Ok, due to the silent treatment I've revceived over the <expunged> GeForce4 card, I've went ahead and swapped in my MCPC's mobo, memory, vidcard and CPU into my other Linux box. The MCPC will get a M4N78 Pro and a GeForce GT520 once those are available locally, but until then it's an empty case with parts strewn around.
Now, this box has a vidcard that is a Biostar branded GeForce 210 (GT218), and this card does not play nice with Windows 7 since after Driver 197.45- hence all this while it's been running on 197.45 drivers. It also has an identity crisis- it's BIOS lists it as a GeForce G210 even though it is in fact a GeForce 210. What is confusing me even more is that certain websites claim that GeForce210 = GeForce G210.
For the sake of my sanity, I've decided to go back to Debian Sid. As predicted, it ships with XOrg 1.10.1.
Driver doesn't work either -.-
XOrg dump (filtered to show only NVidia-related errors):
Code:
[ 129.131] X.Org X Server 1.10.1
Release Date: 2011-04-15
[ 129.138] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[ 129.141] Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 x86_64 Debian
[ 129.143] Current Operating System: Linux clementine 2.6.38-2-amd64 #1 SMP Sun May 8 13:51:57 UTC 2011 x86_64
[ 129.148] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-2-amd64 root=UUID=7fb395d3-0ffe-4a51-b714-48274e508616 ro quiet
[ 129.154] Build Date: 28 April 2011 12:13:00PM
[ 129.156] xorg-server 2:1.10.1-2 (Julien Cristau <jcristau@debian.org>)
[ 129.159] Current version of pixman: 0.21.8
[ 129.162] Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
[ 129.168] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
...
[ 129.207] (II) NVIDIA GLX Module 270.41.06 Mon Apr 18 15:10:15 PDT 2011
[ 129.207] (II) Loading extension GLX
[ 129.207] (II) LoadModule: "record"
[ 129.207] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/librecord.so
[ 129.207] (II) Module record: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 129.207] compiled for 1.10.1, module version = 1.13.0
[ 129.207] Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[ 129.207] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[ 129.207] (II) Loading extension RECORD
[ 129.207] (II) LoadModule: "dri"
[ 129.207] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdri.so
[ 129.208] (II) Module dri: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 129.208] compiled for 1.10.1, module version = 1.0.0
[ 129.208] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[ 129.208] (II) Loading extension XFree86-DRI
[ 129.208] (II) LoadModule: "dri2"
[ 129.208] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdri2.so
[ 129.208] (II) Module dri2: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 129.208] compiled for 1.10.1, module version = 1.2.0
[ 129.208] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[ 129.208] (II) Loading extension DRI2
[ 129.208] (II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
[ 129.208] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so
[ 129.209] (II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[ 129.209] compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[ 129.209] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 129.209] (II) NVIDIA dlloader X Driver 270.41.06 Mon Apr 18 14:55:25 PDT 2011
[ 129.209] (II) NVIDIA Unified Driver for all Supported NVIDIA GPUs
[ 129.209] (--) using VT number 7
...
[ 129.214] (**) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
[ 129.214] (==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888
[ 129.214] (==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[ 129.214] (==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
[ 129.325] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA GPU at PCI:4:0:0. Please
[ 129.325] (EE) NVIDIA(0): check your system's kernel log for additional error
[ 129.325] (EE) NVIDIA(0): messages and refer to Chapter 8: Common Problems in the
[ 129.325] (EE) NVIDIA(0): README for additional information.
[ 129.325] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device!
...
[ 129.325] (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
[ 129.326]
Fatal server error:
[ 129.326] no screens found
[ 129.326]
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
[ 129.326] Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[ 129.326]
This is the error that appeared in the kernel dmesg (filtered to show only NVIDIA-related errors), starting from when the NVIDIA driver is loaded:
Code:
[ 7.584662] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
...
[ 9.727486] nvidia 0000:04:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[APC8] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 9.727495] nvidia 0000:04:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 9.727501] vgaarb: device changed decodes: PCI:0000:04:00.0,olddecodes=io+mem,decodes=none:owns=io+mem
[ 9.727940] NVRM: loading NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 270.41.06 Mon Apr 18 14:53:56 PDT 2011
...
[ 33.851322] NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x26:0x28:1050)
[ 33.851345] NVRM: rm_init_adapter(0) failed
[ 129.325643] NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x26:0x28:1050)
[ 129.325654] NVRM: rm_init_adapter(0) failed
...
This is the card's entry when I do a lspci -v
Code:
04:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT218 [GeForce 210] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
Memory at fb000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Memory at ee000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
I/O ports at 9c00 [size=128]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at e0000000 [disabled] [size=512K]
Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
Capabilities: [b4] Vendor Specific Information: Len=14 <?>
Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
Capabilities: [128] Power Budgeting <?>
Capabilities: [600] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=024 <?>
Kernel driver in use: nvidia
For the records, this is the BIOS info shown when the system starts:
Attached are the full log files.
Someone please help!