I am having trouble getting my new 2.6.7 kernel to run X windows properly. It complains that it cannot load the nvidia driver, or there is an improper config. I just upgraded from kernel 2.6.5, and had no problems there so I rebooted into it and everything is still working okay there. After putsing around for a bit, I emerged the latest nvidia kernel drivers, but to no avail. Maybe I am missing something really stupid??!?!? Is it time to move to XOrg or should I wait? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :-)

Kristian Hermansen

check this

http://www.linuxquestions.org./quest...hreadid=198699

"Use 4k stack" was already unckecked. What else could be the problem? I get the error "No Screens Found", but this makes no sense as the XF86Config file is the same and works fine with my old 2.6.5 kernel. I don't think that the issue pertains to the 4k stack, but I still may be wrong...

Kristian Hermansen

After you recompile the kernel with all it takes (don't forget make modules_install like others do (me)), REinstall the NVIDIA kernel module. It should warn U about a recompile. Do it. After it's done, don't restart just yet. If there were no errors, type modprobe nvidia, then attempt to start the X server. Also you should check that Driver="nvidia" is still in the XF86Config-4 file (I had a suprise once ), and you should see the NVIDIA logo. If you did all this, try the next:

Type "modprobe nvidia" in a console, then try restarting the X Server. If modprobe says it can't find the nvidia module, go to /lib/modules/2.6.7-whatever/kernel/drivers/video and you should have an nvidia.ko file there. If it's absent, re-install the NVIDIA module. If it's there, insmod ./nvidia.ko then modprobe nvidia then restart the X. If this works once, and after the restart same thing happens, reinstall NVIDIA. This worked for me .

If the problem persists, post some of the last messages in the /var/log/XFree86.0.log file (the part at the end where the lines start with NVIDIA and complain about the kernel module )

Here's my /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Using config file /etc/X11/xorg.conf

NV: Could not open control device /dev/nvidiactl (no such file or direct ...)

(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module...aborting

(EE) Screens found, but none have a usable configuration

Fatal Server Error: No Screens Found

Udev deletes the nvidia nodes in /dev and the nvidia module has not been updated to create the entries in the /sys filesystem so that udev becomes aware of it. You need to create the nodes manually with

mknod -m 666 /dev/nvidia0 c 195 0
mknod -m 666 /dev/nvidiactl c 195 255

but udev will delete them again next time you reboot so you have to put those instructions somewhere in a bootscript http://www.reactivated.net/udevrules.php#nvidia http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/.../msg04981.html

That's seems to have fixed the problem. Now 2.6.7 is working fine with no problems at all and everything is going ok. I just allowed UNMASKED packages to be installed so that could grab the latest NVIDIA driver using "emerge-glx", which also grabs the latest nvidia-kernel and everything is OK! Hope the next guy that reads this thread gets it working too! Thanks for everyone's help :-)

Kristian Hermansen

Good, I'm glad it's fixed. I just thought I'd post back and say that there's a new Nvidia driver NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6106-pkg1.run which has been fixed to work with udev. I've just downloaded and installed it, I've taken the mknod instructions out of the bootscript and udev is making the nodes automatically.

I'm using the version 1.0.5336-r4 nvidia-kernel and version 1.0.5336-r2 nvidia-glx, and didn't need to use the boot script. I think the problem has been fixed in thiese versions too. I am running Gentoo and just grabbed them from portage...

Kristian Hermansen

Kidz, 6106 is out.

I'll wait until 6106 hits the Gentoo portage as stable and tested :-)

Kristian Hermansen

I had 2.6.5, and everything was good (driver 5xxx). Now i recompiled 2.6.7 and uninstalled NVIDIA drivers (i wanted to reinstall them), but i got an error. Well i tried to use 'nv' or 'vesa' driver but i didn't help. Xserver start, but i doesn't start my WM. I switched back on 2.6.5, and vesa works good. But i still cant compile those NVIDIA drivers. I've got error with nvidia.ko. I tried also run it with --kernel-source-path option but it didn't help.

The new nvidia driver name has changed from "nv" to "nvidia" AFAIK.

About the nividia compilation problems, try unmasking the latest nvidia-glx and nvidia-kernel or just change the line in your /etc/make.conf to allow for the latest packages...

-- /etc/make.conf --
ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86"

Then "emerge nvidia-glx", and that will grab the latest stuff for you including the latest nvidia kernel. Then after that is done, do a "opengl-update nvidia". You should be okay after all that. You might have some more small issues if you are using Xorg, but X11 should be ok. The latest rev for the nvidia drivers is 6106 i believe...

Kristian Hermansen

But i've to instal those drivers first

I don't have Gentoo.

I think you can get the driver via their website too, so check there. Anyways, you should check out Gentoo as well since it makes application maintainence quite easy...

Kristian Hermansen