DISCUSSION: Installing new accelerated Nvidia Linux Drivers in 5 EASY Steps

mkaman · 08-27-2004, 04:23 PM

I found the problem. The drivers that are instaled or compiled are specific to the kernel version. So if you boot with another kernel you will see a blue screen because the drivers doesn't work.
This is a problem because i have now two kernels, maybe i can patch it with some scripting work at init :P

IAnCool · 09-07-2004, 10:18 AM

wow great guide...

tredegar · 09-11-2004, 08:58 AM

My system: Dell PIII, 1GHz, 512 MB RAM, NVIDIA TNT2, Alcatel USB speedtouch ADSL
Mandrake 10.0 CE (Community Edition)
Kernel 2.6.3-4mdk

I installed my kernel source and ran NVIDIA's NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1.run installer.
I had an error:

Code:

/usr/src/linux-2.6.3-4mdk is not clean. Please run make mrproper in that directory.

I did, but still had an error:

Code:

If you are using a Linux 2.6 kernel, please make sure
you have configured kernel sources matching your kernel
installed on your system..........

So as not to mess up my kernel source any more, I removed it, and then reinstalled it afresh.
After a LOT of googling, I finally found this post:

http://mandrakeusers.org/index.php?showtopic=17502&st=0

This is what Kjel Oslund said:

Code:

I had exactly the same problems with the nvidia 6111 driver installation script. 
I was able to install the driver successfully by doing the following:

    * run the installer script with the --extract-only option. This will create a directory under 
your current directory with the unpacked contents of the driver installation script
    * cd into the new directory NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1
    * as root, type: make install

This should compile and install the drivers (at least it worked for me).

This worked for me as well. It appears that there is something wrong with NVIDIAs installation script.

Hope this helps someone else, it nearly drove me insane, but I'm very happy now!

drdosman · 09-19-2004, 12:41 PM

Thanks for the guide.

After successfully installing the nvidia drivers, should it still display the generic Geforce 2 GTS as the driver under display panel ( in GNOME)?

I have a Geforce 2 ti, not sure if it makes a difference. It just seems like it is using the original FC2 install setup assigned driver.

YohanLeafheart · 10-03-2004, 11:31 PM

Hi Everyone, this is my first message to the forums, I having a really hard time trying to update my video drivers, and that's what is happening to me:

I follow the guide in the forum, but when I tried to boot in the X, i got a blank screen and had to hard reset the machine. After that when I went back to the old XF86Config file, (i made a backup of it), my X started to act weird. Now everytime I program ends, I get an error message from the KDe. NOthing wrong is happening. I mean, the programs works just as great, but these annoying messages keeps appearing.

Itried the GreenBandit post for see if it helped, but again the Blank screen, when I tried to compile it using make install after an extract only I got this error message

Code:

*** Unable to determine the target kernel version. ***

make[1]: *** [select_makefile] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/sol/Documents/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1/usr/src/nv'
make: *** [kernel_module_install] Error 2

Here are the specs of my computer

Athlon XP 2800+, 512mb ram, GeForce MX4000 128Mb, Live Platinum

i running KDE 3.2 in Mandrake 10.0 my kernel is 2.6.3.-7mdk

my XFConfig4 before the change is as follow.

Code:

# File generated by XFdrake.

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the XF86Config man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"
    # Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
    # By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
    # the X server to render fonts.
    FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    #DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse doesn't work
    #DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
    Load "extmod"
    Load "type1"
    Load "freetype"
    Load "glx" # 3D layer
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Keyboard1"
    Driver "Keyboard"
    Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
    Option "XkbLayout" "us_intl"
    Option "XkbOptions" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Mouse1"
    Driver "mouse"
    Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
    Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
    Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Plug'n Play"
    HorizSync 30-70
    VertRefresh 50-160
    
    # Sony Vaio C1(X,XS,VE,VN)?
    # 1024x480 @ 85.6 Hz, 48 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "1024x480"    65.00 1024 1032 1176 1344   480  488  494  563 -hsync -vsync
    
    # TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
    # 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     50.00  768  832  846 1000   576  590  595  630
    
    # 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     63.07  768  800  960 1024   576  578  590  616
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce4 (generic)"
    Driver "nv"
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 8
        Virtual 1280 1024
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 15
        Virtual 1280 1024
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 16
        Virtual 1280 1024
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 24
        Virtual 1280 1024
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout1"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    Screen "screen1"
EndSection

cepot · 10-13-2004, 12:46 AM

I did all that and it works!!!
but how i configure the X11.config for the twin view(clone) nvidia, so i can see it all on television???
Can help me??

bUKaneer · 11-09-2004, 05:12 PM

This is a loooooong story but Ill try to keep it concise.....

System Setup
- Althlon XP 2100+
- nVidia GeForceFX 5950 Ultra

Day 1

Install SuSE 8.2 + YOU Patches (incl. kernel-source) and download latest (6629) nVidia driver follow the instructions...

#init 3
#rmmod nvidia
#cd /usr/src/linux
#make cloneconfig && make dep
#sh NVIDIA*.run -q
#sax2 -m 0=nvidia

Its at this point that X decides to die...totally utterly and completely we're talking dead.

Day 2

Reinstall system BUT not downloading packages (Bare bones system as is + kernel source off disk and the things you need to make everything work).

