Hi,
I just installed red hat 9 and upgraded the really old kernel that came with it. However, when I try to run the new kernel (2.4.20-28.9) my system is unable to start X. The only error I found in the XFree86.0.log file was the following:

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

When I try to re-install the driver I downloaded from the nvidia website it says somthing about missing kernel headed files. I heard this ment that I needed to install the source rpm for my kernel. I did this in the /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES directory and specified that path in the driver installer. The installer says it still cant find the header file kernel.h, which indeed didn't come with all the other stuff the rpm dumped in sources.


I'm running a Athlon XP 2200 processor with a nvidia geForce FX5200 video card.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

You night try downloading the sources from kernel.org depending on how new your kernel is. Also kernels usually sit in usr/src with a symlink called linux pointing to the particular directory, also check your output for uname -r and see if it matches the directory for your kernel.

it's because your kernel version changed. so you have to recompile your nvidia's video driver for your card.

Nope, the above to "solutions" won't work. You see, you can download the source of an kernel, but you won't be able to build kernel modules just like that.
Okey try this, I don't know if it will work. Go in to the kernel source directory and do "make symlinks", and then try to compile the driver. Again I don't know if this will work.

Leonscrape: I got my kernel source from red hats website, and its for the exact kernel I have. Does it really make a difference where you get it from?

tricky_linux : I am aware that it is because my kernel version has changed, as I stated these problems happen while I am trying to re install the driver.

schatoor: when i do "make symlinks" I get the following :
make: *** No rule to make target `symlinks'. Stop.

Probably not, It Depends on what the .run file is looking for.

From my experiances with it ( Which where a little while ago ) Its looks at you output from "uname -r" To find your kernel version.

It then looks under /lib/modules/kernelVersion/ for a symlink called build. This symlink should lead to your sources for the Kernel. ( I think that symlink is what schatoor was thinking off ).

If this doesn't lead to your sources then this could be the problem.

Look in the /boot directory. Is there a file with a name similar to "config-2.4.20-28.9"? Or is there a directory called "/usr/src/linux/config/". Or maby a file called /usr/src/linux/.config" If there is, copy the kernel configuration file to "/usr/src/linux/.config" if it wasn't there alraidy. Then cd in to the kernel source directoy and do "make oldconfig".

I checked out that link and it was pointing to a directory that didnt even exist! How do i change it though? And when I make it point to the kernel source wont the indtaller still complain about not being able to find kernel.h since it didn't even come with the kernel source like the installer thinks it should have?

Also i found a file called kernel-2.4.20-athlon.config in /usr/src/redhat/SOURCE and made a directory /usr/src/linux and put the file in there, then did make oldconfig but all i got was:
make: *** No rule to make target `oldconfig'. Stop.

try:
cd /lib/modules/kernelversion/
mv build build.old
ln -s /usr/src/redhat/SOURCE/ build

And try the .run file again. we rename the old build in case it messes anything else up ( So you can restore it ). If the kernel source is in another directory say like SOURCE/kernel-source-2.4.23 then this is where the link has to point too.