GF4 Ti 4200 does not work with SuSE 8.0

[Andre]

Hello,

OS is SuSE 8.0:

I have a problem with my card,
a GF4 (4200 Ti) , 128 MB .

The computer is brand new and so is my
Linux installation.
I installed Nvidia's RPMs for SuSE 8.0
kernel and glx)from the command line,
X-server not running.

No complaints during installation with "rpm -ivh xxx" (all according to Nvidia's installation instruction).

I used the X-Config program "sax2" to configure the display. I set it to 1024-768, 16,7 million
colors, 85 Hz V-sync. I chose the correct Nvidia
graphic card and activated the glx-option in
the 3D-properties. I did not play with any
expert-options in sax2.
The monitor can handle the resolution and frequencies. I also have Window-XP running on the
same disk and there everything works fine.

When I then try to test the X-server the monitor
becomes black and stays like that.
The system freezes.
The same when I just save the X-configuration
and start the X-server by runlevel 5 i.e.
The only choice I then have is to power off.

When I press CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE the system
powers off immediately.
When I use the card setting "VESA, 1024x768, 85 Hz" all is OK and at least I can use a GUI.

I don't know what is wrong.
I trusted in sax2 and did not try to find an
error in the X-configuration file.
Maybe I should, but what should I search for?

[bwkaz]

Is there anything relevant in /var/log/XFree86.0.log after one of these system freezes? That log file gets overwritten every time you start up X, though, so I'd say try to boot to runlevel 3 (text-mode login), and just startx from there. If it doesn't work, boot to runlevel 3 again, copy the log file to somewhere useful, make the changes you need to make to get a working system, and post the copy of the log file.

There may not even be anything useful in it, but it's possible.

[Andre]

Hi, bwkaz,

Thanks for the tip, I will try and let you know.
So far, booting to runlevel 3 and doing a "startx"
crashes the systems.
Default window manager is kde.
I will check out what's happening with "startx twm".

[bwkaz]

I think I remember someone saying recently that sax2 does in fact cause problems... might be worth looking into, anyway. Or post the XF86Config(-4 if it exists) file and someone can take a look at it.

[Andre]

Hello bwkaz,

My problem still persists!

I promised to get back to you.
So, here is what I found out:

First of all I had the wrong driver at Mid-December 2002.
I learned that from this forum about two weeks after my initial post.
Then I removed the two old nvidia RPMs
(1.0-3123) and installed the two 1.0-4191 RPMs.
Those support 8x AGP cards which I do have.

After studying the driver's manual I set the
following options:

1.)
in /etc/X11/XF86Config:
...
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AllowMouseOpenFail"
Option "NvAgp" "1" <---- this line
EndSection
...

2.)
in /etc/modules.conf:
...
################################################## ######################
# AGP
################################################## ######################

# Andre, 22122002
#pre-install mga /sbin/modprobe "-k" "agpgart"
#pre-install r128 /sbin/modprobe "-k" "agpgart"
#pre-install radeon /sbin/modprobe "-k" "agpgart"
#options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1
options nvidia NVreg_ReqAGPRate=8 <--- this line

--- end of modifications

Anyway, when I start X from runlevel 3 I can see
that the X-server is trying to start up but one
second later the monitor becomes black again.
Nothing else is happening, it stays black until
I press <CTRL><ALT><DELETE> on the keyboard
and let the PC shut down.

The X-server log file /var/log/XFree86.0.log
does not complain, all seems to be well:
...
[31] 0 0x000003b0 - 0x000003bb (0xc) IS[B](OprU)
[32] 0 0x000003c0 - 0x000003df (0x20) IS[B](OprU)

(II) NVIDIA(0): AGP 8X successfully initialized
(II) NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "1024x768"
-- end of /var/log/XFree86.0.log --

So, what is wrong?
Do you have any idea?

I will post four files:
1.) /etc/X11/XF86Config
2.) /etc/modules.conf
3.) $HOME/.X.err
4.) /var/log/XFree86.0.log

[bwkaz]

Hmm... I have no good ideas. :(

Does setting ReqAGPRate to 4 help maybe? Run depmod -a and reboot (or just make SURE the module is unloaded before you try starting X again) after you change modules.conf, of course.

Which AGP chipset is this?

[Andre]

I check out whether "options nvidia NVreg_ReqAGPRate=4" makes any difference.

The chipset is "SiS 648 NorthBridge and 963 SouthBridge".

Thanks for replying.

[ribelles]

Originally posted by Andre
I check out whether "options nvidia NVreg_ReqAGPRate=4" makes any difference.

