Xandros, 1.0-4349 and Shuttle PC

[quizical]

I attach full system details and log files in nvidia.txt

The installer tells me the kernel header files are not there. I've RTF README right through, but cannot find out which files I need or where I might find them or copy/install them to.

Last time I tried linux it was RH 5.1 and it's taken me this long to try again!

Any assistance gratefully received - anything to avoid windoze - and please treat me gently.

[quizical]

OK - I re-installed the source files

It still didn't work.

I'm now re-building the whole system as it became so flaky it was irrecoverable.

I hate windoze but .....................

[strstr]

ok guys. i'm running RH 9...
just tried to install the latest drivers and got the same thing as the last driver, "Refresh Rate out of Sync" from the monitor...any ideas on how to fix this? and i cant recompile the 3123 drivers for some reason, i dunno if its somethign with the new POSIX threads that's in RH9..or somethign else..any inputs are appreciated..
i'm using the nv driver for now. i have a GForce4 MX 420 w/ 64 mb.
thanks in advance.

[Andy Mecham]

quizical: you need to make sure whatever kernel-source package that Xandros provides is installed.

strstr: only 1.0-4349 will work with RH9. It's best if you read the "read me if you have a problem" post and start a new thread.

Thanks!

--andy

[quizical]

Originally posted by Andy Mecham
quizical: you need to make sure whatever kernel-source package that Xandros provides is installed.

Andy,

As indicated in my second post (above) I tried installing the file-

xandros-kernel-source-2.4.19_1.0.4-1_all.deb

and

1. the nvidia installer gave me the same messages about header source files not being present; and

2. installing the source file virtually trashed the system.

The question was, I thought, simple: Which files? Where?

ps thanks for working saturdays

[Andy Mecham]

I'm sorry i'm not more help - i'm not familiar with Xandros.

You should be able to point the installer to wherever Xandros installs the kernel sources with the option '--kernel-include-path='. As for installing the kernel source .deb trashing the system - there's nothing I can suggest for that, as i'm not familiar with Xandros. I wouldn't think installing a package could trash a system unless the package (or package mechanism) was corrupted.

--andy

[quizical]

Andy - first off there is what seems to me to be a slight bug in the installer. It may, of course, be my stupidity!

When I used --kernel-include-path=/usr/include/linux/

(which is where I found my kernel.h file) installer didn't find it.

I had to use --kernel-include-path=/usr/include

It then found kernel.h - but not modversions.h

Relevant part of log file follows-

-> No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site;
this means that the installer will need to compile a kernel interface for
your kernel.
-> Using the kernel include path '/usr/include' as specified by the
'--kernel-include-dir' commandline option.
ERROR: The kernel header file '/usr/include/linux/modversions.h' does not
exist. The most likely reason for this is that the kernel header files
in '/usr/include' have not been configured.

I have a modsetver.h - but opying/renaming that didn't work!

Any idea how I can "configure" my header files?

ps Do you get any sleep?

[bwkaz]

You can't use the linux headers in /usr/include, they are broken (as far as the nVidia kernel module is concerned).

The stuff in /usr/include/linux (according to Linus) is supposed to be the headers for whatever kernel was in use when glibc was compiled. The nVidia kernel module, on the other hand, requires the kernel headers that correspond to the kernel that's currently running. These are oftentimes two different kernels.

You need a kernel source that corresponds to your running kernel. It usually installs itself in /usr/src/linux or /usr/src/linux-<version>.

[quizical]

Thanks to everyone, but ... am I glad I have two boxes, broadband and a KVM switch!

Installed source tar file and C+ etc tools from Xandros Networks


~# cd /usr/src
/usr/src# tar xjf xandros-kernel-source-2.4.19.tar.bz2
/usr/src# ln -sf xandros-kernel-source-2.4.19 linux
/usr/src# cd linux
/usr/src/linux# cp /boot/config-2.4.19-x1 .config
/usr/src/linux# make oldconfig
/usr/src/linux# make dep

Finally got the nvidia installer to run OK.