Follow steps above...same thing happens

Day 3 (An extension of day 2 because I havent gone to bed yet)

Reinstall EVERYTHING from the SuSE 8.2 DVD + YOU Updates BUT downloaded older nVidia driver 44xx using YOU

drop out of X

#init 3
#rmmod nvidia
#sh NVIDIA*.run -q
#sax2 -m o=nvidia

And here we are posting to the list WITH THE SAME DEFAULT GRAPHICS DRIVER INSTALLED....when I go to YaST -> SaX2 it tell me Im using a VESA Interface card Driver: nVidia.....

How do I tell it Im using a 5950 Ultra....???

Im sorry if this is jumbled and I may have missed a step or two but Ive been at it for three days and still no shiney nVidia performance (Using XIRC with transparency gives a lag and it complains about no 3D Support when i try to run the karting game!)

Please help me, Im turning into a gibbering wreck!

Thanks in Advance!

Louis_Carole · 11-11-2004, 10:54 PM

Dear All,

For many moons I have happily used my GeForce4 with Slack 9.1. Then I decided to repartition my hard drive and purge my system once and for all of Redmond's storm-trooping military base of an os. I felt so cool. Until I tried to get my GeForce4 working again. I tried it on my own first, but got only a screenful of ascii garbage when I tried entering graphical mode.
Then I read the 5 EASY STEPS.

0. Download the right installer: check (actually, I had it burned with other stuff I needed for my system)
1. Edit Module section - check (oops, I'd forgotten about this one, but my XF86Config already had "glx" in there)
2. Change "nv" to "nvidia" - check; I remembered to do this.
3. Shut down the X server: check (I'm using mu console [3] right now)
4. Install the drivers: check (I ran NVIDIA-blah.run before ever trying startx. Since it wasn't tip #1, I ran it again after fixing up XF86Config)
5. Restart the X server: check mate (I get the frozen ascii garbage and ctrl-alt-del to step -1)

I've tried a newer NVIDIA installer version. I upgraded my kernel by a couple microversions. I added Option "NvAgp" "0". I removed high-resolution options. No help.

The most I got upon searching the fora was: "Yeah, people complain about that a lot. Mine works just fine on a different distro. If you were cool you'd change your distro." Except that it was working for many moons on MY distro.

Does anyone have advice? Thank you all for persevering.

- Ben

kristi · 11-19-2004, 10:18 PM

newbie.
installed Fedora core 3 last night.
d/l nvidia 6629.
Changed /etc/initab to id:3:initdefault
Changed /etc/X11/XF86Config (Device section)(to "nvidia"
rebooted .logged in as root, tried install . Install did start. I accepted the agreement. Then it said "no precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel". It then checked nvidia sita and found none. It then wanted to assemble something but cc was missing or something like that.

Bah.

Asked on General. Got pointed to your article. edited XF86Config and fixed section Module per your note. Device section had been changed back to nv so changed that to nvidia. Roboot to 3 login as root, try install but got exactly the same thing.

Bah Bah.

Thoughts?
tia!!!
Kristi

edit: forget it. apparently nvidia has a new way of doing things, and one also assumes that it does not yet have the appropriate thing for my release of fedora since it couldn't find it. I have no interest of getting into compiling it.

fh-oregon · 11-23-2004, 06:44 PM

Newbie
RH 9, nVIDIA GeForce FX5600(128MB), latest drivers, etc. Followed driver installation instructions as per the post. System comes up and looks just like it did with my old Savage card (hmmmm). I want to drive my HP (Sony) 24" monitor at full resolution - either 1920x1200 or 1920x1080. I've hacked on the config file and used the GUI and scratched my head and restarted X about a zillion times but I can't get the card to drive the display at full width (19") and height (12"). Got about 1-1/2" blank on each side and a little at the top. Looking for ideas, fixes, hugs.

penguin4 · 11-23-2004, 09:14 PM

just read some where that if gui does not do the trick try text mode to config problem away.

fh-oregon · 11-24-2004, 12:09 AM

Did some playing with xvidtune and some more editing of XF86Config. Ended up with one setting that sort of works. I now have a full screen display but it is at 1600x1200 (3x4) on a display that is 1920x1200 (16x10) so the windows and images are stretched horizontally. It seems to be the only mode that will go to the full width. Progress but not happy yet. More ideas??? Someone must be running a 24" monitor out there.

bbking · 11-24-2004, 11:20 AM

@adonai & anybody else who says that sax2 doesnt allow 3D accelaration, this is from the NVIDIA FAQ:

Q: I have installed the driver, but my Enable 3D Acceleration checkbox
is still greyed out! What did I do wrong?

A: Most distribution-provided configuration applets are not aware of
the NVIDIA accelerated driver, and consequently will not update
themselves when you install the driver. Your driver, if it has been
installed properly, should function fine.

mjm70 · 12-14-2004, 09:53 PM

I am not sure that I have even gotten the NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6629-pkg1.run to compile.

I have loaded all the GLIB, GCC, Make and Kernel Source to my SuSE 9.1 install. I can set the unit into INIT 3, and SH the file.

It gets to a dialog box that shows compiling and 100%, and that is where it ends. My computer seems to lock up and I don't get any futher than that.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

mdt · 01-10-2005, 05:19 PM

in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 you may do the following configuration too:

Section "Device"
Identifier "NVidia Video Card"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "NoLogo" "1"
Option "DigitalVibrance" "0"
Option "TwinView"
Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "30-50"
Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "60"
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "Clone"
Option "MetaModes" "1024x768,1024x768"
Option "TVOutFormat" "COMPOSITE"
Option "TVStandard" "PAL-B"
Option "ConnectedMonitor" "CRT,TV"
EndSection

Explanation:

"NoLogo" "1" saves time, it lets the driver not display the nVidia start screen!
the rest configures a possibly existent SVidio output for use with a TV