a template for lilo this is mine and it has 4 different entries, all of these point to one system but they are used for testing different kernels and kernels with different purposes, i always leave "linux" as a stable working kernel and the others are whatever i feel like doing with patches and such

append="video=vesa:mtrr:ywrap"
vga=0x318
boot=/dev/hdc
prompt
timeout = 400
change-rules
reset
image = /boot/bzImage-test5-2
root = /dev/hdc3
label = linux
read-only
append="psmouse_noext=1"
image = /boot/bzImage-2.4.22-1
root = /dev/hdc3
label = linux-2.4.22
read-only
append="hda=ide-scsi"
image = /boot/bzImage-test5-love4
root = /dev/hdc3
label=linux-mm-test
read-only
append="psmouse_noext=1"
image = /boot/bzImage-2.4.22-ex1
root=/dev/hdc3
label=linux-ex
read-only
append="hda=ide-scsi"

So when I backed up my oldworking configuration, that's a bazimage file? I can just rename it to bzImage-ThankGod-for-backup?

Specificy that name in a lilo entry and off ai go back into working linux?

Hows it going?

Figured out how to get my old config back by using load another config (.config.old) and then doing its make && bs again...

so now everything goes and i have a proper startx running xsessionmamanger thingy to straight into gnome... hell i even got my soundcard working... just no nvidia =\

ahh, sorry to leave you in the lurch there, it was getting rather late here, and I was getting too drunk to be much use to anybody :S

Sweet that sound works still no NVidia eh? not enough help on the gentoo forums then...

Have you got some detailed instructions that your following? And its just direct rendering thats not working right?

glxinfo |grep direct

if you run that in a terminal it says no right?

sigh...
Here is what I do to get nvidia drivers working in gentoo.

since you have already compiled your kernel. this will be really easy.

step 1) emerge joe (its the text editor i use)
step 2) download the nvidia drivers
step 3) install the nvidia drivers with sh
step 4) joe /etc/X11/XF86config-4 (I think thats what it is)
step 5) scroll down to where it says section "graphic card" or whatever it is. It should have a line that says Driver "vga" or Driver "vesa"
step 6) Delete the vga or vesa and put in nvidia in its place.

hit ctrl + k + x to get out of joe.
Then start X.

thats all you have to do!

As far as I know I think I use XF86config not the -4 how do I check to see which one x uses? (where's the log that shows me that??)

When I do the glx |grep thing i get a bunch of errors about no nvidia thing pressent an no glx... in windows now, will reboot in a sec

XFree will use XF86config by default and it will use XF86config-4 if XF86config doesnt exist.


/var/log/XFree86.0.log
or a file like that...

the latest XFree86 logfile. ls -lrt /var/log/XFree* and it will be at the bottom of the list.

I'm checking on my SuSE box but I think its the same.

Uh robert, what about the part of the xfconfig that specifies the card and the driver for the card... ?

ok, sorry about that, I was going off of memory from work =]

Edit the /etc/X11/XF86config file scroll down to the device display secion, find the driver marked "vga" or "vesa" delete vesa or vga and put "nvidia" in its place.

then you should be able to startx