Hi there, I hope someone can point me in the right direction! I've recently changed OS from RH9 to Mandrake 9.2. I've already installed the drivers successfully on RH9, but when I've come to do the same on MDK: I've dropped into the command line (Sorry if that's not what it's called on Linux, I'm pretty new to it all) and used the sh command to install the driver and I get this error:

No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you like the installer to attempt to download a kernel interface for your kernel from the NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nvidia.com? (Answer: Yes)
ERROR: Unable to connect to download.nvidia.com (temporary DNS error (try again later))

The whole install will then error and I'm left not knowing where to go from...

Could anyone offer any advise? I would be very grateful.

Sounds like a simple network error, how are you connecting to the net?

For your network: check /etc/resolv.conf for nameservers.

For the nvidia install, answer "no", let it make build a module locally. If you roll-your-own kernel, you will need to do that in any case.

Thanks for the reply I'm connected through a Blueyonder 512k ADSL line. Yet I don't recall when I installed the driver on RH9 asking me to go online...

Thanks in advance.

Cheers for the advise. I've checked the resolv.conf and the IP addresees include that of the net server.

I just tried the driver install again and selected "no" for the download and it came back with this error:

ERROR: Unable to find the kernel header files for the currently running kernel.
Please make sure you have installed the kernel header files for your
kernel; on Red Hat Linux systems, for example, be sure you have the
'kernel-source' rpm installed. If you know the correct kernel header
files are installed, you may specify the kernel include path with the
'--kernel-include-path' commandline option.

Could you tell me what this means? I'm a little lost as to what to do nest...

My thanks in advance

This is bleeeping crazy!!!!


WHY CAN't PEOPLE GIVE STAIGHT ANSWERS FOR THIS NVIDIA driver install?

There are a few people that can actually answer them simpler at www.nvnews.net under the linux forums.


I am having the same problem above. I have installed the source kernel and still get the can't find kernel headers. I have created a symbolic link and still no go.


Please help this guy who asked the question in the first place with simple responses.


Just like the guy that made this thread, I cannot install the nvidia drivers with Mandrake Linux 9.2 final build.


HELP!! Nvidia makes is so damn difficult. These drivers worked fine in MDK 9.1 but not in 9.2 God forbid!!

I'm having a different problem. I need the gcc compilers or cc or whatever they are but it's a real bitch to install them! Is there any sure easy way to install these compilers?

I'm running Slackware 9.1 and am having the same exact problem as james.sumnall. I also had it with 9.1... The kernel source and headers are installed yet the nvidia installer can't find them. I've searched this forum and http://www.nvnews.net/ for a solution but haven't been able to find one so i guess i'll have to wait till Nvidia fixes it.

The Nvidia drivers run files look for the Headers by following the link in /lib/modules/<your kernel>/build.

<your kernel> is worked out by the command: uname -r

If this is not pointing to the headers or source for your kernel it will not find them.

As for GCC it should be one of the standard packages to install usually listed under development. Its normal practice for most distros to install it by default.

warning warning dumb newbie here I don't know if this will help or hinder, because I'm running SuSE 8.2. The only way I could get the NVIDIA drives installed was to get a copy the "kernel source" to usr/src/
While init 1 mode
type in the follow commands
cd/usr/scr/linux:
type in the command: make cloneconfig && make dep
then type in cd
type in the command: export IGNORE_CC_MISMATCH=yes
then type in the command: sh NVIDA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2.run
and then after answered a few questions I was able to get my 3D graphics to work

Again I warn you this may or not apply, I'm just a newbie

Go here ( just click on the link ) and get the source kernel that didn't come on the Mandrake 9.2 cd's. Install it. It's an RPM so just double click it. Then log out of X and try your install again.

That should fix it.