[SOLVED] Nvidia build problem

I have managed to mess up my system by building custom kernels - something I have done many times but this time I did something stupid and didn't notice the problem till I rebooted then all hell broke loose. Anyway I have reinstalled these packages as things were in a bit of a mess :kernel-firmware-2.6.33.4-noarch-1,kernel-generic-2.6.33.4-x86_64-1,kernel-huge-2.6.33.4-x86_64-1,kernel-modules-2.6.33.4-x86_64-1,kernel-source-2.6.33.4-noarch-1,kernel-headers-2.6.33.4-x86-1. I then went on to rebuild using the config-generic-2.6.33.4, probably unnecessary but just to clean stuff up and everything now boots and runs ok. I'll be more careful in future! Anyway - I now need to rebuild the proprietary Nvidia kernel module as that's now obviously gone. Running my downloaded NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-260.19.44.run falls over with this :

nvidia-installer log file '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log'
creation time: Tue Mar  8 12:55:31 2011
installer version: 260.19.44

PATH: /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin

option status:
  license pre-accepted               : false
  update                             : false
  force update                       : false
  expert                             : false
  uninstall                          : false
  driver info                        : false
  precompiled interfaces             : true
  no ncurses color                   : false
  query latest version               : false
  no questions                       : false
  silent                             : false
  no recursion                       : false
  no backup                          : false
  kernel module only                 : false
  sanity                             : false
  add this kernel                    : false
  no runlevel check                  : false
  no network                         : false
  no ABI note                        : false
  no RPMs                            : false
  no kernel module                   : false
  force SELinux                      : default
  no X server check                  : false
  no cc version check                : false
  run distro scripts                 : true
  no nouveau check                   : false
  run nvidia-xconfig                 : false
  sigwinch work around               : true
  force tls                          : (not specified)
  force compat32 tls                 : (not specified)
  X install prefix                   : (not specified)
  X library install path             : (not specified)
  X module install path              : (not specified)
  OpenGL install prefix              : (not specified)
  OpenGL install libdir              : (not specified)
  compat32 install chroot            : (not specified)
  compat32 install prefix            : (not specified)
  compat32 install libdir            : (not specified)
  utility install prefix             : (not specified)
  utility install libdir             : (not specified)
  installer prefix                   : (not specified)
  doc install prefix                 : (not specified)
  kernel name                        : (not specified)
  kernel include path                : (not specified)
  kernel source path                 : (not specified)
  kernel output path                 : (not specified)
  kernel install path                : (not specified)
  precompiled kernel interfaces path : (not specified)
  precompiled kernel interfaces url  : (not specified)
  proc mount point                   : /proc
  ui                                 : (not specified)
  tmpdir                             : /tmp
  ftp mirror                         : ftp://download.nvidia.com
  RPM file list                      : (not specified)
  selinux chcon type                 : (not specified)

Using: nvidia-installer ncurses user interface
-> License accepted.
-> Installing NVIDIA driver version 260.19.44.
-> There appears to already be a driver installed on your system (version: 195.
   36.15).  As part of installing this driver (version: 260.19.44), the existin
   g driver will be uninstalled.  Are you sure you want to continue? ('no' will
   abort installation) (Answer: Yes)
-> Performing CC sanity check with CC="cc".
-> Performing CC version check with CC="cc".
-> Kernel source path: '/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/source'
-> Kernel output path: '/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build'
ERROR: If you are using a Linux 2.4 kernel, please make sure
       you either have configured kernel sources matching your
       kernel or the correct set of kernel headers installed
       on your system.
       
       If you are using a Linux 2.6 kernel, please make sure
       you have configured kernel sources matching your kernel
       installed on your system. If you specified a separate
       output directory using either the "KBUILD_OUTPUT" or
       the "O" KBUILD parameter, make sure to specify this
       directory with the SYSOUT environment variable or with
       the equivalent nvidia-installer command line option.
       
       Depending on where and how the kernel sources (or the
       kernel headers) were installed, you may need to specify
       their location with the SYSSRC environment variable or
       the equivalent nvidia-installer command line option.
ERROR: Installation has failed.  Please see the file
       '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details.  You may find suggestions
       on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux
       driver download page at www.nvidia.com.

and trying to run the SlackBuild version for nvidia-kernel 260.19.29-x86_64-1_SBo fails with

*** Unable to determine the target kernel version. ***

make: *** [select_makefile] Error 1

so far I haven't been able to succesfully build the nvidia kernel module - something I have done countless times before and is the first thing I do when I update my Slackware version. This is now causing me much frustration. I know it's probably something very simple but it's getting on my nerves so any ideas are very welcome.

Backtrack to your kernel rebuild using the config-generic. Did you install the new modules from the rebuild? You may have missed a step for the kernel rebuild. Its not finding the correct version.

Backtrack to your kernel rebuild using the config-generic. Did you install the new modules from the rebuild? You may have missed a step for the kernel rebuild. Its not finding the correct version.

Yes I did all the required steps as in :

make bzImage modules 
make modules_install

- I've re ran this just to be doubly sure and still the errors persist.

-> Kernel source path: '/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/source' -> Kernel output path: '/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build'

Are these correct?
/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/source should be a symlink to /usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4/
/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build should be a symlink to /usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4/

Are these correct? /lib/modules/2.6.33.4/source should be a symlink to /usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4/ /lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build should be a symlink to /usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4/

Yes they are both correct. This has really got me baffled and annoyed because, as I said, I've ran this module build lots of times but now it just keeps falling over.

I would try running 'make oldconfig && make prepare && make modules_prepare' on kernel src and then running the installer with SYSSRC=/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/source.

It that fails, I would revert to a stock kernel.

It that fails, I would revert to a stock kernel.

Yes - I am running the stock kernel (or I thought I was). Anyway I'm really fed up with this so I decided to take somewhat drastic action. I have done this rather drastic fix :

rm -rf /boot/vmlinuz*
rm -rf /lib/modules/2.6.33.4
rm -rf /usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4
upgradepkg --reinstall kernel-huge-2.6.33.4-x86_64-1.txz  
upgradepkg --reinstall kernel-generic-2.6.33.4-x86_64-1.txz  
upgradepkg --reinstall kernel-modules-2.6.33.4-x86_64-1.txz  
upgradepkg --reinstall kernel-source-2.6.33.4-noarch-1.txz 

# fix lilo.conf
lilo -v
# reboot to generic kernel

Now at last NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-260.19.44.run wil run and builds and installs the kernel module and fixes xorg.conf. So something was astray before somewhere but eventually I got it fixed. I'm just sorry I didn't do the sensible thing first and strip the system back to basics kernel wise then reinstall everything. Thanks for the help.