Problems installing & loading nVIDIA FX5500 modules
 

Hi there,


I was having problems with an "ATI Radeon 9600" card, trying to install and configure drivers for Linux.
Some people recommended me to try using a nVidia Card: they told me that nVIDIA drivers for Linux where more reliable...:p
So, yesterday I change my Radeon-9600 for a nVIDIA-FX-5500.:)

Got the last installer for nVIDIA website (NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run), and tried to install it.

Simple running (sh...) gave me some errors:

:scratch: :scratch:

My kernel is 2.6.15.1 (Slackware 10.2), and source files are all there, on right place: /lib/modules/2.6.15.1/, (because I has to install and compile this kernel manually). Even when I try to use --kernel-source-path, the same error happens.

Seems that module is beeing compiled, because ls -la /lib/modules/2.6.15.1/kernel/drivers/video shows:

But this modules is not loading anyway ! :mad:
modprobe nvidia gives me:

Seems to me that module couldn´t find the device...

But lspci | grep nVidia shows:

As you can see, my MoBo has nVidia nForce chipset. It is an ASUS-AN8X-E Deluxe. But even if I try to load nvidia_agp module, this does not resolve the problem:

# modprobe nvidia_agp
# lsmod


By the way, last lines of nvidia-installer.log are:


Last lines of dmesg shows same thing:


PS: Even if i try to compile nVIDIA drivers manually, the same error happens.
PS: X is working, but with no 3D graphics accelleration at all...

Hi,
I had this problem too. This is what I did:
1) make sure you have the kernel source installed.
2) change the system level to 3 (no X): telinit 3.
3) remove the module nvidia or try to reboot and this time boot in level 3. (rmmod nvidia. check with lsmod | grep -i nvidia)
4) as root, in console, run the nvidia installer with the q switch: "./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run -q". this time choose to re-compile the module when asked.

this worked for me, I hope this work for you too.

well, i'd suggest you take it one step at a time... the first thing you wanna do is resolve the kernel source issue:your kernel source should actually be in /usr/src/linux-2.6.15.1 and not in the /lib/modules directory... also, if the nvidia-installer uses the linux symlink for whatever reason, then make sure it's pointing to the proper directory:also, the source should be in the state it was after having done the compilation process (plus a "make clean"), don't just "tar xvjf" the tarball from kernel.org into the directory...

and yes, you should make sure that all this nvidia stuff is being done in runlevel 3, of course...

Hey Guys,

I could solve this problem just unsetting all "Frame Buffer" on kernel (and recompiling it, of course), like this:

After I did that, nvidia module could be loaded without problems !
And testing some OpenGL ScreenSaver was nice and really fast !!!

But... this gave me another problem: I couldnt boot using that small letters and penguin logo anymore (well, at least, I think that "Framebuffer" is used for...)

IMHO, you shouldn't have unset framebuffer. It wasn't required. The problem with source could be if your gcc is newer than previous gcc with which you compiled previous kernel. Updated nvidia drivers week ago and had similar errors - solved by downgrading gcc.

I would like to agree with you brother, but this instruction was given to me by anybody on NVIDIA Support...

And, if you take a look on "nvidia-installer.log" (first post), it is written that i must reconfigure kernel without fb support !

the thing is there was no need to recompile the kernel - you didn't need to remove framebuffer *support* from it...

to disable the framebuffer you just edit your lilo.conf, or whatever... this is what is meant by "reconfigure" the kernel - you change the configuration the kernel is loaded with... :)

From my .config file:
lilo.conf
Working perfectly, however as you said without logo and small letters.

Hello, I maybe had the same issue with my ATI Radeon Mobility X300 card using the fglrx drivers and the 2.6.* kernel. When I enabled the framebuffer (non-module) and then configured my card (ATI Radeon Display Support) in the framebuffer as built in instead of a module, it would cause a lockup after starting X requiring a hard restart to make my computer responsive again, only when using radeon or fglrx driver in xorg.conf instead the vesa driver. Try selecting the driver as a module (or not at all, I haven't bothered to try that yet), and then select VGA Vesa Graphics Support as built in and VGA 16 Color graphics support as a module under framebuffer. You could set them both as built in if you wanted, that should work.
Good luck. :)

yup, ditto... a "vga = normal" in lilo.conf is all it takes to disable the framebuffer...

Is it all to disable "frame buffer" ? Ok, I´ll try let it compiled in Kernel, but just changing lilo.conf.

By the way: what the hell is "frame buffer" used for ? Just to show penguin logo and small letters on boot ? If yes, I think I could survive without them...:) But should be better the have it, specially the small letters, because theres more info on screen !

Anybody could tell me where to find any information about frame buffer and those things ? :study: Any "HOW-TO", for example.

Now everything works ! nVidia module + framebuffer !!!
 

Strange things happens on the computer world :scratch:

Well, I finally recompile my kernel with framebuffer support (taking off penguin logo):

AND, let the lilo.conf like this:

Reboot: small letters (good !), and no penguin logo (thats ok...)

Recompile and reinstall nVidia driver....and: NO PROBLEM !!! :p

Load created module "nvidia"....and: NO PROBLEM !!! :p

Enter X....and: NO PROBLEM !!! :p (with that nVidia splash screen) :rolleyes:

Running OpenGL screen saver.......and: NO PROBLEM !!! :p (still running fast: 83.33 on Atunnel - just that Atlantis that still run slowly, at 2.10 FPS, but...OK, I really don´t like it ;) )

Well, seems that almost evrything is nice now.

Thanks for all that help me.

Hope this post could help others on configuring their nVidia cards ! ;)

to read about what a framebuffer is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framebuffer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_framebuffer