd vary the locations to the European ones surrounding the UK. 1 or 2 france, same for Netherlands, then norway/sweden - you'll see what I mean when you read the locations stuff in the drop downs - it's just that the nearest one(s) are usually the fastest).

Anyhow, once you've got the 6 location addresses from dropdowns, and checked the boxes, click the "proceed to stage 3" button. You'll see a load of stuff in the box below - it's the commands/locations for setting your system.

All you need to do (ha! now theres a cliche), is open a terminal/konsole window, do the "su" command (obviously no quotes), input your root password and hit enter, when you've changed to root (the prompt should have changed to # if you haven't changed it too something else), you then just highlight/copy the stuff from easy urpmi and paste it in the konsole/terminal window. It should start automatically, though I don't know your system you may have to hit enter if nothing happens.

It should take a while, but it will download the latest packages list (6 times, one for each of the "things" - sorry can't remember what they're called - contrib, main, updates etc etc). When it's finished, you should go into the Mandriva control centre (configure my computer). Go to the software manager section and run the updates. It should then show you a list of stuff that it thinks need updating, check it all and install the updates.

Now here, my memory goes a bit blurred, as I can't recall about the kernel stuff i.e. moving to a new kernel if theres one available - but you'd need to do that, as quite often, a change of that is about security stuff - have a look around the mandriva/mandrake distros forum for info on there or maybe try the distro specific forums that are located here.

Once thats sorted, you can go back into the software manager, and view the stuff thats available and the stuff thats installed etc etc.

To check which kernel version you're using, you will have to put the command into a terminal/konsole window (I can do that on my system as either root or user, I don't know if thats the same for you, but try as user, if it errors then do the su/root password thing mentioned earlier and then try the uname -r command as root).

The kernel version that shows up e.g. kernel-2.6.8-13.mdk (or something like that) is what you'd be looking for in the list of installed stuff in the software managers "installed" list - if it's not the same (the one installed, if there is one) then you need to install the kernel-sources-2.6.8 etc etc i.e. the same kernel-sources as the kernel that you have installed. Install it.

From there it should be just a case of following the instructions in the readme file that you should have got from the nvidia site (as well as the driver for your system).

You'd have to suss out your favourite way of "killing the X server" (I always used to keep doing the ctrl+alt+delete (all three keys at once) method, you often have to do it a number of times as the X server wants to restart - when it stops offering you a graphic login, you should arrive at a command line login. Then log in as root and follow the instructions in the readme. the installer will tell you if it's installed the driver OK, you'd then just make the changes to the xorg.conf file so that the X server knows too use the nvidia driver, as opposed to the generic nv driver (which only works very badly for my system).


Sorry that this seems so long and drawn out (or even complicated). It reads worse than it is. It's more straight forward that it seems, but explaining the steps (and possible pitfalls) is hard work.

Hopefully it will help some.

regards

John

There are no header files, but I don't know how to install them.

I followed the instructions in both posts, nothing happens.

The only thing different is that now, I get an error saying that nvidia.o cannot build without the correct headers.

I just don't know enough to figure out these headers. I've tried pointing to every directory in the /usr/src directory, including the one with kernel.h and it doesn't work.

I don't know enough about modules, except that they are called by the kernel, to do anything with them.

There has got to be a fix for this somewhere.

I'm still presuming that you've got the mandrake/mandriva installed ???

Because the headers (or maybe refered to as kernel-sources) won't be in the /usr/src unless you've installed them.

You should try to look on this as a challenge - otherwise the defeatist approach clouds your thinking.

As I say, you should open a konsole/terminal/whatever you want to call it - and do that command then note down the response. Then presuming the mandriva/mandrake install - you should find it (the headers/sources) in the software manager - which in turn is in the mandriva control centre (button on taskbar usually gives "configure my computer" on mouseover). It also needs a root password (unless you're already logged in as root graphically).

From there, you can check software thats available for install or stuff already installed.

Also, do a search for nvidia driver here at LQ or at that link for mandrivausers that I posted yesterday. The only thing that may differ from your system is where the software for install is found, the name of the app(s) that are used to install and some distros call "them" kernel headers, others kernel-sources.

If you're getting a reply from the nvidia installer that nvidia.o can't build without the correct headers, then it's telling you (in a round about way) what you need to do.

the installer tells you if it's successful. Then you still need to follow the instructions in the readme.txt at the nvidia site, because that tells you what you need to change in the xorg.conf (or XFree86.conf if the distro you use still uses that).

I can't explain anymore - do the search(es). Someone else might have explained it all better than I can.

regards

John

p.s. Oh and theres another way round this. You purchase a copy from Mandriva directly. The "paid for" version has the nvidia driver pre-configured, and by paid for, I don't mean one of the cheap disc providers - those ones are just pre-burned download version ones.

Have you tried the nvidia-glx package instead? For Debian you have to install something like kernel-headers, kernel-source and linux-kernel-headers. You need to check the versions for your's, the last one is the dev package.
It's been awhile since I've had to install the driver but it is easy.

Its simple in Mandriva:
Goto http://easyurpmi.zarb.org and setup the repositories.
Go into the Software Installation GUI (in the Mandrake Control Centre) and install the package named 'kernel-source-2.6' (no quotes).
Run the NVIDIA install.

If it doesn't work please post back the output of the command:

I did the urpmi website and let it update the system.

I then tried to install the driver again and it's saying that it can't find the kernel source tree.

The reply to the command rpm -qa | grep -i kernel is kernel-2.6.12.12mdk-1-1mdk.

Thanks for the help.

For some reason, the package installer would not update the source for the kernel the first go around. I tried again installed the smp kernel. I don't think it will matter though. I got the kernel source installed for 2.6-2.6.12-12.

Now the error says that it cannot install nvidia.o and that the kernel is build with different source.

Here is the reply from your suggested command.

kernel-smp-2.6.12.12mdk-1-1mdk
kernel-source-2.6-2.6.12-12mdk
kernel-2.6.12.12mdk-1-1mdk

The reason there's a difference is that the kernel package doesn't update automtically through MandrakeUpdate, whereas the kernel-source (along with all the rest of the packages) does. To fix this just get the latest kernel with (as root):
Also get rid of that kernel-smp package, you don't need it.

The nvidia installer went through more steps but simple state, Error: cannot build, at the end.

what does [code] rpm -qa | grep -i kernel[code] look like now?