Help for a noob, please. I'm running the 2.3.3-1.435.2.3 kernel, which doesn't have a precompiled kernel interface, so I have to download the kernel-source package (kernel-sourcecode-2.6.6-1.435.2.3.noarch.rpm) from download.fedora.redhat.com. The question is - should I use the rpm install on this package, and if so, what directory? Anything I should watch out for? Don't want to hose my system after 2 weeks of tweaking it.

why not just update your kernel? the standard procedure is here - every step is laid out:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=73436

if you read and follow steps carefully, you should be fine - but of course it is possible to hose the system - so be sure to backup important stuff, and leave the old kernel (and lilo/grub entry) intact as a backup in case it doesn't work your first time thru (as outlined in that thread)

Did a file search and found that my recent yum-update had placed 'kernel-sourcecode-0.2.6.6-1.435.2.3.noarch.hdr in /var/cache/yum/updates-released/headers, so I beleived that I might be all set to go on the Nvidia drivers install. Again, exited X-server, logged in as root and ran sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6106-pkg1.run, but here's the result:

nvidia-installer log file '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log'
creation time: Wed Jul 7 15:56:18 2004

option status:
license pre-accepted : false
update : false
force update : false
expert : false
uninstall : false
driver info : false
no precompiled interface: false
no ncurses color : false
query latest driver ver : false
OpenGL header files : false
no questions : false
silent : false
X install prefix : /usr/X11R6
OpenGL install prefix : /usr
Installer install prefix: /usr
kernel source path : (not specified)
kernel install path : (not specified)
proc mount point : /proc
ui : (not specified)
tmpdir : /tmp
ftp site : ftp://download.nvidia.com

Using: nvidia-installer ncurses user interface
-> License accepted.
-> No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you li
ke the installer to attempt to download a kernel interface for your kernel f
rom the NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nvidia.com)? (Answer: Yes)
-> No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site;
this means that the installer will need to compile a kernel interface for
your kernel.
-> Kernel source path: '/lib/modules/2.6.6-1.435.2.3/build'
-> Performing cc_version_check with CC="cc".
-> gcc-version-check failed:

./usr/src/nv/conftest.sh: line 1: cc: command not found
Could not compile gcc-version-check.c

If you know what you are doing and want to ignore the gcc version check, sel
ect "No" to continue installation. Otherwise, select "Yes" to abort install
ation, set the CC environment variable to the name of the compiler used to c
ompile your kernel, and restart installation. Abort now? (Answer: No)
ERROR: ./usr/src/nv/conftest.sh: line 1: cc: command not found

If you are using a Linux 2.4 kernel, please make sure
you either have configured kernel sources matching your
kernel or the correct set of kernel headers installed
on your system.

If you are using a Linux 2.6 kernel, please make sure
you have configured kernel sources matching your kernel
installed on your system.
ERROR: Installation has failed. Please see the file
'/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details. You may find suggestions
on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux
driver download page at www.nvidia.com.


Well, I have checked /usr/src and there are NO files in it at all - completely empty. So, can anyone get me to the next base on this one?

Are those numbers right ???

Because if they are, then the kernel and kernel-sources don't match. And from memory, that's what the error is telling you. I seem to recall getting a similar one when I was meddling with mandrake 10 community - for reason's that I don't follow, I was being really dilligent about installing any updates (the community designator is like a beta/testing version). What I didn't notice is that the kernel sources versions would appear in the update listing, whereas the actually updated kernel would appear in the "install" listing, hence I carried on doing updates and it took me a while to work out I had different kernel and sources.

As soon as I had matching kernel and sources the nvidia installer worked a treat.

Maybe that'll help a little

regards

John

p.s. having re-read my post, I was trying to say that if you're numbers (from the quote and your first post) are correct, then you either need the 2.3.3-1.435.2.3 kernel-sources or you need the 2.6.6-1.435.2.3 kernel

I've just had to upgrade my kernel and kernel sources in the way I mentioned above. And yes I tried to see what would happen with different kernel and sources.

I got a similar error, but after I upgraded the kernel sources as well as the kernel, I just "su'd" to root told my system to "init 3" and then logged in and ran the sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86............and so on.

You'll know if you've got it right, because the first thing it does is offer you the licence agreement.

regards

John

Bigjohn - sorry - that's my typo; I am running the 2.6.6-1-435.2.3 kernel. It would seem that the kernel source is right for my kernel, then, which I updated the other day with yum as an 'all package' update. Apparently, something's wrong, though, so I downloaded the kernel source directly from Fedora..... but I've only been working in command line for less than 2 weeks and needed some reassurance before I tried to rpm-install the thing. Wonder why the yum update didn't take care of the problem? Wonder why I have no usr/src files? Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Genesee, thanks for the suggestion, and I may end up going through that, but you have to understand that my first two months of Linux was with SuSE 9.0, which is about as 'point and click' as Windose. Heck, two weeks ago, I couldn't even FIND the terminal to do Command Line, and I'm not QUITE ready to tackle what has been described as a 'rite of passage'. On the other hand, I have installed browsers, mail clients, programs, messed with Grub and I'm still up and running, so give me another week and........

Weird.

All of my recent (last 6 months) kernel upgrade's in mandrake have gone through a "funny stage".

Mandrakes package manager URPMI, would tell me that everything was installed OK, but when I tried to do the re-install of the nvidia driver, it would give me an error similar to your's.

The only way I've managed to cure it was to re-install the kernel, once, twice and on one occasion 3 times. Kernel first, then kernel-sources.

I'd have to look at /usr/src to see if it was there. On more than one occasion, it wasn't, or if it was, I'd then check my /boot to make sure that it's got a copy of the kernel bit's and pieces, and the initrd and so on.

Above is the latest view of my /boot showing all the config's, img's, initrd, symlinks, map's, vmlinuz etc etc. When the package manager had done something strange it would invariably have not put all the bit's and bob's there (actually in one case it didn't even show the basic kernel that i'd installed).

Nothing's perfect I suppose, because even now when the only kernel that I'm running is the 2.6.3-15 version, you can still see a "kernel.h" file for 2.6.3-14 which is the earlier revision, which for reason's that I don't follow, weren't uninstalled with the rest of the stuff???

Probably irrelevant, but it may give you something to look into?

regards

John

John, thanks for the info. In my case, however, the problem turns out to be my stupidity. I neglected to install the developer's package for Fedora Core 2. Unfortunately, when I tried to install it, I was 'missing' xorg-x11-libs. Couldn't find it on the CD, Yum couldn't come up with it, so I did a google search and installed it from a 3rd party. BAD MISTAKE - now the developer package won't install and I can't un-install the 3rd party program due to 20 dependencies it has created. Looks like slash & burn time! Oh well, it's all a learning experience....

UPDATE: Well, back up and running after format & fresh start . CAREFULLY checked all the programs to be loaded to prevent this foolishness again. New drivers installed and 3D works like a charm! Thanks to all that helped this poor, foolish noob.

Well done Bob,

But it wasn't entirely useless. Ha Ha, I don't care where I get the info from!

My reasoning? Well, I'd completely forgotten that Fedora has now gone for the Xorg "thing". But, I read recently (maybe last week, don't recall) that mandrake have joined the exodus from Xfree as well.

Which mean's that the next mandrake upgrade will probably have the Xorg Xserver, instead of the current Xfree (currently 4.3, I think!).

So again, well done on getting it sorted.

regards

John