nvidia driver doesn't work
 

I'm using trying to install and configure the nvidia drivers on my new system, but after installing and configuring XF86Config-4 all I get is a black screen. My video card is an MSI FX5600 vtdr128. I have read numerous posts on the subject but nothing seems to work. Is there anything I have to do in addition to editing the Driver "nv" line? I'm running mandrake 9.1, any help would be greatly appreciated.

never mind, figured out what I was doing wrong.

The README from nvidia also suggests adding (to XF86Config-4) the line:

Load "glx"

and removing:

Load "dri"
Load "GLcore"

Also, there may be additional stuff you need to configure. Make sure your monitor refresh rates are correctly set.

One good place to begin with diagnosing problems is the logfiles produced by X. Look through /var/log/XFree86.0.log and /var/log/XFree86.9.log to see if there are any lines beginning with (EE). Those might give some clues; post them here if you find any.

Cool! If you don't mind, please post your solution in case someone else has the same problem in the future.

Yeah, please do that. I know someone with the same problem. Want to know how you sorted it out :)

I was using the telinit command to switch runlevels. Originally I was just switching back to runlevel 5 and nothing happened, that is the driver wasn't being loaded. All I had to do was stop the xserver and restart from a terminal using the startx command.

Valueuser
 

Hey valueuser, can you play the Linux Tux Racer game and let us know if it improves the performance of the game. with the nvidia drivers now installed?

d-1

I'm having the same problems.

I started Linux on my old pc with GeForce2 card using Mandrake 9.1. The Linux driver works on that machine. Recently I decided to dual boot on my newer PC with GeForce 4 Ti 4200 but with the Redhat 9 distro. Nvidia driver works fine too.

But I don't like RH very much so I decided to remove it and install Mdk 9.1 instead. After I installed the NVidia driver, I get a blank screen when I run startx. :confused:

Here is my installation procedure:
- Installed Mandrake 9.1 from 3 cds
- Set up dual boot (I don't install lilo on the MBR)
- Reboot into Mandrake using reg user to do some tweaking of the desktop
- log-off from desktop
- in the console, login as root and edit runlevel of /ect/inittab to 3
- reboot, login to root
- install NVidia driver using sh NVIDIA.run package
- edit XF86Config-4; change "nv" to "nvidia", no need to remove dli and GLcore since they are not in a mandrake installation
- su to regular user
- startx
... then I get a blank screen

I tried uninstalling the driver using "nvidia-installer --uninstall" and
reinstall using --extract-only and make install. still the same problem.

If I uninstall and revert XF86Config-4 to "nv", I still can't boot back to X.

Any suggestions? I'm thinking of reinstalling Mandrake but doubt if that will help any.

Thanks
:newbie:

It sounds like the nv Mandrake drivers did not give a X screen ? Right ? Therefore I don't think it is an nVidia driver problem.

It could be your graphics card or monitor is refusing to show the screen due to maybe unsupported resolution or something ?

Did you configure the graphics card and monitor at the summary page during the install ? Here you are able to test the selected monitor and resolution using the nv driver.

I think you can run a program called XFdrake to change your resolution/monitor settings.

I was able to enter X using the nv driver during the fresh install. Only can't go back after I installed the NVidia driver, even if I uninstall Nvidia driver.

Maybe you're right about the resolution. Does XFdrake runs at the console outside of X? I'll try that once I get home. Thanks

Are you saying that you could boot into X using the nv driver but when you used the nvidia driver you could not use X ?

Also, when you changed the XFConfig-4 file from using nvidia back to using nv, X did not work ? This should work even with the nvidia drivers installed, well it does for me.

Have you looked at the XFree86 log files in the /var/log directory ? Maybe there is an error reported here for the nvidia drivers ?

Did you install the Mandrake nvidia rpms or use nvidia's run install script ? Both should work but try the other method to see whether that helps.