Re-boot OK.

Edited XF86Config-4 VERY carefully.

Xandros would not boot to X - only to prompt requiring me to log in.

Logged in as root, used vi to edit XF86Config-4 back to where it was - and - big sigh of relief - booted to X OK.

Anyone any ideas of where to go from here?

nvidia installer log attached.

[bwkaz]

Xandros would not boot to X So, err, why? What error were you getting? Can you post a log from a failed attempt?

[quizical]

I'd love to post a log but, as I'm not a command line junkie (yet), I have no idea how to save the relevant log file (whatever it is) when presented with a prompt.

Getting into vi and and learning enough to edit the file was enough for one morning!

Once I do that and restore the system I suspect the relevant log file will be over-written.

A poster to Xandros forums has said that not removing

Load "GLcore"

from XF86Config-4 works for him, and another thinks that Xandros loads files from the override directory - does that mean anything to anyone?

[quizical]

I've tried all permutations of amending or not the config file and it makes no discernible difference.

XFree log file is attached.

The only error codes are at the end-

(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
(II) Module vgahw: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
compiled for 4.2.0, module version = 0.1.0
ABI class: XFree86 Video Driver, version 0.5
(**) NVIDIA(0): Depth 16, (--) framebuffer bpp 16
(==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 565
(==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
(==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
(--) NVIDIA(0): Linear framebuffer at 0xE4000000
(--) NVIDIA(0): MMIO registers at 0xEC000000
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module!
(EE) NVIDIA(0): *** Aborting ***
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(II) UnloadModule: "vgahw"
(II) Unloading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

Fatal server error:
no screens found


The screen flashes a login 2 or 3 times, then stabilises to the login.

Once I get this sussed I have to move on to my nforce2 problems .................

[bwkaz]

"failed to initialize..."

Does running an /sbin/modprobe nvidia help this error? You can't modprobe and then reboot, though, because rebooting clears the modules that are loaded out from memory. Do the modprobe (you'll have to do it as root), then exit to your normal user and do a startx.

If that still doesn't help (if you get the same error in the logs), then look in the kernel log for a message from the kernel module why it couldn't initialize. The kernel logs are in /var/log/messages on Mandrake and RH distros, or in the output of dmesg -- this would probably be the easiest way to get at them for you in Xandros.

[quizical]

Many thanks - I think I'm getting there with your and others' help! Booting from the Xandros screen to "Configure (Expert)" - not me! - tried modprobe nvidia

I got a message: loading /path/nvidia.o will taint the kernel: non-GPL license - NVIDIA

and back to the prompt: $exit - and the machine coninued into X without a hitch - 1024/768 at last - and twice as fast (at least)! Lovely!

Doesn't work on re-boot. Machine stalled during usual boot sequence and ended up with a prompt again. Using modprobe from here gave a very different and very long error message - including one mention of a 2.4.18 kernel (?). I definitely have 2.4.19

I think I've attached the right log file for that boot.

Once I went back to the "Configure (Expert)" boot method modprobe worked as before.

Something is not loading the right thing - but what?

[bwkaz]

Edit Xandros' /etc/rc.d/init.d/rc.local file, and right at the top of it (after the initial comment lines), add /sbin/modprobe nvidia.

This file (rc.local) gets executed every boot, so this will load the kernel module on every boot.

You could also edit /etc/modules.conf, if Xandros uses that file. But I don't know if it does or not.

[quizical]

I's love to charge in and try this - but reason prevails.

I do not have an rc.local file anywhere. Xandros is built on Debian packages.

In /etc/ I have rc.boot, rc0.d, rc1.d - rc6.d directories, and a modules.conf file.

In /etc/init.d/ I have rc and rcS files.

The first few lines of each of these files is in the attached text.

As a newbie I'm loath to plunge in .......

[bwkaz]

Heh. Umm... ok, you can probably add it to the end of the rcS script. But make sure the rcS script doesn't exit itself early, otherwise your modprobe won't get executed.