Unofficial nVidia HOWTO [RPM version]

[Rob C.]

I am no expert but with the help of some great people in this forum I was able to get up and running. My one complaint would be the information is spread out and possibly hard for some to find. Hopefully this general method will bring others success.

The first mistake I made was downloading the wrong NVIDIA_kernel package. Luckily nVidia created a script to help you get the proper kernel package. Download this before downloading anything else and save yourself some time.

NVchooser.sh (http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86_40/1.0-2960/NVchooser.sh)

I assume you now have the proper NVIDIA_kernel and NVIDIA_GLX files. Are you upgrading or doing a new install?

rpm -q NVIDIA_kernel

If you are upgrading you must blow out the old... nVidia reports an issue in the script that deletes files that shouldn't be if you use rpm -e so they recommend rpm -Uvh.

Upgrading
rpm -Uvh NVIDIA_kernel.version.rpm
rpm -e NVIDIA_GLX.version.rpm
rpm -ivh NVIDIA_GLX.version.rpm

First Install
rpm -ivh NVIDIA_kernel.version.rpm
rpm -ivh NVIDIA_GLX.version.rpm

Some may argue this step is not needed but it is what worked for me. I mainly did this step because my screen wasn't properly aligned and xvidtune wasn't helping... This should make your config more compatible so I would include this step in your install.

XFree86 -configure

It will spit out a config to /root/XF86Config.new

***NOTE I have a USB keyboard and mouse and it didn't work with this new config so I copied the stuff from my old and added to this new config.
Delete the old configs
rm /etc/X11/XF86Config*
Then move over the new one.
mv /root/XF86Config.new /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
Now to edit your config.
vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
Edit out the following [Module section]
Load "GLcore"# OpenGL support
Load "dri"# Direct rendering infrastructure
Add the following [Module section]
Load "glx"
In the nVidia instructions it instructs you to remove some drivers and add "nvidia" as the driver. If you used the -configure command above it will all be done for you. However you can still edit your Modes and depth.

Here is an example...
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "NVIDIA GeForce 4 (generic)"
Monitor "Envision"
DefaultDepth 16
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Ok now you are done and you can startx..
If you have problems you have a few options.
You can download another script meant to test your setup.
nv_check.sh (http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?s=&postid=6583)
Check your versions
$glxinfo
Test it out
$glxgears
Also you can search the forums... all this information is derived from content in these forums.. :D

Enjoy and Good Luck!

[Rob C.]

Thank you Moderator :D

[Phlanx]

But what if $visitor likes to know how to build the sources? :rolleyes:

[Rob C.]

Well this is geared for people looking to use the RPM(As the title clearly states). You are welcome to draw up a plan for the successfully installing the driver with the source packages.

[Phlanx]

true.
OK, here it comes:

wget http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86_40/1.0-2960/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.tar.gz
tar -zxf NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.tar.gz
cd NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960; make all

wget http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86_40/1.0-2960/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.tar.gz
tar -zxf NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.tar.gz
cd NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960; make all

:rolleyes:

[Thunderbird]

That still isn't enough for compiling from source. Most people don't have the kernel headers installed or they get various other errors. (unresolved symbols, modversions.h ...)

For the use of source packages make sure you install the kernel-headers for your distro. If you get unresolved symbols it means you didn't use the headers designed for your kernel version.
If you get a modeversions.h error the kernel headers likely aren't installed. Look on the cd of your distro (or in case of debian: apt-cache search kernel-headers) for the kernel package you need. If you don't know the kernel version/name find it using "uname -r".
On most rpm based distros the needed kernel package is called (I think): kernel-headers(version).rpm

[Rob C.]

Thunderbird,

Phlanx is just trying to push his method because he dislikes RPM installation which is fine.. what is sad is he was trying to interfere with what I was doing and then he posts sub-standard and very lacking instructions. So it is obvious he was trying to start trouble. If he really wanted to help he would have been more thorough.

[Phlanx]

"So it is obvious he was trying to start trouble."
wut?
Ok I'm leaving this forum




:mad:

[kaarelcool]

Hi!

I'm using Mandrake 8.2 and had some problems,installing my
Geforce4 Ti4200 in.

1) The program called NVchooser.sh doesn't work in my computer.

2) The log file where I can look wich Xf86config file Linux is using(location was written in Nvidia readme) doesn't exist.

