I'm trying to install the nvidia drivers (NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6629-pkg1.run) to use my Riva TNT2 on a Mandrake 10.1 system. After editting xorg.conf and trying to start X, I crash back to console with the message: Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

I've used the very same drivers with the very same hardware under Mandrake 9.2. I've even checked the screen configuration in my old (9.2) XConfig86-4.conf file. There are no differences in the screen section.

What's going on?

Read and try this:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...94#post1056394

BTW: If you don't need to use nautilus, use whatever file browser you normally use. I have since switched to Krusader. Even Konqueror will work.

If you are using a Riva TNT2 card, the 6629 drivers won't work, just search on this site and you will find that most people with Riva TNT2 drivers had to resort to the old 6111 drivers coz the 6629 drivers cause the system to hang.

Alright, I've tried your suggestions:

Lakota:
Calling "modprobe nvidia" (or adding nvidia to modprobe.preload) gets the module loaded and allows me to start X. Everything looks good until KDE tries to load the panel. This doesn't work out, and the panel becomes transparent. System tray icons stack on top of one another, the mouse is unusable and leaves a trail behind itself, etc., etc. Still, I'm closer now than I was before; thanks.

Reddazz:
I tried 6111 (and 6106) but neither would compile. So far, only 6629 has compiled. I will trawl through the site for more info on this. Thanks.

If anyone has any other suggestions, or knows what I've missed, I'd be happy to hear from you.

OK, fixed it:

To get the 6111 drivers to work you have to go to console (leave X) and:

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1.run -x
cd NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1/
emacs usr/src/nv/nv.c
change line 3697 from "case PM_SAVE_STATE:" to "case PM_SUSPEND_MEM"
su
/.nvidia-installer

Now edit your xorg.conf file as instructed (by default you should just have to change device "nv" to device "nvidia", but also make sure load "glx" is there and load "dri" and load "GLcore" are not.

modprobe nvidia (still as root; NB: to make this happen automatically after reboot, emacs /etc/modprobe.preload and add the line "nvidia")
exit (to go back to a user-level shell)
startx

And you're done. My Riva TNT2 now gets a glxgears frame rate of 267.00 FPS (it was 140 when using the nv driver).

Thanks to everyone who helped out.

Conn-fused, Thanks to you too.
I did not realize there was a problem with 6629 and riva card. I use 6629 and a geforce. Never used Riva before.

I have a old p3 with a riva card I recently aquired that I will be installing Slackware, Debian, Fedora Core 3 and Free BSD. I would have been in for a big headache 4 times over later today.

Lakota:
Good luck with your Riva; there is a little more to this than I'd first thought...

I noticed that simple rendering was not working as quickly as it should. For instance, there was a noticable delay in filling in the background colour in a new Mozilla window, and simple games like KolorLines had delays before animation kicked in.

If you get this problem, set your colours in X down to 16 bit (not 24). You can either edit the xorg.conf file and change the value there, or, in X, choose Configure your Computer -> Hardware -> Screen Resolution and set it to 65535 colours (16 bit) there.

The drivers for Freebsd work fine, but 6629 and riva tnt2 on Linux just don't get along fine.

thanks, good to know about the BSD drivers. I installed Slackware today and it looked like........well it looked like Linux. Don't know what I expected, but playing with that today seemed like I was still using my Mandrake minus the draketools. Oh well, won't bother trying out the other distro's, might try FreeBSD to see if that peeks my interest.

The main difference is the init scripts, Slack uses BSD style init scripts, plus as you said no gui config tools. Apart from that I just find it to be similar to any other Linux distro. I do like it's simplicity though and it's a great distro for those that like to be in total control of their system.

Alright, this worked wonders for me... simple fix...
Install the most recent Nvidia driver. At the time of posting, it is 1.0-6629.
After installing drivers, open up /etc/modprobe.preload in your favorite editor and add this word on it's own line... ready for this? nvidia
That's it. Now the video drivers work just fine.