Hi All, i just wanted to install the nvidia drivers... i believe i have a nvidia geforce 2... not really sure... the last time i checked the name for my card was in windows xp and that was a while ago... (any way i could verify that? check it anywhere on linux?).. well i went to the nvidia page and went to drivers and geforce/tnt and i hav e no idea which linux i have i am using slackware 9.0 with a 1.5ghz amd athlon and 128 mb ram... and a geforce 2 (i believe ) there is a Linux IA32, Linux IA64, Linux AMD64 and FreeBSD which one would i choose for as my linux??? Thnx for your replies!

IA32

And you might be able to tell from:
lspci -vv

You should pipe it to a file for easier reading, or to less:
lspci -vv | less
lspci -vv > /home/lspci.output

Coll

I've heard that the new Nvidia installer doesn't work, my roommates GF3 didn't install right with the new .run file nvidia puts out, and neither did mine... my sulotion was to go to this link ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/1.0-4363 and grab the NVIDIA_kernel and NVIDIA_GLX source tar.gz files and install it the old way. This method works fine as far as I have tested here at school, on about 5 machines. Let me know if you need any further explanation.

I would use the IA32 (unless you are running a 64 bit x86 cpu). My experience has been to extract the .bin file into its own directory and start the setup from there. Check the docs...but i think you can get the swiches by running the .bin with a - help switch.

yeah, download the .run file. (I've had alot , alot, alot of problems installing nvidia drivers to the point that neenee almost killed me for asking too much) anyways; run the .run file...
sh NVIDIA-askjdhaksjh.run --kernel-name=(whatever your kernelname is)

and install.
Assuming that you didn't recompile your kernel, you shouldn't have any problems, then at the XF86config file, change the stuff and add Option NvAGP "0"

and it should run nicely. No need to fiddle with the sources.

(linux ia32)

how do i find my "kernel-name"? i tried installing it with sh NVIDIA...run.. but it gave me an error that i do not have a recompiled kernel or somethign like that?.. i do not understand wat that meant... it asked me to download one from a site and i said "ok" and it gave me another error about no kernel header or something like that... not sure wat is going on... anybody can help me?

sorry about the unclear question. (i read my thread over and realized it is very unclear!)
so this is the log file from the nvidia-installer.log:

nvidia-installer log file '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log'
creation time: Mon May 5 01:48:34 2003

option status:
license pre-accepted : false
update : false
force update : false
expert : false
uninstall : false
driver info : false
no precompiled interface: false
no ncurses color : false
query latest driver ver : false
OpenGL header files : false
no questions : false
silent : false
XFree86 install prefix : /usr/X11R6
OpenGL install prefix : /usr
Installer install prefix: /usr
kernel include path : (not specified)
kernel install path : (not specified)
proc mount point : /proc
ui : (not specified)
tmpdir : /tmp
ftp site : ftp://download.nvidia.com

Using: nvidia-installer ncurses user interface
-> License accepted.
-> No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you li
ke the installer to attempt to download a kernel interface for your kernel f
rom the NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nvidia.com)? (Answer: Yes)
-> No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site;
this means that the installer will need to compile a kernel interface for
your kernel.
ERROR: Unable to find the kernel header files for the currently running kernel.
Please make sure you have installed the kernel header files for your
kernel; on Red Hat Linux systems, for example, be sure you have the
'kernel-source' rpm installed. If you know the correct kernel header
files are installed, you may specify the kernel include path with the
'--kernel-include-path' commandline 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.

what does all that mean? what do i need to do to fix it and get nvidia driver working on my computer.

another question i do not really understand on how to setup my XF86config file... it said to add Load "glx" to the Module section but i can not find the Module section... is it the Screen section??? and i do not understand on where to add the Option NvAGP "0" in my XF86config... any help? THNX!

If you would freaking read I already posted the answer to your question........... thanks.........

hmm,

No precompiled - no
Download? - no
installs -------
pico /etc/X11/XF86Config
ctrl+w -> glx
remove #
ctrl + w -> nv
change to nvidia
go down, remove # on videoram (assuming you have that changed right!)
add like under videoRam
Option NvAGP "0"

those are the steps AFTER you have insalled the new kernel.

sorry astro but so many people have given me a few suggestions and i was trying vexers which was the .run file... i am a noob so i tried yours and i downloaded both tar.gz files.. the GLX and the kernel.. and i made a make on the kernel one.. i believe that is what it said in the readme.. and for the GLX i extracted it also and did a make on it... is that correct? am i supposed to change the XF86config also? should i change the Driver to "nvidia"???... i restarted my computer and i do not know how to check if i did it correct... any help?

What you did was correct, untar both files, cd to the kernel one and make install, then cd to the GLX one and make install, edit the XF86config and replace nv with nvidia and you should be set. Make sure you have ran xf86config before though.

I'm wgettign ithem Although I believe that the .run should work... nvidia's programmers are not incompetent... Besides... I have a Mandrake kernel... and I'd hate to recompile it... you know.
Anyway... I'm doing it if necesary (Quake above any other)

The installer works fine. Could it be that y'all don't have the kernel source installed? There's a package for it online. You should get it and install it.

Nvidia doesn't compile their stuff for Slackware, and as a consequence, there's no binary file for it. So, it has to compile for your kernel, which it can't do without the kernel source.

This would save a lot of people many headaches with the Nvidia drivers.

Iget the nvidia to install right ... the splash comes up but then whenever i try to do anythign that requires 3D drivers it won't run then i checkaround and use the nvcheck script i pickedup somewhere i can't remember ... then it says everythgin is fine but 3D drivers not installed and i tried reinstalling about 15 times and nothing happens... same old 2D works but no 3D now how am i supposed to play games hehehe :-P I have a geforce 3 ti 200

The Nvidia install program worked fine for me in Slackware 9.0, but you do need the kernel source package installed. If you installed the driver and got the splash screen, you may just not have enabled the 3d portions in your XF86Config file correctly. I don't think you would even get the splash screen unless you had changed the line

Driver "nv"

to

Driver "nvidia"

but perhaps you have a problem with one of the other settings. Make sure you have a line in your Modules section (not the Device section for your video card) that reads

Load "glx"

Capitalization is usually important with these settings. Slackware 9.0 probably won't have the lines

Load "dri"
Load "GLcore"

in the modules section, but make sure it doesn't have these lines.