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Old 07-21-2006, 04:49 AM   #1
konsolebox
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nvidia and nvidiafb combination


Hello There. Since 2004 the linux kernel's nvidiafb and nvidia's own driver has always made conflicts with each other. Both can never be installed together.

I'm just trying to ask though. Cause it should be really cool to have both of them installed.

I'm only using nvidiafb-tng now. If I sacrifice nvidiafb-tng and use the main nvidia driver instead, my console will only have a 800x600 resolution.

Maybe. Just maybe there are some of you who knows how to make them run together. For example, let them share memory.

I really hope someone can help. Having them both should be the greatest hack I'll ever have.

Thanks in advance.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 05:03 AM   #2
Gethyn
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I'm using Gentoo with an nVidia card, with the nVidia 3d drivers and console framebuffer support. Just compile your kernel with the vesafb drivers instead of the nvidiafb ones. nVidia cards support the vesa standard, so this will work, and it doesn't conflict with the 3d driver.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 05:08 AM   #3
konsolebox
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i know. nvidiafb is the one i'm using now. but i'm more concerned using the AGP8x feature of nvidia. only the driver that came from nvidia has this.

Edit: what i mean is the driver that compiles with the kernel not of X.

and i forgot. thanks for replying btw

Last edited by konsolebox; 07-21-2006 at 05:10 AM.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 05:11 AM   #4
Gethyn
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I am totally not understanding what the problem is. Why do you need to use nvidiafb? If the only thing you want it for is higher resolution on the console, vesafb will be just fine.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 05:20 AM   #5
konsolebox
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nvidiafb is the vesafb of nvidia. they're just the same. vesafb has problems making my video 1024x768 btw. i'm using nvidiafb now but the driver i want to include too is the nvidia from nvidia.com.

the fb drivers are for the console side while the nvidia from nvidia.com are from the agp side. but still they have conflicts. if only nvidiafb (fb drivers) has the agp8x feature. i won't go for the trouble installing nvidia from nvidia.com.

thanks again
 
Old 07-21-2006, 07:56 AM   #6
Gethyn
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What problem do you have getting vesafb to set your console to 1024x768? On my Ubuntu box, it works by just passing the option 'vga=791' to the kernel. On my Gentoo box I use the option 'vga=0x31B' (this is 1280x1024 resolution, but the principle is the same).

Have you looked up the instructions on the Gentoo Linux Documentation? This page in particular might help.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 08:43 AM   #7
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oh well that's simple. it's the bios of my video card. it seems to show less support than the supported res that it can really do.
so i have to do some trick sometimes by modifying my /etc/fb.modes then doing fbset 1024x768-60 instead of doing video=nvidiafb or video=vesafb something. vga=791 won't work for me.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 11:29 AM   #8
Gethyn
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Is it possible to update the bios of your card? This might be your best bet. Other than that I don't think I can help, sounds way too complicated!
 
Old 07-21-2006, 06:02 PM   #9
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thanks a lot. i'll consider updating my bios but i first have to make sure that the bios update is safe. here are my specs anyway:

nvidia geforce4 mx440 agp8x 64mb with tvout

then i'll try to update with this bios:

4.18.20.22.03
or 4.17.00.30

i'll save my bios first of course.

after this i'll try to use the vesafb driver instead. and i hope it will work now. and i hope too that this driver has the same feature s and the same functions as the nvidiafb. after that maybe i can now install vesafb and nvidia together.

i don't think this really solves the problem but thank you very much for helping me.

i searched bios updates in nvidia before and i never knew that there were other sites offering these downloads. the updates for my bios files were already old too.

still i insist having both nvidiafb and nvidia

anyway thanks again
regards
 
Old 07-21-2006, 08:45 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by konsolebox
still i insist having both nvidiafb and nvidia
Well you can't. You can't install Nvidia's driver if your kernel supports nvidiafb. It won't install; And if you try to install the nvidia driver then recompile the kernel you will find that the nvidia driver no longer works and must be reinstalled but you can't because your kernel supports nvidiafb. While I can't know what you use your computer for I can't see how slightly better framebuffer support could outweigh drivers developed by the manufacturer with full opengl support. you could always have 2 kernels available from your bootloader one for framebuffer and one for X.

Btw:
My brother is using the pci version of that card on an 800Mhz Durron with the nvidia driver and he has no problem playing his games, including Enemy Territory, Mupen64(N64 emulator) and GTA: Vice City (under cedega)

Last edited by johnson_steve; 07-21-2006 at 08:53 PM.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 09:10 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnson_steve
While I can't know what you use your computer for ...
games too of course! i prefer playing full screen games in console (using fb driver) than in x but i find the game slow if agp8x (only available in nvidia) is not enabled.

the text in the console is very cool to my eyes so sacrificing the fb driver will never be an option to me.

remember fb drivers are more intended for text than graphics.

and as i have said i hope there is a hack or something so that both nvidia and nvidiafb can share the memory of my card.

i'm kinda thinking about letting nvidiafb use the main memory instead. but that's not a good idea for me.

Edit: to clarify things up, i want to use nvidiafb to my console and use nvidia to games or x

Last edited by konsolebox; 07-21-2006 at 09:24 PM.
 
Old 07-21-2006, 10:11 PM   #12
johnson_steve
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I'm just saying I don't see how you could run both with one kernel. If you recompile the kernel you have to reinstall the nvidia driver and everytime you install the nvidia driver it checks to make sure that your kernel doesn't have nvidiafb. Don't get me wrong I have to have a nice fb console with a nice font and my background but, AFAIK the only way to get full use of your card is to use the nvidia driver. When you play games on the framebuffer console do you actually get 3d acceleration? or not?
 
Old 07-21-2006, 11:39 PM   #13
konsolebox
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnson_steve
When you play games on the framebuffer console do you actually get 3d acceleration? or not?
I only played using nvidiafb in console and i don't think 3d acceleration is enabled. There should be a way to play 3d acceleration in console just like what x do if only i will be able to have nvidia. 2d acceleration according to my Xorg.0.log is not enabled by the way. And i bet there are no other ways to enable 3d without nvidia.
 
Old 07-24-2006, 12:12 AM   #14
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there are two drivers for nvidia cards in X. nv is open-source and has no acceleration. nvidia is not open-source it is made by nvidia and it has full 2d and 3d acceleration. depending on what type of games you play you'd probably be much happier with full 3d. while not the newest or fastest card but it is more then adequate for what I do. you can keep your framebuffer console. (using the vesa driver.) but you will probably have to drop the res a little bit. AFAIK there is no other way to use the full capabilities of your card without using the closed-source nvidia driver. nvidia is a driver for x only I don't think you can have 3d on the console.

Last edited by johnson_steve; 07-24-2006 at 12:14 AM.
 
Old 07-24-2006, 05:00 AM   #15
konsolebox
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnson_steve
nvidia is a driver for x only I don't think you can have 3d on the console.
i'm sure though maybe you're right. afterall x is just a program. why can't i run games like x too? nvidia runs in the kernel btw not in x.
 
  


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