3) Can I use the Example file(Xf86configexpample) that comes with Detanators if I just change my monitor specifications? And
do I have to rename it to Xf86config or xf86config-4(the new one)

Anyway I really need some help and answers.

Thanks.

[Thunderbird]

1) To run that nvchooser stuff you need to do: sh NVChooser.sh in a console.

2) The drivers default to (/etc/X11/)XF86Config-4 if that doesn't exist it looks for XF86Config in that dir. (if that doesn't exist it looks in various other places but it is there) If you really want the logfile it is in /var/log it will be called something like xfree86.0.log

3) You can't use the example XF86Config file from the drivers because that one isn't meant for your system. The most important thing that isn't for your system are the monitor settings and some other things. So using it can be dangerous. Just edit your current XF86Config-4 file.

[kaarelcool]

Thank you Thunderbird it was very clear and nice answer!!!

I'm trying again at the moment...

[kaarelcool]

One more question>>> If I change Hertz settings in xfconfig86-4
file then after restart it all works??(better refresh rate)
And if my monitor is 1024*768 100HZ what should be vertical
and horisontal Hz-s.Hope you can understand what I mean...

[Fabio]

Hi,

I have just got a Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100 and I installed Red Hat 7.3. I can install Nvidia driver but I cannot configure correctly my video resolution.

Can anyone help me please ? Can anyone send me a working XF86Config-4 file?

thanks a lot in advance

[The Baron]

Actually, I used Phlanx's instructions (before they existed) with a generic Slack 8.0 install, and they worked fine... going to install 8.1 now, and I'll tell you if they work.

[Elroc]

Nice tutorial, but I still cant get mine to work:

Ive got Geforce4 ti4200 on a clean mandrake 8.2 setup, and ive downloaded the correct kernel and glx packages and installed them, but then i get stuck:

The XFree86 -configure command doesn't seem to exist on my system. I get an error, something like "bash: XFree86 no such command" or something to that effect.

Also i cant find the XFree86 log file anywhere, not in /var/log or anywhere else (did a search, found nothing). Also in my /etc/X11 theres both XFConfig and XFConfig-4 files. No changes i make to the v4 config files seem to have any effect, also my XFConfig file doesnt hava a module section. Can i just squeeze one in there?

Please note, ive not installed any other nvidia driver as of yet, is there something i'm missing, or should have installed already? Ive also followed the nvidia driver setup readme step by step, and to no avail.

Pleeeaaassseee help!

[sas]

ever thought of submitting your tutorial to linuxnewbie.org ?

[yaddab]

Hi:
I am a nooby to linux, and I have a problem:
I have read all the postings in this forum and many others, and I have read and followed the directions of the README file of nVidia. Here is the situation:
I was able to install Redhad Linux 7.3 on my machine (which already has WinME and WinXP...long story!). I have a 1.3 MHz Pentium 4 HP pavilion with 640 megs of RDRAM and have recently installed the nVidia G4 TI 4600, 128 megs. When I installed Linux, the choices I was given for video card included G4 generic, which I chose. I also have a Pavilion mx90 CRT, but the exact monitor was not available as a choice upon installation. Instead, I chose the Pavilion M90 19inch screen.
Upon rebooting, I get the flickering screen that is followed by automatic pausing of X-server for 5 minutes.
Since my bootloader is Grub, I booted to a command line and downloaded the nVidia drivers using lynx (I also used the wget command). I tried all of the steps described here and in the README file. I have tried the rpm versions, the src versions and the tar versions. I have corrected the config file as described in all these documents.

In spite all this I keep running into the same problem.

My guess is that my screen configuration is causing the problem. But I don't know how to manipulate the config file to make it suite my screen. Another possiblity (I could be wrong) is that something is wrong with my XFree86 and perhapse installing linux without x then installing X could help (I really don't know if that is possible). And the last possiblity is that the motherboard somehow has a video component that is just not recognized by linux. I don't know how to find that out. The system works perfectly on the other OSs on my machine.

I would appreciate any help I could get...Thanks.

