F9 Display issues!

h4t3 · 08-10-2008, 05:36 AM

Hi Guys,
Let me begin by saying that I'm new to linux, and ive read around and tried to find a solution to this problem, so please be gentle.

I Downloaded and installed FC9 as an update to FC8 which I recently had installed but hardly used. I really like Linux and have decided to switch from Windoze XP to Fedora. Previously, when I had FC8 Installed there was no need for me to install any display drivers. Now I have FC9 installed and the display doesnt fit on my screen and is squished and dodgy (Excuse my technical terms) After attempting to adjust the monitor settings I have come to the conclusion that the issue is that I need to install display drivers.

So i set out. I made a post on a different forum, http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showth...13#post1055513 is the URL and followed those directions. No success.
"--> Missing Dependency: kernel-uname-r = 2.6.25.11-97.fc9.i686 is needed by package kmod-nvidia-2.6.25.11-97.fc9.i686-173.14.12-2.lvn9.i686 (livna)
Error: Missing Dependency: kernel-uname-r = 2.6.25.11-97.fc9.i686 is needed by package kmod-nvidia-2.6.25.11-97.fc9.i686-173.14.12-2.lvn9.i686 (livna)"
This is the error received in my terminal from this attempt.

For my next attempt i downloaded the drivers from the nVidia website and used this command to run it:
"sh "/home/xxxx/Download/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.12-pkg1.run""
Then i get hit by the screen that tells me i need to disable xserver,

My research led me to beleive that i have to edit a file called inittab and make FC load at run level 3, i edited the file and tried to save it but it said i didnt have permission.

Please guys, i really like Linux but am so frustrated with these drivers!! can someone please point me in the right direction!

Regards,

h4t3.

(Wall of text crits you for 1000000, You die...)

billymayday · 08-10-2008, 05:51 AM

I'd suggest you go to www.livna.org and set their repository up and then you can just use

yum install kmod-nvidia

to install the driver (I think that' the correct name but you can get a pretty good idea with "yum list available | grep *nvidia*")

But if you want to do it manually, rather than editing inttab, just start a terminal session, switch to roo ("su -" followed by the root password) and then "init 3"

If you can't execute the file, you will need to change the permissions. If it's called nvidia-1, type "chmod a+x nvidia-1", then execute it with "./nvidia-1"

budword · 08-10-2008, 06:21 AM

Have you thought about trying another distro ? Ubuntu is very newbi friendly, and installs the nvidia drivers for you, if you want it to. They'll even send you a CD for free in the mail, if you don't want to bother downloading it, and don't mind the wait for snail mail. There are a few different versions, kubuntu for KDE fans, Xubuntu for xfce fans, and fluxbuntu... well.. you get the picture. If your computer can handle gnome, then it'll handle any of these distro's just fine.

The Ubuntu forums are very newbie friendly as well. If you want to get your hands dirty, figuring out every sort of problem, there are all kinds of distro's where things will be broken, and some people have a great time figuring out how to fix them. You really do learn a lot. If you just want stuff to work without going crazy, Ubuntu is the way to go.

http://www.ubuntu.com/
http://www.kubuntu.org/
http://www.xubuntu.org/
http://fluxbuntu.org/

You might not be a distro whore right now, but if you stick around here long enough, you will be. I've spent time with a dozen or two distro's before I just got wore out, and just wanted to get stuff done. Kubuntu was it for me.

Try a bunch of distro's out, and see what you like.

David

I still try out other distro's all the time, I just do it in a virtualbox vm now. Works out much better.

h4t3 · 08-10-2008, 06:23 AM

Hi billy,
Thanks for replying. The method you stated with livinia is what was giving me the missing dependency errors, i redownloaded and tried again but to no avail

thanks again for responding though

billymayday · 08-10-2008, 06:27 AM

That's odd, but happens sometimes with yum. Try the manual install from nvidia.com. It works - just a bit of a pain when you upgrade the kernel.

Don't bother with Ubuntu - stick with Fedora

BM

edit - you may need to "yum install kernel-devel" to run the nvidia installer

h4t3 · 08-10-2008, 06:56 AM

Okay everyone, problem solved! Thanks for all your input, and billy, dont worry... i wont be straying from fedora

billymayday · 08-10-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h4t3

Okay everyone, problem solved! Thanks for all your input, and billy, dont worry... i wont be straying from fedora

Pleased to hear it (I've been on Fedora since FC4). It would be good if you could post your solution in case anyone else has the same problem.

BM

h4t3 · 08-10-2008, 06:53 PM

Hey billy, Here was the solution:

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSK61

OK, h4t3. Let's tackle on your issues one at a time.

It seems you're missing the latest kernel updates. For this point, make sure that the repositories fedora and updates are enabled. You may run this command to verify this:

Code:

yum repolist

You should see the repositories fedora and updates listed among possibly other repositories(like livna).
Then you should install the latest kernel by running this command as root:

Code:

yum update kernel

Restart your machine after this command. When your machine boots up again, it should be using the new kernel by default.
Then try to install akmod-nvidia by running this command as root:

Code:

yum install akmod-nvidia

from the livna repository. After installing this package, either restart your machine or build the nvidia kernel module by typing(as root)

Code:

service akmods restart

You should now have your nvidia driver up and running. You may also find this link useful: http://fedorasolved.org/Members/zcat...=akmod+nvidia; it contains some of the steps I've mentioned here.
If you plan however to install the nvidia driver from the package provided by nvidia itself, you should switch to runlevel 3 to make sure the x server isn't running. You may switch to runlevel 3 either by modifying the default runlevel in /etc/inittab as you originally intended, or by issuing the command

Code:

telinit 3

as root. In either case, you would end up in runlevel 3 where you can start installing the nvidia driver package.
When you tried to edit /etc/inittab, your modifications weren't committed because you tried to modify it as a normal user. You should instead try to modify it as the root user.

I just followed this word for word and it worked like a charm. (u need to reboot 2 times tho)