The chipset is "SiS 648 NorthBridge and 963 SouthBridge".

Thanks for replying.

I installed Nvidia's RPMs (4191) for SuSE 8.1 and I get a black screen too. My computer has a Quadro 2 pro. The end of the log file /var/log/XFree86.log:

(II) NVIDIA(0): AGP 4X successfully initialized
(II) NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "1600x1200"

However, I previously had installed SuSE 7.3 with the same driver (nvidia-4191) and it works fine. I got the black screen after updating to SuSE 8.1. I don't know how to solve it.

[michael]

Hello,

your describing exactly the same problem that I have too.

My config :

ASUS Athlon Dual Board 2*MP
TI4200
SUSE 8.1 with 2.4.19.SUSE compiled for ATHLON SMP

I have tried the RPM's and the SRPM's. When switching from the

"nv" driver to "nvidia" the screen turns black and you'll have to reboot the machine with ctrl-alt-del.

Since mid december I am struggling with that. Today I will try it with a new monitor that has better frequency range.

Of yource if that is the reason I will post it.

Michael

[Andre]

Especially to "ribelles" and "michael".

Someone assumes that my X server hangs when
trying to set the modes.
He wants me to deactivate AGP by
setting: Option "NvAgp" "0"
in /etc/X11/XF86Config .

I have not tried that, yet, so I can't tell
whether this helps or not.

[michael]

Kevin L. Dupree sended me his config that looks like this (basically). I'll give it a try this afternoon

Section "Device"
Identifier "Custom Video Card"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "NvAGP" "3"
Option "NoLogo" "true"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

....

Maybe we could stick on this thread until the $&&%/ Problem is solved. I think a lot of people do have problems with suse 8.x and TI4200 and the new driver.

Greetings

Michael

[ribelles]

Warsage said:

"Alright guys, I solved the problem, thanks mostly to the forums here. It seems that "Assign IRQ to PCI VGA" must be enabled and "PnP OS" must be disabled in order for the drivers to work. These settings can be found in the system BIOS."

Could someone do it?

[Andre]

Well,
in my case I think nothing is wrong in the
BIOS as the graphic card works with WindowsXP.
------------

Here is some news on "NvAGP = 0":

"NvAGP = 0" did not work with my card.
Still the same black monitor.

I found something very interesting at the
software database at SuSE, though.
(sdb.suse.de, sdb.suse.com ?)
There you can find articles on similar problems.

For instance, PCs with Pentium4 CPUs might have
the wrong Linux kernel installed.

Look for "Versions" --> "8.0".

The Nvidia driver might have problems with the
wrong Linux kernel if it is a "SMP" (support multi
processor) kernel. I think in my case I do have
a wrong kernel and I will install one for single
processor machines.

Should you have a Pentium4 (and only one, not more) and SuSE 8.0 then pay attention to your VT login screen. Do you see something about "2.4.18-64GB-SMP"?

This would indicate that you have a kernel for
multi processor support.
Also you can issue the command "procinfo".
That will tell you details about your kernel.

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by Andre
Well, in my case I think nothing is wrong in the BIOS as the graphic card works with WindowsXP. No, XP might work even with PnP OS set to yes and/or Assign IRQ set to no. The philosophy of Linux is, don't duplicate work that is better done somewhere else (in the BIOS), which is what those two settings control. PnP OS set to no means that the BIOS will initialize all devices (which works much better). If it's set to yes, the OS will initialize some devices -- however, Linux won't. The kernel people have seen the lack of good documentation for the PnP spec, and the fact that the vast majority of BIOSes can initialize devices just fine with no help, and said "it's pointless to duplicate that functionality". Windows, on the other hand, duplicates it anyway.

Assign IRQ works much the same way. With it set to yes, the BIOS will give your graphics card an IRQ, which the OS will use. With it set to no, the OS should assign an IRQ if it's needed (and it almost always is...), but again, Linux developers thought "why? when the BIOS does a better job anyway?" and didn't code that functionality duplication in. Microsoft did.

In short, yes, these settings could be "wrong" in your BIOS, but XP would still work.

[junkieclown]

Duplicating the functionality is stupid. Unless, of course the BIOS lacks that function....
In which case, what the Linux kernel people have done is stupid.

[michael]

:-( this bios stuff does not help. the card is correctly setup with irq 11.

last line in X*log is something like :

*NVIDIA* : setting resolution to 1280
*NVIDIA* : agp 4x successfully initialized

and then black screen

Michael

[junkieclown]

michael- forgive a stupid question ...
are you sure that your monitor can set a 1280x1024 screen?
Lot's of 17" monitors cannot go above 1024x768 --a very standard resolution.

