Hi there dudes.

I've been following these instructions to get beryl working on my computer: http://wiki.beryl-project.org/wiki/I..._Nvidia_driver. I got Slackware 11 with the 2.6.17.13 kernel. After removing the X11 apps and installing the new ones, i tried to uninstall the Nvidia driver that didn't work, and try to go back to the one i was using.
So i typed as root:
./NVIDIA-Linux-.......pkg1.run --uninstall
For my surprise, i got a permission denied error, and i am root!!!!

Also, just so i give more info about the problem, I installed the 8774 version of the NVIDIA driver last time, and it's been working ever since. I tried installing it again, and it notices that there is another version, so it just warns me that it is going to uninstall and then install the new one. I have a backup of my original xorg.conf file, and after installing the working version of the driver and copying xorg.conf back, i get the following error:
Failed to load module "glx" (module does not exist, 0)
Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
No drivers available.

If you need something else, be sure to let me know. I don't mind not installing beryl, but at least get my original config working.

Additionally, all the links downloaded a lot of X11 and xorg files, and i installed them all. I guess i have a new version of xorg running, hence, making the driver or something else break down.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Usually when you install the nvidia driver it uninstalls the old one. That seems to be working fine.

What happens when you do 'modprobe nvidia' as root?

Oh and make sure you install the new X11 before installing nvidia.

if you installed the nvidia driver, and then X11 it will break, and you have to re-install the nvidia driver (it changes some X11 link or something)

also (iirc) there is a kernel module option you have to check to allow non-linux modules to be loaded, not sure if that one is the permission problem.

the permission problem, is X running? AFAIK you have to run the nvidia installer from the console.

Since you are doing all this I assume stability is not your #1 concern ;-) So...why not just move to -current and use compiz which is already included. Beryl and compiz are becoming the same thing anyway.

Brian

When typing the modprobe nvidia command as root, it just jumps back to the prompt. I guess it finds nothing. As for X, it is down, i am running everything from command all the way. What i did was, according to the manual, removed all old X11, and installed a new version, at least the files i downloaded all installed fine; then, i tried installing a new nvidia driver. Since this driver didn't work, i went back to the old one that was running before i started doing all these things. But hey, that one didn't work either.

Just for the kicks, i went to /var/log/packages and looked for the files that were titled x11. I found that the number there was 7.1. I guess that's the new version i have installed. It may be that i missed a few files to install so that X server works fine. Weird thing is that when typing startx on my console, there's a line that reads X Window System Version 7.2.0, and a couple lines down, another one that says X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0, Release 7.2. Am i like mixing oil and water here?

As for the compiz thing, if i ever get passed this problem, i will surely give it try. JEJEJe, so help me fix my computer so i can give compiz a try.

Thanks so much for the help. If you need some more info to help me out, just write and i'll surely look it up for you.

LQ RULES!!!

Bid update here!!! I removed all x11 and the xorg file i installed, and started out installing only xorg 7.2 and the misc fonts. After that, i installed nvidia's driver version 8774, the one working before, and i got the nvidia splash screen going. Bad news is it goes to a weird shell and does not load any kind of GUI after displaying the nvidia splash screen. I can only suppose that i am missing some other file or files to get all the GUI back up and running.

Have you run xwmconfig and chosen a desktop environment?

Yeah i did, in fact i chose kde, which was the first option displayed, and it just gets me back to that same weird prompt, with the difference that i get an X shaped pointer that i can move around. In fact, if i try startx again, it tells me that the 'Server is already active for display 0'.

My point was, why bork your Slackware system when you could just install -current (now Slack 12 RC1)? It should get you past this problem, and then you will be able to keep your system up to date and stable much more easily.

Brian

Just so you know, that is normal behavior for modprobe when it works. Modprobe is silent unless there are errors and something goes wrong.

Oh good then. I guess i am missing something else. I will try to reinstall X11 from the Slack 11 dvd, if i can find it that is. Like i said, it's gotta be something missing cause i get the nvidia splash screen but then comes to a single weird looking shell.

Any other ideas???

I've had weird shells after startx before, usually means xorg's on but no window manager's loaded.

Could be something wrong with the symbolic link from /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc, and/or the copy of .xinitrc in your $HOME

If you boot from init level 3, and use startx in tty1 to start the xserver, you can check error messages by hitting CTRL+ALT+F1.

This could happen because the script is not executable.
Try to chmod +x NVIDIA..... first and then try to run it

Yes, i do get the output of /var/log/Xorg.0.log when pressing those keys. At the bottom, i get these 4 lines (i will post only the part that changes for all once i put what is repeated):
Could not init font path element /usr/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/lib/X11/fonts/OTF, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/, removing from list!

Could these lines be the source of my problem? I will dig into the xinitrc that you mentioned, although i'm not pretty sure what i am looking for.

Thanks in advance for the help dudes, so much!!!

Also, i have managed to get samba working in the machine that's not working, so i could post up the contents of that file that you had me look into. Here's the contents of /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc:

Anyhow, i think i'll just download slack 12 and reinstall the thing. Apparently we've run out of options here.

Thanks for the help dudes, learned a lot during the extensive reading process.