Not at all happy....

[JeffShultz]

I bought a Gigabyte 7NXXP mobo for my new system because the hardware sites I'd been to liked it and really liked the nForce 2 400 chipset it used.
Mistake #1...

Silly me, I figured with mature tech like AGP I was pretty safe from oddities in chipset expressions. Mistake #2...

I did get an ATI Radeon 9600 Pro because I remembered what it was like trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to install my GeForce 2 MX under Linux and for some reason I thought ATI support was better. Maybe this was a bad idea... but the board did appear to be faster than the 4600 at around the same price point. I'm not ready to count this a mistake yet... the "new" build_mod in the "How to get your ATI RADEON running..." thread doesn't appear to work with the latest fglrx drivers - it' blows up two out of two hunks.

The point of this is... I'm ticked. I'm running Mandrake 9.1 with the updated 2.4.21-25 kernel.

I've installed the current nforce drivers - a couple of times. I'm annoyed at the GART thing, because I dislike building my own kernel (there's 80,000 choices, and I'll get most of them wrong...) How about updating this patch to work with .21 and maybe a couple of other kernel versions?

And when I put the nvaudio line in my modules.conf and reboot... it's amazing... nvaudio isn't even found.

And, I suspect because of the GART thing, agpgart.o.gz is reporting "device not found" everytime I try it - so I've got a wonderfully unaccellerated non-3D video card.

Maybe a Via KT400 next time instead....

[SuLinUX]

ATI is very poor indeed in Linux i'm afraid, and from what i've seen so is the nForce.

VIA and Nvidia GFX is the way on Linux.

[JeffShultz]

Originally posted by SuLinUX
ATI is very poor indeed in Linux i'm afraid, and from what i've seen so is the nForce.

VIA and Nvidia GFX is the way on Linux.

To bad there is no way my wife will let me go out and buy some new hardware... even if it meant upgrading her Win2k box with my rejects!

[blueworm]

For agpgart support you must either patch 2.4.21 or use 2.4.22 the other option is to use 2.6.0test7.
Compilling kernels is daunting at first but very rewarding once you get the hang of it.

[TheOneKEA]

Originally posted by SuLinUX
ATI is very poor indeed in Linux i'm afraid, and from what i've seen so is the nForce.

VIA and Nvidia GFX is the way on Linux.

nForce[2] driver support is indeed poor. However, ATi has had an epiphany and is now releasing new Catalyst-branded Linux drivers for every card from the Radeon 8500 to the Radeon 9800XT. Just go to the web site, go to the Software and Drivers section, select Linux, select Graphic Driver, select Radeon 9600 Series and click Go.

Download an RPM for your X server version, install it and follow the installation instructions.

[blueworm]

Nforce2 is fully supported by linux. Except sound card which has no APU driver. Everything else works perfectly.

[JeffShultz]

Originally posted by TheOneKEA
nForce[2] driver support is indeed poor. However, ATi has had an epiphany and is now releasing new Catalyst-branded Linux drivers for every card from the Radeon 8500 to the Radeon 9800XT. Just go to the web site, go to the Software and Drivers section, select Linux, select Graphic Driver, select Radeon 9600 Series and click Go.

Download an RPM for your X server version, install it and follow the installation instructions.

I've got those drivers. I've also got some very weird errors (that occurred under Mdk 9.1 and 9.2RC1).

Linux agpgart interface v0.99 (c) Jeff Hartmann
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 439M
agpgart: unsupported bridge
agpgart: no supported devices found.

Basically Linux isn't finding my AGP slot. I assume there is a reason that there is some sort of GART patch in the nForce drivers.

[JeffShultz]

Originally posted by blueworm
For agpgart support you must either patch 2.4.21 or use 2.4.22 the other option is to use 2.6.0test7.
Compilling kernels is daunting at first but very rewarding once you get the hang of it.

Are you saying that 2.4.22 has nForce AGPGART support built-in already?

[blueworm]

Originally posted by JeffShultz
Are you saying that 2.4.22 has nForce AGPGART support built-in already?
Yes sir...
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32567&sid=0cbf66e9eb18dda0bc9db8410442f893

[TheOneKEA]

Originally posted by JeffShultz
I've got those drivers. I've also got some very weird errors (that occurred under Mdk 9.1 and 9.2RC1).

Linux agpgart interface v0.99 (c) Jeff Hartmann
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 439M
agpgart: unsupported bridge
agpgart: no supported devices found.

Basically Linux isn't finding my AGP slot. I assume there is a reason that there is some sort of GART patch in the nForce drivers.

Does this file exist?

/lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o

If it does, then edit /etc/modules.conf and add the following line:

options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1

Close down any open X applications, then type Ctrl-Alt-F2 to switch to virtual console 2, log in as root, then shut down X with the following command (if you use graphical logins):

# init 3

Once X is shut down, type the following commands into the console:

# /sbin/modprobe -r agpgart
# /sbin/modprobe agpgart

Check your dmesg for lines like this:

Linux agpgart interface v0.100 (c) Dave Jones
agpgart: Detected an Intel i845 Chipset.
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 439M
agpgart: AGP aperture is 64M @ 0xec000000

If you get those lines, the AGP GART driver found your AGP bridge. Restart X by typing:

# init 5 && logout

You may need to edit your XF86Config to use the proper drivers once you get agpgart working.

