Hello,

first of all as most of the users here im a Linux newbie...

I have been trying to install my graphic card for like 3 days now and yes, i have read toons of forums and internet articles...

Im having thiss error :

ERROR: Unable to load the kernel module 'nvidia.ko'. This happens most
frequently when this kernel module was built against the wrong or
improperly configured kernel sources, with a version of gcc
that differs from the one used to build the target kernel, or if
a driver such as rivafb/nvidiafb is present and prevents the
NVIDIA kernel module from obtaining ownership of the NVIDIA graphics
device(s), or NVIDIA GPU installed in this system is not supported by
this NVIDIA Linux graphics driver release.

before you guys ask im using Ubuntu 9.04, my graphic card is an Nvidia Ge-Force 9600 GT and the driver is 185.18.36 (Linux 32)
my kernel is 2.6.28-15 generic
and my gcc version is 4.3.3-5ubuntu4

to keep track on my lasts steps please see this link

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Nv...nual%20Install

if needed more info please let me know and Thanks in advance

You need to get the right driver for your kernel, and that error indicates you don't have it. You say you've read tons of forums and posts for 3 days, but did you check the nVidia site?? This link:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_d...185.18.36.html

has your driver, from August 2009. Download it, and follow the installation instructions. You can also click on the "additional information" tab on that page, for a quick how-to, and check their FAQ's. When you run their installation script, it will ask if you want to compile a driver for your kernel. Say yes. That should do it.

Hi, thanks for the advice but unfortunately i already did that (that is why i mentioned my driver version on my post, 185.18.36)and i have read Nvidia Faq`s already... nothing is solving my problem...

I had a similar problem... it has to do with your kernel.

Here is the thing:

the nvidia installer does not find a "pre-compiled package" for your driver so it goes ahead and compiles one. Then it tries to load the modules in to the kernel but for some reason it cant.

You can check if you are doing it with root privileges, if you ARE then try going to your /usr/src folder to your kernel sources and do a make mrproper ... that saved my bell few times.

Also check as the error says that you are not trying to install on top of another installation, always try to clean the last install by doing NVIDIA*.run --uninstall first.

And lastly:

very careful with that one, it can be tricky since it can be present and you simply didnt know.

If all that doesnt work then I guess you will have to take a dive in your kernel compilation, maybe to check if it allows you to load modules.

Valgerd, just checking - why aren't you just installing this from package management?

Because he doesn`t detect my card... it shows up blank

did you try what i suggested?

Not yet, im triying to find out the entire command line to run a "make mrproper" since like i said im a newbie =D

could you give me more details please ?

should i run a "sudo make mrproper" ?

or should i specify the folder where to make the proper ?

like cd /etc/kernel/ and then a sudo make mrproper ?

and finally, what does mrproper do ?

Thanks again for your patience

Sorry didnt know that you were not aware of those things... ok here is the clear version

After you open your terminal do the following:

In there should be a folder with your kernel sources something like linux-2.6.28.15 or a soft link called linux that points to your current kernel sources (in some distros).
Cd to that directory.

After you are inside your kernel sources folder then you:

That should clean the old configuration file of the kernel sources leaving it "clean" for a new installation and for that reason when you run the NVIDIA installer it will (supposedly) compile correctly since maybe any current configuration of the kernel is preventing that.

But again that is just ONE thing you can try. Check on the other things i pointed out.

Hi,
Thanks again for your help.

After i navigate to usr/src i have this folders... which one should i cd ? since inside all of them there is a kernel folder...

Attached Thumbnails

 

Use the folder that corresponds to the output ofKeep in mind that "mrproper" will delete your .config file in the source dir.
If you want to keep it, first copy it to another location, run "make mrproper", then copy it back to the same location.

:edit: I noticed from your attachment that you're running in vmware. I might be wrong, but I think installing the nvidia driver via vmware won't work.

Good catch, mdg. Valgerd, if you're running in a VM, Ubuntu can't actually see your physical graphics card, so the nVidia driver is of no use to you. Run `lspci`; you'll see that what Ubuntu thinks it's running on is a virtual graphics card, not the 9600 GT.

yup, when using a virtual machine I guess is better installing the vm's drivers (vmware tools i guess) but you wont be able to access the local GForce.

Yes, indeed im using VMware.
Since im a windows user i was a little "afraid" to make a dual boot and don't enjoying linux, so i took providence and runned on a virtual machine... just to get used to the interface and commands.

Din't knew that VMware would limitate my hardware...

i will try to install that VM tools and see what happens and probably on the future (when i buy an extra HD) will leave it exclusively for linux on dual boot.

i must say Thank you very much to all for the patience and help

Not sure if you were going to limit or imitate, but that's not quite it/exactly what VMs do. I suggest you take a little time and read up on what a virtual machine actually is; you'll get more use out of them if you know what you're working with. Wikipedia is your friend here.