Have you looked in the system log stored in /var/log/syslog ? You need to be logged in as root to edit the file. Again there maybe a clue in the system log ?

Run X and when the screen is blank, press these 3 keys simultaneously Ctrl-Alt-F1. Do you see a text login screen ? this is a virtual terminal and allows you to login in text mode. If you press Ctrl-Alt-F7 this will take you back to the X display ( screen 0 ) but in your case will be blank.

Run X and try pressing Ctrl-Alt + ( + key on the numeric keypad ) or Ctrl-Alt - ( - minus key on the numeric keypad. This will cycle through the screen resolutions. Is the screen still blank ?

Sorry to have confused you. I was saying that initially I could enter X using nv driver. After I install nvidia driver and used it, I get a blank screen. I used the run install script, I think the RPMs are no longer available at NVidia's site. I uninstalled nvidia and then that's when the nv driver is no longer working too.

I tried looking at the XFree log but no error was reported (though I didn't really try looking at it thoroughly).

When I startx and screen goes blank, Ctrl-Alt-F1 doesn't work (no response). No response too when pressing Ctrl-Alt + or Ctrl-Alt -. Pressing Ctrl-Alt-backspace turns off the computer (immediately, like pressing the power button)

I reinstalled Mandrake and just use the nv driver for now. Maybe the problem could be resolved in the next release of the driver.

If you a Mandrake Club member then the nvidia drivers are available as RPMs.

If you use the RPMs you need need to match the nvidia kernel version with your Mandrake kernel.

As you used the install script, how did you uninstall the nvidia drivers ? Just curious.

How do you become a Mandrake Club Member and what is the fee for signing up.

Thanks,

d-1

I think it is about 5 or 6 bucks a month. Go to the website and there should be a link to join.

Oh heck. Here is a link. Click in the upper right hand corner where it says " please follow this link." under the login and password form.

http://www.mandrakeclub.com/

I think they take credit cards too.

You will still have to do the same thing to install even if it is a rpm though. You will have to kill 'x' and do it in command line then restart 'x'. Same thing, different command. That's all.

Later

:D :D :D :D

You see dalek, I don't even know how to get to "X", is that the same thing as the X-terminal.

With thiz-linux operating system, I would download the software program, then unpackage it (which is uncompressing it.) Then un-tar it and then run the install commands in the x-terminal.

In Mandrake, I don't know where to even begin.

d-1

Ok, let's explain a bit.

'X' is the screen that is like windoze. It has a picture, usually, and those little icons to click on. That is also, in most distros, considered "init 5".

Command line. It looks like DOS. No pictures, just text. No icons. No mouse either. Want to run a command, you have to type it in.

If you have a reasonably fast system you may be able to make it without the driver. If you play games in Linux then you will almost surely need the driver.

A little about init levels, just the basics.

init 0 is same as halt, power off, or shutdown and cutoff the power.

init 1 is single user. No network and only one user at a time, usually the one setting at the screen and keyboard.

init 2 is not used much. If you have it then it is probably custom.

init 3 is multi-user. Sometimes it has a network, sometimes not. Is basically the same thing as booting to failsafe with a few differences. Failsafe will NOT work when installing the drivers. I tried it. I was introduced to 'vi' then.

init 4 is not used much either, kind of init 2 as far as custom anyway.

init 5 is fully loaded with 'X' running. Full network, everything mounted for access, multiuser and the whole deal.

init 6 is same as reboot.

That's the basics of that.

You are most likely in init 5 at this point. You have to be in init 3 to install the driver then go back to init 5 to see if it works.

Put the driver in the /root directory. You can do this when you download the driver. Just put in /root for location to save in. If it won't let you do that then you can move it with 'File Manager -Super User'. Start thingy then Applications then File Tools then File Manager. Open the folder that you saved it to and drag it to the /root directory. You can open the root directory and make sure it is there.

Change the driver to "nvidia" in the XF86Config-4 file like in the how to. It is in the path /etc/X11 directory. Do not change the inittab file if you do the way below. You will be changing that from a Konsole.