[JeffShultz]

Originally posted by TheOneKEA
Does this file exist?

/lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o

If it does, then edit /etc/modules.conf and add the following line:

options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1

Close down any open X applications, then type Ctrl-Alt-F2 to switch to virtual console 2, log in as root, then shut down X with the following command (if you use graphical logins):

# init 3

Once X is shut down, type the following commands into the console:

# /sbin/modprobe -r agpgart
# /sbin/modprobe agpgart

Check your dmesg for lines like this:

Linux agpgart interface v0.100 (c) Dave Jones
agpgart: Detected an Intel i845 Chipset.
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 439M
agpgart: AGP aperture is 64M @ 0xec000000

If you get those lines, the AGP GART driver found your AGP bridge. Restart X by typing:

# init 5 && logout

You may need to edit your XF86Config to use the proper drivers once you get agpgart working.


Unfortunately this is what I get:
[root@master jbshultz]# modprobe agpgart
/lib/modules/2.4.21-0.25mdk/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o.gz: init_module: No such device
Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
modprobe: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.21-0.25mdk/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o.gz failed
modprobe: insmod agpgart failed

As can sort of be seen from above, I do have a file agpgart.o.gz in the right place.

When I exit X (I boot up in init3) there are a bunch of errors that indicate that, quite simply, this thing isn't finding the AGP port.

Frustrating.

[JeffShultz]

Originally posted by blueworm
Yes sir...
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32567&sid=0cbf66e9eb18dda0bc9db8410442f893

Blast...once again it's saying to recompile the kernel.

[blueworm]

Compiling the kernel is very daunting at first but it is really quite easy once you have done it a few times.

[TheOneKEA]

Originally posted by JeffShultz
Unfortunately this is what I get:
[root@master jbshultz]# modprobe agpgart
/lib/modules/2.4.21-0.25mdk/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o.gz: init_module: No such device
Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
modprobe: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.21-0.25mdk/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o.gz failed
modprobe: insmod agpgart failed

As can sort of be seen from above, I do have a file agpgart.o.gz in the right place.

When I exit X (I boot up in init3) there are a bunch of errors that indicate that, quite simply, this thing isn't finding the AGP port.

Frustrating.

Can you post the tail end of the output of the command 'dmesg' IMMEDIATELY after attempting to load agpgart?

[JeffShultz]

Originally posted by TheOneKEA
Can you post the tail end of the output of the command 'dmesg' IMMEDIATELY after attempting to load agpgart?

The only thing in dmesg about agpgart is this:
Linux agpgart interface v0.99 (c) Jeff Hartmann
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 439M
agpgart: unsupported bridge
agpgart: no supported devices found.
Linux agpgart interface v0.99 (c) Jeff Hartmann
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 439M
agpgart: unsupported bridge
agpgart: no supported devices found.


It's repeated several times.

Thanks.

[TheOneKEA]

Edit your /etc/modules.conf file as root and add this line:

options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1

Then run /sbin/depmod -a as root and try to load agpgart again. Post the output of dmesg immediately after load as well.

[JeffShultz]

Originally posted by TheOneKEA
Edit your /etc/modules.conf file as root and add this line:

options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1

Then run /sbin/depmod -a as root and try to load agpgart again. Post the output of dmesg immediately after load as well.

probeall scsi_hostadapter ide-scsi
alias eth0 tulip
alias sound-slot-0 i810_audio
probeall usb-interface usb-ohci ehci-hcd
alias ieee1394-controller ohci1394
options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1
~
is what my modules.conf looks like.

Using /lib/modules/2.4.21-0.25mdk/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o.gz
/lib/modules/2.4.21-0.25mdk/kernel/drivers/char/agp/agpgart.o.gz: init_module: No such device
Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg

Is the response from insmod agpgart

and,
UDF-fs DEBUG lowlevel.c:57:udf_get_last_session: XA disk: no, vol_desc_start=0
UDF-fs DEBUG super.c:1426:udf_read_super: Multi-session=0
UDF-fs DEBUG super.c:415:udf_vrs: Starting at sector 16 (2048 byte sectors)
UDF-fs DEBUG super.c:442:udf_vrs: ISO9660 Primary Volume Descriptor found
UDF-fs DEBUG super.c:439:udf_vrs: ISO9660 Boot Record found
UDF-fs DEBUG super.c:445:udf_vrs: ISO9660 Supplementary Volume Descriptor found
UDF-fs DEBUG super.c:451:udf_vrs: ISO9660 Volume Descriptor Set Terminator found
UDF-fs: No VRS found
ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3
ISO 9660 Extensions: RRIP_1991A
Linux agpgart interface v0.99 (c) Jeff Hartmann
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 439M
agpgart: unsupported bridge
agpgart: no supported devices found.

Is the tail end of dmesg immediately afterwords.

Unfortunately... AGP just ain't talking on this mobo.

Jeff

[TheOneKEA]

Urk. All I can suggest now is to parse the MAINTAINERS file in the Linux kernel source and send an e-mail to the agpgart maintainer asking for help. Be sure to include all possible information, like hardware setup, kernel config, log snippets, everything.

[Zenikase]

Sorry to derail the current topic, but you don't need nvaudio anymore. Just get the latest ALSA driver and specify support for 'intel8x0' (which they indicate to use for nForce). Sound should work fine then.