[sas]

something is wrong with xf86config file at a guess, you need to change the screen section so the monitor is the same as yours or a generic one,

yes you can install linux without x, or (don't know if this works with red hat) you can use recovery mode i think

[utiel]

For Mandrake 8.2 users, you have to download these files ( if you have NO plans of compile your own kernel)

http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86_40/1.0-2960/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.mdk82up.i586.rpm
http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86_40/1.0-2960/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.i386.rpm

The easy way to get Nvidia work is install both files:

rpm -i NV*.rpm

if they are installed, then rpm -U --force NV*.rpm

Then , editing manually /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 ( or XF86Config it -4 not exist )

Search "nv" and change to "nvidia" in section "Device"

Section "Device"
# no known options
Identifier "RIVA TNT2"
Driver "nvidia" # Changed <----------
VendorName "RIVA TNT2"
BoardName "RIVA TNT2"
# These are my own options

Option "IgnoreEDID" "true"
Option "NoLogo" "true"
Option "NvAGP" "1" #AGP internal
EndSection

In section module, Delete or comment "dri" and "GLcore"

Section "Module"
# Load "dri"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod" # Load "fbdevhw"
Load "glx" # Load "record"
Load "freetype"
Load "type1"
EndSection


Now, when you restart your Xserver, Nvidia should work,
try:
/sbin/modprobe NVdriver
before restarting, to avoid problems with not installed Nvidia's rpm's

good luck

[utiel]

Originally posted by yaddab
Hi:
I am a nooby to linux, and I have a problem:
I have read all the postings in this forum and many others, and I have read and followed the directions of the README file of nVidia. Here is the situation:
I was able to install Redhad Linux 7.3 on my machine........

Try this:

boot in "init 3", or when X crash, enter as root and write "init 3" ( to kill your X Server )

If you have installed Nvidia RPMs, uninstall it.

To know if the are installed
~$ rpm -qa | grep NV
NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960
NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960

To erase
rpm -e NVIDIA_GLX NVIDIA_kernel

Now we have a clean system.

Starting from 0:

Run XConfigurator
select you graphic card(generic), monitor, etc.

Now we have an XFree86 config file, like when instaling From CD.

install Nvidia RPM's
http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86_40/1.0-2960/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-2960.i386.rpm
http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86_40/1.0-2960/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-2960.rh73up.i686.rpm


rpm -i NV*.rpm

Now, edit the config file

vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
or this if above doesn't exist
vi /etc/X11/XF86Config

Delete or comment "dri" and "GLcore" lines (if they exist )

Section "Module"
# Load "dri"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"# Load "fbdevhw"
Load "glx"# Load "record"
Load "freetype"
Load "type1"
EndSection


Change "nv" to "nvidia" in Device Section

Section "Device"
# no known options
Identifier "RIVA TNT2"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "RIVA TNT2"
BoardName "RIVA TNT2"

# These are my personal options
Option "IgnoreEDID" "true"
Option "NoLogo" "true"
Option "NvAGP" "1"
EndSection

I think that's ALL, save your config file, try to load Nvidia driver doing

/sbin/insmod NVdriver (or /sbin/modprobe NVdriver ) and start Xserver, with

startx

(You can now if it works)

"NvAGP" Option: In my system, I use Nvidia internal AGP (440BX, intel PII )

1: Nvidia AGP
2: kernel AGP
3: kernel AGP, then Nvidia AGP
0: disable AGP, act as PCI

"IgnoreEDID" option:
My monitor suports 1280x1024, but tells to driver that 1280x968 is max resolution, ignore monitor PnP


I hope that this can help you, and I didnt forget nothing important.

NOTE:
If you compile a new kernel, you need to recompile NVdriver ( and install it too )

[BDKR]

The only thing I need to know is where exactly in the XF86Config-4 file do you put "NvAGP" "1"? I can't keep experimenting becuase it's locking the system up so hard that I'm not shutting the system down correctly. That's hard on the drives.

I'd appreciate it if someone can let me in on it.

Thanx,
BDKR

[BDKR]

Doh!

:confused:

OK, Now that I see, what's curious is that I have TWO device sections.

Strange.

Thanx,
BDKR

[Tanatz]

Utiel:

-----------------------------------------------------------
rpm -i NV*.rpm

if they are installed, then rpm -U --force NV*.rpm

-----------------------------------------------------------


that's where ya lose me. Do I need to log out of my account, into root and get all that into a terminal or can I do that in su terminal from my own account?


Just making sure that "rpm -i NV*.rpm" is short for the entire file name of the kernal and GLX file?

[sas]

its not short for it, if you run that command it'll uninstall any files that start with NV and end with RPM,

[sas]

oh and suing should work fine

are there any differences between your 2 device sections?

Also check your bios, if you have onboard/integrated graphics enabled make sure that you disable them