Nvidia Drivers on Slack 12.1 with a 7600GS

dodder · 05-16-2008, 05:23 AM

Heyla,

I'm having some difficulties getting drivers installed for my 7600GS PCI-E card on my brand new Slack' installation.

I haven't been running any type of linux distro's for a while, and I wanted to return to the only distro i remembered using.

I tried to get the proper drivers from nvidia's website and using their automatic installer to throw them in, and change my xorg.conf.

There are no errors along the way, nothing looks wrong.

Except when I try to run X, with the xorg.conf it made for me, all I get is a blank screen, that my monitor does not support, and then it just turns off, and I have to restart. (Else I just don't know any shortcuts to exit X.) I lost my backup xorg.conf that just used vesa. (Which wouldn't really allow me to read any text, as all the fonts were incredibly small.) So i'm on windows again, until I figure this out, so I can at least get use a gui browser to figure out the rest of the issue i will probably have.

I've been googling for a few hours now, and none of the solutions i've found has seemed to work for me.

Any help would be highly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Bruce Hill · 05-16-2008, 07:40 AM

Which kernel are you running?

Your backup xorg.conf that 'just used vesa' is also here:

Code:

ls -l /etc/X11/xorg.conf*
-rw-r--r-- 1 mingdao users 13647 2008-02-04 08:12 /etc/X11/xorg.conf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root    root  17100 2007-02-13 05:14 /etc/X11/xorg.conf-fbdev
-rw-r--r-- 1 root    root  15858 2007-02-13 05:14 /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa

Just "cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa /etc/X11/xorg.conf"

Which Nvidia driver did you try to install, and how?

dodder · 05-16-2008, 10:34 AM

Hey... I just saw that file, and loaded it. Worked just "fine"

I downloaded and used SH to run NVIDIA-Linux-x86-169.12.pkg1.run´from nvidia.com's website.

Then I just followed the instructions in the executable, and let it write it's own version of xorg.conf then tried to startx - that's when the problem arised that i spoke of earlier.

Bruce Hill · 05-16-2008, 10:45 AM

Have you checked "/var/log/nvidia-installer.log" and "/var/log/Xorg.0.log"?

Perhaps you could use the vesa configuration and edit it for your box?

You need to post more information about your hardware ...

And which kernel are you running? Check in /etc/lilo.conf please.

dodder · 05-16-2008, 10:49 AM

I am not sure if I can use that vesa config, and edit it. Since I don't really know what to edit.

I just installed a clean slack 12.1 with hugesmp.s kernel. it's 2.6.5 i believe.

Which information do you require, and I will see if I can get it.

I'm pretty lost, to be honest.

tomtomjkw · 05-16-2008, 11:34 AM

try these
http://ftp.icm.edu.pl/packages/linux...x86/171.06.01/

169 didn't cooperate with my 12.1 either.

dodder · 05-16-2008, 11:56 AM

I'll try. Reporting back later on the results. Thanks.

T3slider · 05-16-2008, 01:25 PM

As far as I know the nVidia installer doesn't write a whole new xorg.conf for you -- it just modifies an existing, working one. Using the VESA drivers as a base for the nVidia installer to edit is really not the best idea. You should run `xorgconfig` (or `xorgsetup` if you can't figure that out, though results are more hit-or-miss with xorgsetup) to generate a working xorg.conf that uses the 'nv' drivers. THEN you should run the nVidia installer, making sure to compile the module instead of fetching one from the internet.

It should also be noted that there is now a SlackBuild for the nVidia drivers at slackbuilds.org, so you may have better luck using that. The 169.12 drivers should work with the 2.6.24.5 kernel, though anything above 2.6.25 (if you compiled a custom kernel) requires the latest beta drivers.

shadowsnipes · 05-16-2008, 02:56 PM

The Nvidia 169.12 drivers worked fine for me on my 7600GS (AGP). I've used both the Nvidia installer directly and the SlackBuilds in the past. I, too, recommend the slackBuilds because it works with the package manager for easier maintenance, and it the driver slackBuild comes with nvidia-switch. nvidia-switch allows you to easily switch between the native kernel driver (nv) and the proprietary nvidia driver (nvidia). I just have to switch between 'nv' and 'nvidia' in my xorg.conf after running nvidia-switch.