[michael]

:-) Thats what I thought initialy. But right know Its running 1600x1200 85 Hz. with "nv"

thx

Michael

[Andre]

Now it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I checked my PC's BIOS.
I did not find anything to assign an IRQ to
PCI VGA nor to disable PnP OS.

So I checked the Linux kernel and indeed it was
one of the 2.4.18-64GB-SMP ones.
I then tried to change it.

This helped in the long run.
In between I could not boot from the boot
floppy nor from the rescue floppy.
(At present I have to start my system from
a floppy due to WindowsXP and other reasons).

This is what needs to be done as root with SuSE
8.0 systems and a single Pentium4 CPU which
accidentally run a "2.4.18-64GB-SMP" kernel:

1.)
Boot to runlevel 1 or 3.
Start YAST and choose "Software installation".

2.)
Choose the software group "System/kernel" and
mark the kernel "k_deflt" for installation
(character "X" on the left of that line).

Then mark the kernel "k_smp" for deinstallation
(character "d" on the left).

Have YAST apply your changes.
If Linux is your only OS on that PC then reboot
to runlevel 1 or 3.

If you have another OS and LILO on a floppy
or boot floppies then renew those floppies
and put the new k_deflt kernel on them
BEFORE you reboot your machine.
Do the renewal with YAST or run "lilo" by command line.


4.)
It is not neccessary to install the Nvidia drivers
again!

Start "sax2" after you booted with the new Linux
kernel to configure X.
"sax2" worked really fine.

I had it load my existing /etc/X11/XF86Config
and only changed the 3D options.
There I ticked "glx".

The important lines with an "AGP 8x" card are:

In /etc/X11/XF86Config:
...
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AllowMouseOpenFail"
Option "NvAgp" "1" <---- this line
EndSection
...

and in /etc/modules.conf:

...
#pre-install mga /sbin/modprobe "-k" "agpgart"
#pre-install r128 /sbin/modprobe "-k" "agpgart"
#pre-install radeon /sbin/modprobe "-k" "agpgart"
#options agpgart agp_try_unsupported=1
options nvidia NVreg_ReqAGPRate=8 <--- this line
...


X now uses 1024 x 768, 24 bit color, 85 or 86 Hz
vertical refresh.
I have a "Macom S70" monitor, 17 inches.

===============================================
Should anything go wrong with changing Linux
kernels and you can't boot at all then just
start the normal installation process.
That is:
Boot from SuSE 8.0 CD1, choose your installation
language and click "apply".
The installation process continues and detects
that you already have a Linux installation.
There you can choose to "boot your installed Linux". The root filesystem is searched for and
your old Linux is started.
Then you can verify your kernel etc.
===============================================

Hope this report is useful to some people!

Many thanks to all who helped.

By the way:
My sound card is working as well, now.
With the old kernel it just refused to.
I ran YAST to verify the sound card detection
from the very first installation.

To all German people:
My PC is of the MEDION brand, bought at ALDI
in November 2002. One of you might have the same
one or might know somebody with the same PC
who still fights with Linux and this Nvidia
graphic card.

Andre

[michael]

:-) Nice for you. But what about the people with an SMP Box like me

/me <- looser

But anyway ... I am not going to give up. On the list for today is :

a) Removing the BusID in XFree86Config
b) using VideoRam 131072

Regards

Michael

[ribelles]

Hi,

I have compiled the last kernel for suse distribution kernel-source-2.4.19.SuSE-134 and nvidia drives don't work (4191).

I have a SMP box too. Solution proposed by Andre is not good for me.

I have read the problem of the black screen in other posts, for other video cards and other linux distributions. Nobody propose a solution. Probably we will have to wait for a new verion of the drivers.:(

[michael]

Yop ! Thats my opinion too. Can you hear me "nvidia". .... I am willing to debug your software. Pls provide "us" with the possibility to do so. Release the code that it not corvered by any NDA.

Michael

[ribelles]

I have changed my video card. I had a Quadro 2 Pro and now I have an old geforce 2 gts. The problem is the same. I will test a geforce 4 MX 440 in the evening.

[ribelles]

Two diferent smp boxes:

A. Motherboard Tyan Tiger 230, two pentium III, and SuSE 8.1. Nvidia driver 4191 works with a Geforce 4 Mx 440 or a Quadro 2 Pro or a Geforce 4 TI 4200.

B. Dell Precision 530, two pentium Xeon and SuSE 8.1. Nvidia driver 4191 does not work with any of the graphics cards. However, It works sith SuSE 7.3.

Regards.