License issues with nVidia driver 4191, Debian linux, kernel 2.4.20

[nedavis]

I'm trying to build the latest nVidia drivers, 4191, after having upgraded
my kernel to 2.4.20. I'm receiving several unresolved symbol errors and
a message about the GPL License compatibility.

I'd really like to use the new drivers with my nifty cool GeForce 4 card.

How do I/you resolve this license issue, or are you willing to provide .deb installation packages that would get around this? (Without downgrading the kernel, please.)

Thanks!

Nancy Davis

[cdrradar]

Insofar as the license issue goes, there's no way around that - for some reason, nvidia doesn't want to release the source for the driver, they want to keep it a closed binary. IMHO, this is a major mistake on their part - among other reasons, if problems develop with the driver, it doesn't get resolved in a timely fashion.

I downloaded and used the tarballs to install the drivers. I don't know the exact files you get, but you need the kernel driver and the GLX driver. Make sure you get the same version...! Unpack them with 'tar -xzf NVIDIA_kernel.tar.gz' and 'tar -xzf NVIDIA_glx.tar.gz'. cd into the directories made, and type 'make install' for each. That's how it's done in a nutshell. The README file contains each step in much greater detail.

[nedavis]

Yes, I followed the installation instructions for both the
NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191.tar.gz and NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-4191.tar.gz.

I used the SYSINCLUDE=/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.4.20/include
as option on the make for NVIDIA_kernel. Then built NVIDIA_GLX.
This was done while running the 2.4.20 kernel.

Still receive many unresolved symbols and the license error.
The module does not load.

Thanks for any assistance you can offer.

[Andy Mecham]

From the README:

Q: I've rebuilt the NVIDIA_kernel module, but when I try to insert
it, I get a message telling me I have unresolved symbols.

A. Unresolved symbols are most often caused by a mismatch between your
kernel sources and your running kernel. They must match for the
NVIDIA_kernel module to build correctly. Please make sure your kernel
sources are installed and configured to match your running kernel.

--andy

[nedavis]

Yes, I was running the 2.4.20 kernel. I pointed the
SYSINCLUDE to the 2.4.20 header include files. The 2.4.20
kernel source was present and accounted for. During build,
I receive errors that the symbols are unresolved and
that there was a licensing incompatibility problem.

The module does not load - it errors out with unresolved
symbols.

Thanks again for all your assistance.

[Andy Mecham]

You have unresolved symbols because your running kernel does not match the configuration of your kernel sources (ie: if you compiled a kernel from your current kernel sources, it wouldn't be the same as the kernel you're now running). In order to compile the driver, your kernel source tree *must* be configured to match your running kernel. Please make sure that you haven't changed the configuration of your kernel sources, and that they match your running kernel.

The license message appears because the NVIDIA kernel module is not opensource. It is not causing your problem.

--andy

[nedavis]

I built the 2.4.20 kernel. I rebooted into that kernel.
I attempted to build the drivers. It failed. Below is the
entire error message. Your assistance is appreciated.

Nancy



aiza:/usr/src/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191# uname -a
Linux aiza 2.4.20 #2 SMP Fri Jan 3 09:36:27 MST 2003 i686 AMD Athlon(tm) MP 2100+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
aiza:/usr/src/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191# make SYSINCLUDE=/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.4.20/include
ld -r -o nvidia.o nv-linux.o nv-kernel.o
size nvidia.o
__ text____data____ bss____ dec____ hex filename
1248411__ 92824__ 32940 1374175__14f7df nvidia.o
depmod: *** Unresolved symbols in /lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol create_proc_entry_Rsmp_83f569d5
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol proc_root_Rsmp_b4c94c07
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol change_page_attr_Rsmp_9d42b338
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol irq_stat_Rsmp_40a7690d
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __pollwait_Rsmp_ad8b7db3
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol init_mm_Rsmp_543867be
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol remove_proc_entry_Rsmp_0e547d5f
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol proc_root_driver_Rsmp_e558a624
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol mem_map_Rsmp_3578ee61
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol register_chrdev_Rsmp_6e1b6381
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o:
Hint: You are trying to load a module without a GPL compatible license
______and it has unresolved symbols.__Contact the module supplier for
______assistance, only they can help you.
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o failed
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: insmod nvidia failed
make: *** [package-install] Error 255

[Andy Mecham]

Try without the SYSINCLUDE. Your 2.4.20 kernel sources should be in /usr/src/linux, or /usr/src/linux should be a symlink to them.

--andy

[nedavis]

Thanks! The module is now loading (albeit with tainting
errors), but at least it loads.

What I did:

cd /usr/src
ln -s kernel-headers-2.4.20 linux
cd NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191
make clean
make
cd ../NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-4191
make
vi /etc/modules # added line with just nvidia
reboot

All is happy in GeForce-land again. Strange - I thought
the SYSINCLUDE should have taken care of the includes....
It is possible that the "make clean" was the *real*
solution to my problem. (sheepish grin) Need more coffee.

Thanks again!

Nancy

[Wonder]

Tainted is nothing. I'm told it means that the official Linux Kernel people won't even look at fixing problems _you_ may have with 2.4.20 kernel, since (now that you've joined this Nvidia binary to it) they have no idea what source code went into making your kernel. The "tainted" flag will show up in any core dump you would want to send the kernel folks, who, when they see it, will refuse to consider your kernel problem further.

ND from GCS?

pq

[Wrawrat]

I guess the drivers are closed source because of TV-out restrictions (Macrovision) and proprietary technologies that are still waiting for a patent. Maybe that's also to keep the control of modifications.

