Need advice about what to try next

[LUDWIG]

Ok, I'm running RH8 with a kernel 2.4.20 that I compiled and built.

This is my first go at installing Nvidia drivers.
Here's where I've got to:

I've exited X and cd-ed to the directory where NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4349.run is

then I've
#sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4349.run --kerne-name=2.4.20

the installer installed the new drivers sucessfully and asked me to edit XF86Config,which I did (made the driver "nvidia", made sure load "GLX" was there in modules etc etc)
then I went to start X and got this message:


(EE) NVIDIA(0) failed to initialise nvidia kernel module
(EE) Screen(s) found but none have a usable configuration.

Anyway,at this point I had a look through the /var/log/XFree86.0.log file.
There were no EE's or WW's except right at the bottom where I found:

(EE) [GLX] failed to add GLX extention(nvidia XFree86 driver not found)

Do you have any idea what might be casuing these errors?
Any help much appreciated


cheers,
Ludwig

[bwkaz]

Is the "nvidia" module loaded? Check with /sbin/lsmod, and do an /sbin/modprobe nvidia if it isn't. Then try again.

If it still does the same thing when the kernel module is loaded, then look in the kernel logs for the reason why. Usually it's a simple matter of turning PnP OS off in your BIOS, or turning Assign IRQ to VGA on. If you don't have these settings, then either they're named differently in your BIOS, or your BIOS writer is a fascist who is under the impression that any supposedly-major change like that has the capability to render a system non-functional; this is NOT the case. Or perhaps the BIOS writer only wants Windows to work on your machine.

[LUDWIG]

Hi bwkaz

I tried what you suggested and /sbin/lsmod showed no nvidia module loaded.I did : /sbin/modprobe nvidia and got the message that the nvidia module could not be found

What do you think I could try?

cheers,
Ludwig

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by LUDWIG
--kernel-name=2.4.20

Are you actually running kernel 2.4.20? (uname -r) Were you running it when you ran through the installer?

What does find /lib/modules -name nvidia.o tell you?

[LUDWIG]

Hi m8

Yes,I am running 2.4.20.
I never boot to my old 2.4.18-14 kernel .

I did a find /lib/modules -name nvidia.o and got :
lib/modules/20.4.18-14/video/nvidia.o
which to my uneducated eye,suggests that for some reason, the installer has installed it for the 20.4.18-14 kernel.

Would it just be a case of moving the nvidia.o file to my lib/modules/20.4.20/video/ folder,making the changes to the XF86Config file and then restarting x?
Or is that too simpistic?


cheers for your help,
Ludwig

[bwkaz]

No, moving it probably won't work. I suppose you could try it, but the installer really picked the wrong directory, so I doubt that it used the right kernel interface. It may have, though.

Did it install to .../2.4.18-14, or did it install to .../20.4.18-14? If it did the latter, then I think you may have found an issue with the installer and the --kernel-name= option.

Anyway, if copying doesn't work (test it by trying to modprobe the nvidia module), then delete the copy, and rerun the installer. But this time, don't give it the --kernel-name option; it should be just fine without it.

[LUDWIG]

Hi m8

Yes,it installed to .../20.4.18-14.

Anyway, if copying doesn't work (test it by trying to modprobe the nvidia module), then delete the copy, and rerun the installer. But this time, don't give it the --kernel-name option; it should be just fine without it.

The problem is that if I don't use the kernel name thing,it won't install cos the installer picks up kernel headers from an old kernel I made nad tells me that there's a mis match between the kernel i'm currently running (2.4.20) and the headers from the old kernel (2.4.20V2) .Also,I don't know how to get rid of the old kernel headers.

This old kernel build was called 2.4.20V2 and it didn't work right,so I deleted it .Howerver,I made it from the same kernel source as the kernel I'm running now (2.4.20).I made it after the 2.4.20 I'm running now,so the headers from this V2 kernel still remain.

Would it be possible just to re-install the source for 2.4.20? Would that get rid of the unwanted kernel headers?

cheers,
Ludwig

[LUDWIG]

or perhaps i should build another kernel from a new source?
A 2.4.19, say?
Maybe that would fix the confusion

[bwkaz]

Delete /usr/src/linux-2.4.20 (but save the .config file in there first! ), and then reextract it from the 2.4.20 source tarball. Then you can recompile if you want, but it shouldn't be necessary -- just do a make mrproper, then copy the .config file back and run make oldconfig dep.

[LUDWIG]

thanks m8, I'll give it a go .
Cheers,
Ludwig

[LUDWIG]

m8: you will not believe this:

BUT IT WORKED!!!!!!

Yeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot believe it .This has taken me about 2 weeks to do.

Thanks for all your help,bwkaz
I would never have worked it out without your help.


Cheers,
Ludwig