I have a Geforce 4MX440ddr, but when I try to install the latest nvidia drivers I get the error no good kernel found trying to build one myself. and after that cannot find kernel headers.
What to do about this?

You need to install the kernel-source for you kernel.

type 'uname -r' and get the kernel-source from your distribution that matches what it reports.

do'h didn't read the Title.

for debian its

apt-get install kernel-source-"What you got from uname -r"

then

cd /usr/src

tar -xvzf kernel-source-"What you got from uname -r"

1stly identify the kernel you are using. I suggest that if you are not using synaptic then apt-get it because it is very easy to use as opposed to any other apt-system I have seen. Run synaptic as su and go down the list until you find the kernel headers that match your kernel. Select and install them. They will be placed in /usr/src but the nvidia config script is going to look for them in /usr/include/linux. If that/those directories don't exist then create them and copy the contents of /usr/src/linux to /usr/iclude/linux. You could also try a symlink. The symlink did not work for me. Having done this run configure again. It is important that the headers match the running kernel.

it keeps complaining kernel headers not found I am running kernel 2.4.21-4-k7. I have installed the headers and copied them also to /usr/include/linux. but it keeps complaining.

Remove the directory created when you unpacked the Nvidia-kernel as it probably contains files created by configure you don't want. Unpack the Nvidia-kernel again and run configure again. I seem to remember this happening to me.

it is a .run file see, http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_d..._1.0-4496.html
so I cannot run configure again

It's still going to go through the configure&&make&&make install processes it needs to build stuff that relates to your kernel and hence the need for the headers. Just try what I suggested.

I cannot see where that map is, and when I run it it immediatly asks to download something for my kernel from the nvidia ftp which hasnt got it and then it says i'll have to compile my own and after that it immediatly complains that It cannot find the correct kernel headers.

I did this not so long ago. Im not at home at the moment, so I can check it exactly, and Im not sure right now if I remember right, but I think when you run the installer, there is a parameter for specifying the kernel-headers path. First you have to install the headers for your kernel. Then when you try to install the envidia drivers you should run the installer with a parameter similar to this (this is not the actual command, just something similar, like I said, Im not sure this is right):

./envidiadriverinstaller -kernelpath /usr/include/linux

Then it will compile your kernel for you, you will still have to make some changes in the "x" config files i think.

Buena suerte!
Ashley

still cant get it to work

Same error as before, kernel headers not found?

As soon as I get home (today at night I will check it out) if it still doesnt work.

Ok thanks in advance.

sorry, things have been very messy lately... still having problems with that nvidia? ive played around with it again and its a little tricky but it works for me when i play around with the kernel source path. still there?

Yes I am still there, and still having problems with the kernel headers.

hmm, im still at work, will be recompiling my kernel around two hours from now, can you be online?