[FunkyRes]

Originally posted by Wrawrat
I guess the drivers are closed source because of TV-out restrictions (Macrovision) and proprietary technologies that are still waiting for a patent. Maybe that's also to keep the control of modifications.

Yes.
Well- that may not be why the source is close, but its a good excuse.

Of course these laws don't affect the criminal who is already breaking other laws - they only affect the honest people.

but *sigh* - with the legal budget of big industry, what can we do?

[veesquare78]

I am trying to build the latest nVidia driver, 4191, after upgrading my system to 2.4.18-bf2.4 ( and i am using the Debian unstable version). I am receiving unresolved symbols and licensing incompatibility message, juz like Ms. Nancy Davis.

And i tried the same that Nancy had mentioned in the thread but all of them went in vain. Please find below is the error dump and other details.

Kindly help me to fix this problem.

TIA,

V. Varadhan

varadhan:/usr/src/linux# uname -a
Linux varadhan 2.4.18-bf2.4 #1 Son Apr 14 09:53:28 CEST 2002 i686 unknown unknown GNU/Linux

varadhan:/home/cdc/varadhan/misc/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191# make

ld -r -o nvidia.o nv-linux.o nv-kernel.o
size nvidia.o
text data bss dec hex filename
1249055 92824 32940 1374819 14fa63 nvidia.o
depmod: *** Unresolved symbols in /lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol proc_root_driver_Rsmp_a00d1235
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __get_free_pages_Rsmp_4784e424
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol free_irq_Rsmp_f20dabd8
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol strncpy_from_user_Rsmp_24428be5
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol boot_cpu_data_Rsmp_0657d037
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol securebits_Rsmp_abe77484
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_read_config_dword_Rsmp_1372ae4e
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol del_timer_Rsmp_fc62f16d
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol mod_timer_Rsmp_1f13d309
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __global_restore_flags_Rsmp_54dd1dcb
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol iounmap_Rsmp_5fb196d4
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_write_config_dword_Rsmp_af4ae244
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol inter_module_get_request_Rsmp_b69f826b
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __generic_copy_to_user_Rsmp_d523fdd3
_user_Rsmp_d523fdd3
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol mtrr_del_Rsmp_272d394e
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_read_config_byte_Rsmp_3bd38f74
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_read_config_word_Rsmp_013f4ee4
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol unregister_chrdev_Rsmp_c192d491
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __vmalloc_Rsmp_79995c5b
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_find_slot_Rsmp_56ea9be1
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol mem_map_Rsmp_b235553b
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __global_cli_Rsmp_64576b05
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol sprintf_Rsmp_1d26aa98
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol schedule_timeout_Rsmp_17d59d01
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __ioremap_Rsmp_9eac042a
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pm_unregister_Rsmp_eccd1e64
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol remove_proc_entry_Rsmp_9b66ffcb
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __wake_up_Rsmp_127fda83
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol tq_immediate_Rsmp_0da0dcd1
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol kfree_Rsmp_037a0cba
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol printk_Rsmp_1b7d4074
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol inter_module_get_Rsmp_f6a0ce24
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __pollwait_Rsmp_e41fe48b
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol remap_page_range_Rsmp_69d01e73
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __global_save_flags_Rsmp_5d902e96
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_find_class_Rsmp_78d109cb
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol tqueue_lock_Rsmp_b7a0c0b5
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol free_pages_Rsmp_9941ccb8
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol mtrr_add_Rsmp_56179c5f
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol kill_proc_Rsmp_932da67e
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_write_config_byte_Rsmp_c19e8242
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol inter_module_put_Rsmp_6b99f7d8
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol vfree_Rsmp_2fd1d81c
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol kmalloc_Rsmp_93d4cfe6
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __const_udelay_Rsmp_eae3dfd6
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol smp_num_cpus_Rsmp_3b86334d
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __udelay_Rsmp_9e7d6bd0
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __verify_write_Rsmp_203afbeb
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol register_chrdev_Rsmp_2dc39042
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol high_memory_Rsmp_8a7d1c31
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pm_register_Rsmp_8dbab11c
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol vsprintf_Rsmp_13d9cea7
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __generic_copy_from_user_Rsmp_116166aa
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol jiffies_Rsmp_0da02d67
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol request_irq_Rsmp_0c60f2e0
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol bh_task_vec_Rsmp_284177b8
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol init_mm_Rsmp_faf01d9c
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_find_device_Rsmp_8b4d5816
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol proc_root_Rsmp_a9057dc7
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol do_gettimeofday_Rsmp_72270e35
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol pci_write_config_word_Rsmp_c7c3e0a9
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol __tasklet_hi_schedule_Rsmp_60ea5fe7
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol create_proc_entry_Rsmp_a0df226b
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: unresolved symbol irq_stat_Rsmp_e344a67b
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o:
Hint: You are trying to load a module without a GPL compatible license
and it has unresolved symbols. Contact the module supplier for
assistance, only they can help you.

/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o failed
/lib/modules/2.4.18-bf2.4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.o: insmod nvidia failed
make: *** [package-install] Error 255

[nedavis]

You will need to install the .deb package for the bf2.4 kernel
headers first, then make clean and make

apt-get install kernel-headers-2.4.18-bf2.4
cd /usr/src
ln -s kernel-headers-2.4.18-bf2.4 linux
cd /usr/src/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-$vers
make clean
make

Then install the NVIDIA_GLX items as above.

Good luck!

Nancy