Nvidia/asus/XF86Config-4 nightmare
 

ok here goes.
For the last week i 've been trying to set up the NVidia driverz for my asus v9180 on mandrake 9.1. In the begining i tried some ready made rpms the .run and finally the tar.gzs.I had some problems with different versions of gcc used to compile stuff.
Anywayz i edited the XFConfig hundreds of times recompiled kernel and glx thousands and i dont want to think how many times i reinstalled mandrake.
Anywayz
Two weeks ago i didn't know a thing about linux and so i took the red pill. :) Now i am addicted.

anywayz
Lets get to the problem now.I am trying to run startx and i get an error message saying that no screens were found.My card supports two screens and i tried various options in the xfconfig but the result stays the same.
Am i wrong to think that i am close to gett it to work ?
Iz there anybody who could help ?

Please do not post the same thread in more than one forum. Picking the most relevant forum and posting it once there makes it easier for other members to help you and keeps the discussion all in one place.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/rules.php

sorry
 

didn't mean to but i'm not sure if its a hardware or software problem yet
:)
sorry

If you ran the .run file and everything completed successfully then the drivers should be ok.

Did you follow the instructions in the README as far as editing XF86Config? Post your error file so someone can sift through it please.

/var/log/XFree86.X.log

I think the higher numbered ones are the most recent.

Unfortunatelly i dont have the rest of the file as i formted it and reinstalled for the millionth time
these are the last lines of the log

NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module!
(EE) NVIDIA(0): *** Aborting ***
(II)
UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(II)
UnloadModule: "vgahw"
(II)
Unloading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
Fatal server error:
no screens found


i don't know if this helps at all but thats all i have for now.
thanx again
:)

Well... it looks like the nvidia driver didn't install or wasn't compiled correctly since it failed to even load.

Are you sure you followed all the README instructions?? Use the newest version on the .run file and run it.

Also, check in /etc/modules.conf, you should see an alias in there for nvidia. Mine reads:

alias char-major-195 nvidia

Maybe check my checklist linked in my sig. Upgrading the drivers in Mdk91 never takes me more than 1 min :)

is that something that should be there from the initial instaltion or does the driver install put it there ?

Huh?
You install Mandrake, it works, X works, you have a nice desktop.
You download the .run to /root, and then follow my list.
About 60seconds later you're back in your desktop, with hardware acceleration. :)

well i wouldn't knock a guy when it comes to a nvidia and linux issue... because it totally doesn't fall under one category, and no one will ever post the same problem, cause if you read the nvnews fourm, you'll see that there is numerous problems with these drivers...and its all machine specific for the most part....as for you psykozovd
i suggest you go to nvidias fourms, because for an issue such as nvidia/linux, this isn't the place to ask...
as for your problem, i have a couple of questions:
does your board have the kt400 chipset?
did you upgrade your linux kernel?
do you have your linux kernel sources installed?
and finally, do you have assign irq to vga set in your bios?

one final thing is, before you can use the driver "nvidia" you need to have the nvidia kernel module working correctly (obviously)..
try logging in as root, and doing a /sbin/modprobe nvidia before you try "startx" as your normal user. and see if that helps..

the most usual fix for the no screens is setting assign irq to vga in the bios, so try that first before reply or answering any of my questions..

I'll second that. Try www.nvnews.net/vbulletin and scroll down to the Linux section. My problem was relatively minor to do with refresh rates but I was guided to a solution there...