Hi,

Here is my problem :
I am on a Slackware 11.0 with a kernel 2.6.17.13 (recent upgrade from a 2.4.33.3). I am trying to setup the last NVidia driver (which was working on my previous kernel 2.4.33.3) :

"sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9746-pkg1.run"

beginning of the setup - here's the log :

"-> There appears to already be a driver installed on your system (version: 1.0-9746). As part of installing this driver (version: 1.0-7184), the existing driver will be uninstalled. Are you sure you want to continue? ('no' will abort installation) (Answer: Yes)
-> No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you like the installer to attempt to download a kernel interface for your kernel from the NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nvidia.com)? (Answer: Yes)
-> No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site; this means that the installer will need to compile a kernel interface for your kernel.
-> Performing CC sanity check with CC="cc".
-> Performing CC version check with CC="cc".

ERROR: The kernel header file '/lib/modules/2.6.17.13/build/include/linux/version.h' does not exist. The most likely reason for this is that the kernel source files in '/lib/modules/2.6.17.13/build' have not been configured.

ERROR: Installation has failed. Please see the file '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details. You may find suggestions on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux driver download page at www.nvida.com"

I already saw an answer about a similar problem but for a SMP-kernel. I had a look over a few NVidia "read-me" and their forum, but nothing.
For the moment I kept the VESA driver in my xorg.conf, but I still just can't get through this setup... so I may need some help.

Thanks for your help.

Assuming you installed Slack from CD using the Huge2.6 kernel, make sure you also install the kernel development headers from the CD or else the Nvidia installation script will not be able to build a driver kernel for your system.

Also...http://www.brunolinux.com/06-Fine_Tu...a_Drivers.html

Luck!

~Eric

This has nothing to do with kernel headers.
Also, that URL leads to an old Mandrake-centric story and probably adds nothing that gregg already knows.

@gregg:
Try running which should generate that version.h file. Then try anew to build the nvidia driver. If you want to keep the driver for your 2.4.33.3 kernel installed (the command you used will delete that one) you can try running this instead:
which will build only the 2.6.17.13 kernel module.

Eric

But shouldn't the install of the kernel-modules package set up the link from /lib/modules/2.6.17.13/build to /usr/src/linux-2.6.17.13 for you.

You did install the 2.6 source, didn't you.

Cheers.

Alrighty... my apologies. I was just trying to be helpful.

Yes the link will be there but not the file /usr/src/linux-2.6.17.13/include/linux/version.h

Yeah that sounded a tad harsh... sorry for that.

Eric

The file is there on my system, and all I did was install the packages.

Cheers.

No problem.

You're right. That makes it a weird error message then.

Eric

Wow...Surprised by so many answers.
First of all : thanks.

@Vtel57
I tried again an installpkg of the headers (for the kernel-ide, not huge), but the NVidia setup persists, and I still haven't got any "version.h" file in the mentioned folder.

@Allen Bob
I tried the make oldconfig, but I stopped when I had to answer "Y/N" to the filthiest package... maybe a bit scared to get into a muddle over my system ? I guess that to answer yes to all packages isn't the right issue ?

As a matter of fact, in between posting my first reply, and this one, I've downloaded, compiled, and loaded the 9631 NVidia driver. My system doesn't support the 9746 one.

@gregg

What's in the /lib/modules/2.6.17.13/build/include/linux/ directory.

Cheers.

@MQMan

I won't copy all the files I've got in this directory (at least you ask me for, not sure it is so useful, it's a huge list), actually, as you can imagine it's all the *.h files except version.h...
Maybe I should try the 9631, as you did...

edit - Just tried the 9631, still those damn headers problem
edit² - However, here's the ls from the directory http://pastebin.com/852351

Interesting. That display shows 715 files and directories. If I count mine, I get 717.

Maybe a re-install of the 2.6 source package is in order.

Is the soft link, /lib/modules/2.6.17.13/build pointing, correctly to /usr/src/linux-2.6.17.13.

edit - http://pastebin.com/852365 for mine.

next edit - version.h *is* part of the source pkg: kernel-source-2.6.17.13-noarch-1:usr/src/linux-2.6.17.13/include/linux/version.h

Cheers.

9746 seems to have dropped some more older NVidia chips like my GeForce 3.

@MQMan
So, after the re-install of the source package, the NVidia setup worked without any errors : thanks a lot ! It was easier than it appeared.
However, the fact is that I've got the 2.6 headers... not sure that it should be a problem. Here's an extract from the /mnt/cdrom/extra/linux-2.6.17.13/kernel.headers-WARNING :

« As a general rule, installing kernel headers that are newer than the kernel glibc was compiled will *may* cause problems, so unless you need these for a particular reason it's best to stick with the 2.4.31 kernel-headers package for now. »

For the moment everything seems to be stable.
Is it necessary to get back on the 2.4 headers ?