nVidia drivers for one kernel bugger those of the other kernel?

lugoteehalt · 11-01-2008, 08:25 AM

Installed a new kernel 2.6.24....amd64 for Debian Lenny and needed to make new nVidia drivers for it, using nVidia's own installer thing. Did this and it buggered same for the 2.6.18 ..... kernel (which works better than the new one). How do I get graphics for both kernels?

Read this elsewhere on this site:

Quote:

Nvidia drivers must be installed for each kernel. Make sure that each kernel has its own Nvidia module, and that when you install one it doesn't install over the top of the others

So how is the said outcome produced? (Thought of doing 'locate nvidia' and then tarring the output and then shoving them back in before rebooting into the kernel.)

MS3FGX · 11-01-2008, 04:21 PM

While I have never done it myself, the installer's documentation says the following options are used to set the driver up for multiple kernels:

Code:

  -K, --kernel-module-only
      Install a kernel module only, and do not uninstall the
      existing driver.  This is intended to be used to install
      kernel modules for additional kernels (in cases where you
      might boot between several different kernels).  To use this
      option, you must already have a driver installed, and the
      version of the installed driver must match the version of
      this kernel module.

  --no-kernel-module
      Install everything but the kernel module, and do not remove
      any existing, possibly conflicting kernel modules.  This
      can be useful in some DEBUG environments.  If you use this
      option, you must be careful to ensure that a NVIDIA kernel
      module matching this driver version is installed
      seperately.

So it looks like you would first run --no-kernel-module to get the drivers installed, and then run -K under each kernel you want to install a module for.

pinniped · 11-01-2008, 04:44 PM

Let me know how the "--kernel-module-only" works. I could never figure out how to install multiple NVidia drivers either; I always assumed their script was plain stupid and wasted a lot of my time copying files and restoring them after the NVidia installer script wrote over them.

lugoteehalt · 11-02-2008, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS3FGX

While I have never done it myself, the installer's documentation says the following options are used to set the driver up for multiple kernels:

Code:

  -K, --kernel-module-only
      Install a kernel module only, and do not uninstall the
      existing driver.  This is intended to be used to install
      kernel modules for additional kernels (in cases where you
      might boot between several different kernels).  To use this
      option, you must already have a driver installed, and the
      version of the installed driver must match the version of
      this kernel module.

  --no-kernel-module
      Install everything but the kernel module, and do not remove
      any existing, possibly conflicting kernel modules.  This
      can be useful in some DEBUG environments.  If you use this
      option, you must be careful to ensure that a NVIDIA kernel
      module matching this driver version is installed
      seperately.

So it looks like you would first run --no-kernel-module to get the drivers installed, and then run -K under each kernel you want to install a module for.

Thanks. Alright I'll do that then, though I cannot quite understand the reasoning.

piniped:

Quote:

wasted a lot of my time copying files and restoring them after the NVidia installer script wrote over them

I tried this and it had no effect whatever.

MS3FGX · 11-02-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Thanks. Alright I'll do that then, though I cannot quite understand the reasoning.

Normally, the installer overwrites all the Nvidia XOrg files with the newest ones, and then compiles and replaces the actual kernel module. By using the two separate steps, you can install the XOrg side of the driver without touching the kernel modules, which will allow you to build multiple modules and not mess with core setup.

lugoteehalt · 11-03-2008, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS3FGX

Normally, the installer overwrites all the Nvidia XOrg files with the newest ones, and then compiles and replaces the actual kernel module. By using the two separate steps, you can install the XOrg side of the driver without touching the kernel modules, which will allow you to build multiple modules and not mess with core setup.

Did it and it worked perfectly.

In case I got lucky here are details:

# bash NVIDIAinstallThing.run --no-kernel-module (This in the 2.6.18-amd64 kernel which was the one that happened to have graphics working, get slight impression you have to use the one with the module working but don't know.)

# bash NVIDIAinstallThing.run -K

Reboot into 2.6.24-amd64 kernel.

# bash NVIDIAinstallThing.run -K

Then had X with both kernels (X will only run with these drivers on my thing.)

Problem solved - thanks.