Don't use other peoples packages for this and do compile your own kernel module.

For me, I had a good working xorg.conf before installing the nvidia drivers, and the nvidia installer (with or without the slackBuild- works the same) does a good of modifying the xorg.conf for the proprietary driver, but you don't have to use it.

Before you start X make sure your nvidia module is loaded. Don't bother starting X if the module doesn't load.

Also, check your Monitor section of your xorg.conf. Does it match your monitor's specs? Did you ever setup X before using xorgconfig or xorgsetup? If you haven't then do this first, then tweak your xorg.conf file, and test the 'nv' driver. Then install the proprietary drivers using the slackBuilds. Also, you may want to add

Code:

Option "NoLogo" "true"

to your Device section if you don't want to see the Nvidia logo screen every time you start X.

chess · 05-16-2008, 03:02 PM

Also, instead of using xorgconfig or xorgsetup, for Xorg 7.3, you can now use 'Xorg --configure' and let X generate a /root/xorg.conf.new file for you, which you can then copy to /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Road_map · 05-16-2008, 04:46 PM

I have no problems with 169.12 driver on Slackware Linux 12.1 for

Code:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV43 [GeForce 6600] (rev a2)

I used xorgconfig and then I modified xorg.conf file to fit my needs. I don't use the xorg.conf file generated by NVIDIA-Linux-x86-169.12-pkg1.run script.

Eternal_Newbie · 05-16-2008, 05:35 PM

I second the suggestion to look at your Monitor section in xorg.conf.
Ensure that HorizSync and VertRefresh match those in the manual of your monitor.
The nvidia driver is much more sensitive to these settings than the vesa or nv drivers (the ATI fglrx driver is similarly sensitive, as a matter of interest).

dodder · 05-17-2008, 04:40 AM

First off, i don't even know how the package manager works, or how to use it to load these slackbuilds.

I also don't have a manual for my 17" sony lcd monitor, so i don't know the specs on it.

You guys are pretty confusing, and seem to pretend I know a lot of things I do not.

I had downloaded the other drivers on an ntfs partition, but suddenly slack wouldn't load that one, and said it was already in use, so I never got to try the other drivers.

I'll read up on slackbuilds, and see if I can figure it out - else i'll be back

thanks

SqdnGuns · 05-17-2008, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodder

First off, i don't even know how the package manager works, or how to use it to load these slackbuilds.

I also don't have a manual for my 17" sony lcd monitor, so i don't know the specs on it.

You guys are pretty confusing, and seem to pretend I know a lot of things I do not.

I had downloaded the other drivers on an ntfs partition, but suddenly slack wouldn't load that one, and said it was already in use, so I never got to try the other drivers.

I'll read up on slackbuilds, and see if I can figure it out - else i'll be back

thanks

You should have done your homework before diving into this.

Google you for your monitor specs, I guarantee you will find them.

Did you read all the readme files?

http://slackware.oregonstate.edu/sla...lackware-HOWTO
http://slackware.oregonstate.edu/sla.../ANNOUNCE.12_1
http://slackware.oregonstate.edu/sla....1/BOOTING.TXT
http://slackware.oregonstate.edu/sla..._AND_HINTS.TXT
http://slackware.oregonstate.edu/sla...2.1/README.TXT
http://slackware.oregonstate.edu/sla.../RELEASE_NOTES

More useful info, I suggest taking some time to go through all the links that are provided in the link below.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...2/#post2711967

Once you have a better understanding of how Slackware works, what is being suggested here will not be "Greek" to you.

Good Luck (Chok Dee)

shadowsnipes · 05-17-2008, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodder

I had downloaded the other drivers on an ntfs partition, but suddenly slack wouldn't load that one, and said it was already in use, so I never got to try the other drivers.

I'll read up on slackbuilds, and see if I can figure it out - else i'll be back

thanks

There's a HowTo on SlackBuilds on slackBuilds.org. It is very easy to use them, so you shouldn't have any trouble.

As far as your ntfs partition, how did you try to load it? Where you using the ntfs-3g driver? To see what is mounted using the mount command with no args.

Edit:
If you have never done so, I recommend reading the slackBook. SlackBasics is also nice.