Installing as non-root

[richip]

Is it possible (and if so, how) to build a kernel module as a regular, non-root user when the drivers aren't installed system-wide? Is it possible to somehow install the drivers in some user-local subdirectory and build the kernel modules against those drivers?

I'm trying to modify the atrpms spec file for their nvidia-graphicsXXXX packages so that packages can be built as regular users. Currently, to build the kernel module, the spec requires that the drivers must first be installed (a requirement of nvidia-installer -K, actually), and building the driver (userland) packages requires write access to /var/lib/nvidia/.

Ideally, both packages should be buildable as a regular user. There's nothing, technically, that requires root privileges, but the scripts don't SEEM to support being able to do so. I say "seem" because I might just be missing it (and ergo the reason for this post).

[richip]

Not sure if this is a bug, but it seems while trying to install the nvidia drivers (only) and even with all the paths redirected, the nvidia-installer program still tries or requires write access to /var/lib/nvidia/