NVIDIA drivers messed up my X server

diogobaeder · 07-03-2006, 02:28 PM

Hi there,

I'm looking for the following help: I've just installed the 8762 version of the NVIDIA drivers for my 6600GT, everything ran just fine (after 2 days of setting up the system and the correct packages for running the instalation). It automatically configured the X server (nvidia-xconfig). Beautifull.

But when I try to start X, it says the configuration is not correct, and asks if I want to reconfigure it, it sort of works (strangelly blinking the prompt screen), but, when it starts, I think it's not starting any window manager, because the windows cannot be resized, moved or minimized - they open from the corner of the screen, maximized. Also, some programs concerning to display settings (like resolution) don't work.

Well, after the last days giving my blood to correctly configure my Fedora 5 distro to function, I'm starting to get a little anoyed. Why is a so perfect OS so hard to deal with?

By the way, I'm writing from my Win XP boot, wich, although crashes a lot (I mean a lot INDEED, comparing to Linux), is far easier to setup, and install and run the apps. In fact, I wished Linux had at least 50% the Windows ease to use...

Well, by now I'm just waiting for someone to help me... :-(

Thanks a lot, guys!

BobNutfield · 07-03-2006, 02:43 PM

Hi

How did you install the nVidia driver? Did you download and install the .run version? If you have recetnly updated you kernel, the driver may not match the kernel. In any case, the nVidia drivers are available through PUP (usually at the same time the kernel is upgraded). I have found that Fedora can be difficult with the drivers that do not come from Livna. If installed in binaries via PUP, you should have no problem.

Bob

diogobaeder · 07-03-2006, 02:58 PM

Hi, Bob,

I installed the .run package provided by NVIDIA, on their website, and did it by "sh 'driver'" command. At first I indicated the kernel version on the command line, but then I didn't anymore.

I updated my kernel today, Is it going to cause me troubles? The new version is 2.6.17-1.2139_fc5. I noticed that there is an SMP version, and my comp is a P4 HT. Did I install the wrong version, since the original was this SMP version? Or it's not different?

I don't know what this PUP is... is it that default app for installing and uninstalling packages inside Fedora?

And what is Livna?

Thanks a lot, Bob!

reddazz · 07-03-2006, 03:20 PM

PUP is the software installation tool. Livna is a package repository for Fedora Core. All you need to do is follow the instructions here and you will have access to a lot more packages.

BobNutfield · 07-03-2006, 03:31 PM

redazz is exactly right....these instructions will get you going. For information, PUP can be found by clicking Applications>System>Software Updater. Usually (though not always) there is a new kernel module for nvidia at the same time the kernel is upgraded. If there is not a nvidia update with the kernel, I generally wait a few days until it is added to the update list.

Just follow redazz's links.

Bob

diogobaeder · 07-03-2006, 04:54 PM

Hi, Bob and redazz,

Installed Livna, for repositories, but their addresses aren't working. I had to turn of all the Livna repos in Kyum.

Well, I initiated a session with KDE, and it's working alright. The language and keyboard layout I'm still trying to configure, because they're wrong, but that's another story.

Guys, the NVIDIA procedures to edit the xorg.conf are what is causing the X server to fail. When I remove the "Load 'dri'", "Load 'GLCore'" and "Load 'glx'" and replace "Driver 'nv'" by "Driver 'nvidia'" my X server stops working with the new configuration. It just works if I let it autoconfigure a new one, coming back to the old configuration.

Any other ideas? Thanks again!

diogobaeder · 07-03-2006, 05:24 PM

Hi there, again, guys!

Hey, I think I found the problem, although I was not able to fix it. Like Bob said, the kernel may be different: I'm using version 2.6.17-2139_FC5, and it acused a number starting with 2.6.9. Is this the kernel the NVIDIA driver is trying to compile for? I tried using the "--kernel-'2.6.17-2139_FC5'", with and without quotes, and still doesn't work (I saw this option of the command in a site where I can't remember it is).

Well, now, how can I compile the nvidia drivers for my actual kernel? Any ideas?

Thanks again!

reddazz · 07-04-2006, 12:52 PM

Whats the problem with Livna. It works fine for me, so maybe if you give us more details of the problem, we can help you sort it out. I installed the nvidia driver from Livna and it works fine on my FC5 installation.

diogobaeder · 07-04-2006, 02:06 PM

Hi, reddazz,

When I try to access the Livna repositories, via Kyum, it cannot see the server address, like if it was online, I think. If I try to find any driver or package, with the Livna repos selected and saved to yum configuration, Kyum returns an error right at the start of the search, wich doesn´t happen when I unselect Livna repos.

I´m not writing from Linux, but from Windows, at this moment, but when I´m able to boot to Fedora I´ll post the exact error log, OK?

Reddazz, I´m hugelly gratefull for your and the others´ help! Thanks, you´re helping someone to believe that Linux is a better alternative even for Digital Audio, wich is the area I´ve been dealing with.

Seeya!

diogobaeder · 07-05-2006, 02:42 PM

Hi, reddazz,

I tried to install the NVIDIA driver as explained in the Livna site, but it returned the following error:

Code:

[root@localhost MyDownloads]# yum install kmod-nvidia-smp
Loading "installonlyn" plugin
Setting up Install Process
Setting up repositories
updates-source                                                       [1/6]
updates-source            100% |=========================|  951 B    00:00
core-source                                                          [2/6]
core-source               100% |=========================|  951 B    00:00
development                                                          [3/6]
development               100% |=========================| 1.1 kB    00:00
core                                                                 [4/6]
core                      100% |=========================| 1.1 kB    00:00
updates                                                              [5/6]
updates                   100% |=========================| 1.2 kB    00:00
extras                                                               [6/6]
extras                    100% |=========================| 1.1 kB    00:00
Reading repository metadata in from local files
primary.xml.gz            100% |=========================| 778 kB    00:22
developmen: ################################################## 2178/2178
Added 1632 new packages, deleted 1665 old in 14.61 seconds
primary.xml.gz            100% |=========================| 464 kB    00:04
updates   : ################################################## 1362/1362
Added 74 new packages, deleted 70 old in 2.57 seconds
Parsing package install arguments
No Match for argument: kmod-nvidia-smp
Nothing to do
[root@localhost MyDownloads]#

Why is this "No Match for argument: kmod-nvidia-smp" here? And what about "Nothing to do"? The NVIDIA driver wasn't installed, was it?

Thanks angain!

reddazz · 07-05-2006, 03:09 PM

From the list of repos, it seems like the livna repo is not working properly. I suggest you reinstall the livna release rpm.

diogobaeder · 07-05-2006, 03:24 PM

I tried, but then Kyum cannot access the Livna repositories.

Are your Livna repos working correctly?

reddazz · 07-05-2006, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diogobaeder

I tried, but then Kyum cannot access the Livna repositories.

Are your Livna repos working correctly?

The last time I tried, they worked fine. I can't test FC5 at the moment since I am working in FreeBSD at the moment. I will try later and confirm it wit u. In the mean time, you can get individual rpms from http://rpm.livna.org/fedora/5/ .