nvidia driver installation problem

jukebox55 · 02-10-2008, 08:48 AM

hello,

firstly may i say i am aware that i have an unresolved post on this forum already, but ive had a crazy few days in the 'real world', and ill get to it as soon as i possibly can. thanks to those involved for their patience.

now on to the immediate problem.

im trying to install the nvidia driver for linux 'nvidia-linux-x86-169.09-pkg1.run', however, the installer states that it needs to compile a kernel interface to match my systems current kernel (which is the 'kernel-generic-smp-2.6.17.13-i686-3' from the extras folder on the slackware 11 dvd).

the nvidia installer is asking for an installed 'kernel source tree'.

i know there is an /extras/source/linux-smp-2.6.17.13' folder, but there doesnt seem to be a kernel in there, can anyone help locate the correct source, and instruct on how to install it, so that the nvidia installer can see it.

TSquaredF · 02-10-2008, 09:01 AM

You don't have the kernel source package installed. Install it from your source tree slackware/k/linux.2.XXX.YYY...tgz.
Regards,
Bill

H_TeXMeX_H · 02-10-2008, 09:15 AM

You should run 'installpkg' on '/extra/linux-2.6.17.13/kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1.tgz' on install DVD or CD. That's the kernel source which is needed in order to compile kernel modules such as the one for nvidia.

jukebox55 · 02-10-2008, 10:55 AM

thanks, i installed the kernel source and finally the nvdia driver installed too

H_TeXMeX_H · 02-10-2008, 12:13 PM

that's good to hear

allend · 02-10-2008, 04:12 PM

Just a reminder that if you upgrade your kernel, you will need to recompile the nVidia driver.
When doing a kernel upgrade, a standard procedure for me is to first set my system to boot to run level 3 by editing '/etc/inittab', then do the kernel upgrade, reboot, recompile nVidia driver, and then change back to run level 4.
If I neglect to change run levels, the system hangs during boot. The solution is to set the "single' kernel option when booting, to boot to run level 1, then 'telinit 3' to switch to run level 3. Then the nVidia driver can be recompiled.

jukebox55 · 02-12-2008, 06:11 PM

thanks for that info allend

fotoguy · 02-12-2008, 06:18 PM

if you don't want to start in init 3, you can build a nvidia kernel from the graphical mode using this command.

If a previous driver is installed:

NVIDIA-Linux-*-pkg1.run -a --no-x-check --no-runlevel-check --kernel-module-only

If no drive installed:

NVIDIA-Linux-*-pkg1.run -a --no-x-check --no-runlevel-check