Nvidia Driver install problems

Nvidia Driver install problems
Hello all,

I am not sure if 64 Studio questions are supposed to be answered here but I believe it is a Dedian Linux Distribution. We do have forums on the 64 website and this is posted there as well.

I am having troubles installing the NVIDIA Graphics driver. I know for the 8000/9000 series cards the driver is a 2D mess. so I switched out a 7950 with a gaming machine I have. I now have a desktop but only at 640x480 61Hz res. I am still very new to Linux, 640x480 is better than a Cmd Line as I don't yet know many of the commands.

I am stuck at the installation, as it requests I shut down the X server and any Open GL apps. The Debian tutorial says to use the: c-a-Backspase keystroke combination to stop the X Server. However, nothing seems to happen with this. Also my CMOS settings are wiped clean each time I shut down the computer power leading me to believe the installation of 64 studio has not completely finished. Upon boot up I am forced to control-d to get my limited desktop. I am stuck here and need someones help. When I try restarting the installation file in root Terminal I get an "You Don't Have Permission to execute this file" error message!

Any help is WELCOMED!

HW INFO: C2d E6600
Mobo:NVIDIA 680i
GPU: GeForce 7950 GT
8GB RAM Mushkin

Cheers

Pat

I'd try (as root from command line)


init 3

which should put you in command line without X running

Check the permissions of the nvidia.run you have. You may need to do

chmod a+x nvidia.run (use the correct filename).

Then try running it again (as root)

./nvidia.run


I've got a sneaking suspicion that Debian runlevels are different, so th first line maybe should be init 2

In Debian, the command to get from a desktop to Single User mode which is what you want to do, is "telinit 1".

I sounds to me like your installation is boogered up, and my advice would be to simply start over from the top, and see if you can get it right this time.

The Debian tutorial says to use the: c-a-Backspase keystroke combination to stop the X Server.

That would mean: CTRL + ALT + Backspace
- it kills the running session - If you have a display manager running - it will probably restart every time you do that.
The letters c + a + Backspace indeed do nothing.

Here's my take on how to install the drivers:

Make sure you have your kernel headers installed
Make sure you have build-essential installed

Boot as normal. Do not bother to login.

<CTRL><ALT><F1> to get a terminal login [This will be our root terminal]
Login as yourself

sudo -i to become root.

Stop X with either /etc/init.d/kdm stop if you are running KDE or /etc/init.d/gdm stop if you are running gnome

If your terminal disappears, get back to it with <CTRL><ALT><F1>

Run the NVIDIA installer:
sh /path/to/NVIDIA-whatever.run

Accept the licence, answer the questions, let it do its thing.

Now restart X like this (still in the root terminal)
/etc/init.d/kdm start or /etc/init.d/gdm start

You should automaticaly be sent to the X terminal which is on TTY7, if not, get to it with <CTRL><ALT><F7>. If there are errors, you'll see them on TTY1 (your root terminal)

Login as yourself and off you go.

If all is well close the root terminal:
<CTRL><ALT><F1>
exit
exit
<CTRL><ALT><F7>

Hope you get it working.

tredegar

You can shorten your howto, when at boot up just chose to boot into recoverymode, you will be prompt for a root passwd then continue with the rest of your howto. After the driver is installed just type exit and it will continue with a normal boot.

You will not have to do all this

Boot as normal. Do not bother to login. <CTRL><ALT><F1> to get a terminal login [This will be our root terminal] Login as yourself sudo -i to become root. Stop X with either /etc/init.d/kdm stop if you are running KDE or /etc/init.d/gdm stop if you are running gnome If your terminal disappears, get back to it with <CTRL><ALT><F1>