Make sure you have saved and closed your apps first. They ARE about to be killed.

Go to a terminal, Start thingy then Terminals and 'Konsole - Super User' then put in root password. Type in init 3. X will shutdown and you will get a text prompt, like DOS. Login as root.
Type in ls, that is a small "L", and see if the driver is there. The ls is same as dir in DOS. If not, type in cd /root . Type in ls again. It should be right there. Either way, type in sh NVIDIA<rest of file name> and hit return. It must match exactly, upper case and lower case stuff. Accept the license using the arrow keys and hit enter. When the driver gets installed you will be back at the prompt. Type in startx. If you see a white screen with NVIDIA in the middle then all is well.

I would then just reboot. You may get back to a text thing when you choose logout. No problem. Type in su and then the root password and then type in init 6. It will then reboot. Most distros require root access to shutdown or reboot when in command line.

If x doesn't start, it will take you back to a command line and you will get a error message. Write down the part that starts with (EE). That's the part that boo boo'd. We need that. If you can't, or don't want to, change the driver back to "nv" then you can as root type in init 6 and it will reboot and you can choose windoze to come here and get help.

It has not failed me yet. The only reason I can see that you will have problems is if the driver is bad from the download. The reason for typing in startx instead of init 5 is that if you type in startx and it fails, you will come back to a prompt after it gives up. If you type in init 5 and something goes wrong, it will just sit there and blink at you. Reset button is usually used at that point. Not good.

If when you type in startx you get a RED screen for a desktop and it looks funny, logout and reboot. When you get that you are in X as root. You should also get a warning box too. DO NOT connect to the net. You are vulnerable to whatever someone can think of. You should NOT use that unless you are sure of what you're into. Everything you do has root access.

I think I just wrote another how to.

If you don't understand something, just ask. If I can I'll help, if not someone else will.

Later

:D :D :D

I proofed this for a while. My typing is not the best. Of course sometimes my proofing ain't either.:cry:

Thanks dalek
 

My Linux is running strong and fat tonight, like a powerful surf, I don't want to get out of the water.

I am using my older computer and it works great.

I replaced my ZOOM external modem for anothe Best Date Modem and that took care of my browser problem.

I am studing your notes and will takcle this project soon.

d-1

It's like riding a bike. It looks like you are going to break your leg or something. Then you get on that thing and you don't want to stop then. You want to ride forever, well almost.

Linux is different. It is not windoze. I hope that some of the info has helped a bit. If so, we'll clear up some more mud later.

Later

:D :D :D
They need a emoticon for sleepy. That how to is rough.:tisk:

The basic Mandrake Club member is 60 Euros a year. I guess this is roughly 5 dollars a month.

The advantage of binary RPMs is the package is already built and so should just install. Because the RPM is constructed on a Mandrake system like yours, it is more likely to work than running the NVIDIA shell script which is general purpose.

There is an installer program called urpmi which can be used to install the RPMs.

For installing the nvidia drivers, it is important to not be runing the X server when installing these drivers. This is because files need to be modified during install which are used by the X server.

In fact the nVidia shell script did not work for me on Mandrake 9.2 so I installed the RPMs which did work.

Important, if you change kernel versions you will need to update your nVidia drivers otherwise you will have a blank screen again.

Thanks, I would prefer to have a clean install
 

I would prefer to have a clean install, if I could.

d-1

I used the command 'nvidia-installer --uninstall' as described in the readme.

I have no plans of becoming a Mandrake club member soon. My nvidia driver doesn't work, can't connect to the internet yet although modem was already installed, and sound doesn't work. I don't have these problems in RedHat 9.

I guess I'll figure these problems out in time.. but I'm taking it slowly, don't have so much time for linux everyday. So frustrating the amount of patience needed to make even the simpliest things work.

Or maybe I'll just go back and install RedHat.