Nvidia driver disappeared?

BaltikaTroika · 11-23-2005, 11:10 PM

I have an onboard Nforce2 chip on my motherboard, used Yast Online Updater to install the nvidia driver, and everything worked beautifully. That was a few days ago. Now, I tried playing a game that uses acceleration, and it tells me that I don't have any 3d acceleration!

I'm trying to think of what I've done in the past day or so. I installed clamav, a couple games (all through Yast), tried (in vain) installing some perl modules via CPAN (in order to get an f-prot gui going), and that's about it. I haven't done any modifying or editing config files of any sort.

I guess it would probably fix my problem to just go into YOU and set up the Nvidia driver again, right? But I'm thinking that it's still on my system and maybe just needs to be switched back on somehow.

Can anybody point me in the right direction for checking what's set up and if it's working? I honestly don't know where to start.

Thanks for any tips - and sorry I don't have any more specific info! I can supply any needed info from my files.

Baltika

Artanicus · 11-23-2005, 11:43 PM

My experiences with the Yast installed nvidia module were about the same.. I installed it but just didnt get 3D acceleration. So, I just marched on to Nvidia's site and installed the official package (which is easy to install) and then all was fine.

If you want to check if you have working 3D hardware acceleration, just use the command

Code:

glxinfo

If it shows you your card info, and something that sounds good, then youre allright. If its all about software rendering, then its not right. Ill post the top half of mine for an example, the output is pretty long.

Quote:

name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: No
server glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
server glx version string: 1.3
server glx extensions:
GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig,
GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGI_swap_control,
GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_NV_float_buffer
client glx vendor string: SGI
client glx version string: 1.4
client glx extensions:
GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_allocate_memory,
GLX_MESA_swap_control, GLX_MESA_swap_frame_usage, GLX_OML_swap_method,
GLX_OML_sync_control, GLX_SGI_make_current_read, GLX_SGI_swap_control,
GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGIS_multisample, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig,
GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group
GLX extensions:
GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_SGI_make_current_read,
GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig,
GLX_SGIX_pbuffer
OpenGL vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL renderer string: GeForce FX 5200/AGP/SSE/3DNOW!
OpenGL version string: 1.2 (2.0.0 NVIDIA 76.67)
.
.
.

broch · 11-24-2005, 11:55 AM

Quote:

direct rendering: No

= no 3D acceleration

BaltikaTroika · 11-24-2005, 12:12 PM

Here's what somebody pointed me towards that worked for me:

- ALT-CTRL-F1
- login as root
- change to 'init 3'
- 'cd' to /usr/share/doc/nvidia
- type 'ls', find the nvidia file (probably the only one in the list)
- 'sh nameoffile -q'
- 'sax2 -m 0=nvidia'
- then 'init 5' if it doesn't do it for you

I typed a lot of that from memory, so it might not be 100%.

Anyway, the nvidia screen returned, just like before I started installing stuff (and messed up something in the process!), and now all of my games work like they used to.

Baltika

mac57 · 11-24-2005, 07:54 PM

Did you do any YOU (YaST Online Update)? My experience is that everytime you do a YOU, and a kernel patch is included, SuSE defaults back to the stock "nv" driver, and you have to re-install the accelerated nvidia driver. Annoying, but since the nvidia driver MUST be compiled against the running kernel in order to function properly, it is a sensible, if not always needed, precaution.

BaltikaTroika · 11-24-2005, 08:50 PM

Yes, I did update my system with YOU.

Now I know to expect it, it won't be so confusing.

And your explanation makes a lot of sense. I hope this thread helps somebody else out in the future.

Thanks,
Baltika

Artanicus · 11-25-2005, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by broch
= no 3D acceleration

Actually no, the nvidia README is pretty strict in saying to disable DRI..

sstyl · 11-25-2005, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BaltikaTroika
I have an onboard Nforce2 chip on my motherboard, used Yast Online Updater to install the nvidia driver, and everything worked beautifully. That was a few days ago. Now, I tried playing a game that uses acceleration, and it tells me that I don't have any 3d acceleration!

I'm trying to think of what I've done in the past day or so. I installed clamav, a couple games (all through Yast), tried (in vain) installing some perl modules via CPAN (in order to get an f-prot gui going), and that's about it. I haven't done any modifying or editing config files of any sort.

I guess it would probably fix my problem to just go into YOU and set up the Nvidia driver again, right? But I'm thinking that it's still on my system and maybe just needs to be switched back on somehow.

Can anybody point me in the right direction for checking what's set up and if it's working? I honestly don't know where to start.

Thanks for any tips - and sorry I don't have any more specific info! I can supply any needed info from my files.

Baltika

I think that you must enable 3D check-box in sax2