2.6.0-test4 kernel and nVidia drivers

[unhappy_mage]

Has anyone had any success compiling the video drivers with the 2.6.0-test4 kernel series? I am currently running my machine with rh9 and this kernel, and the drivers don't seem to support the new layout of the 2.6 stuff. Any unofficial/unsupported patches worth looking into?

Thanks in advance.

[zander]

The 2.6.0-test* development kernels are officially unsupported, but third-party patches exist to establish compatibility (http://www.minion.de/nvidia.html).

[unhappy_mage]

i tried those, but the latest nvidia kernel drivers are NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2.run, while the patches are for pkg0.run and thus the patches all fail. did these work with pkg0? my ftp client isn't working right now, but if the pkg0 patches did work, it's worth going out and getting the proxy server working.

[zander]

The actual driver is the same for -pkg0 and -pkg2, the two packages merely differ in the number of prebuilt kernel interface files included. The patches are indifferent towards this, since they operate on the source code for the interface layer rather than object files shipped for specific kernels. What's the exact procedure you followed to apply the patch(es) and what's the exact error message you received?

[unhappy_mage]

What's the exact procedure you followed to apply the patch(es) and what's the exact error message you received?

whoops, my bad. it seems, upon careful re-reading of the README at minion, there's some other things i was missing.

# cd NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2/usr/src/nv/
# make install
make[1]: Entering directory `/root/linux-2.6.0-test4'
make[2]: `arch/i386/kernel/asm-offsets.s' is up to date.
*** Warning: Overriding SUBDIRS on the command line can cause
*** inconsistencies
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST
make[1]: Leaving directory `/root/linux-2.6.0-test4'
depmod: QM_MODULES: Function not implemented

make: *** [module-install] Error 1

this is the problem i get trying to modprobe any module, not just this one. have you run into this anywhere else? i just went out and got a new modutils which didn't fix it, so that's presumably not it. does it have to do with the new 'module unloading' code?

---edit---

i replaced my modprobe again and it works now, but after doing 'make install' and changing my X config, it doesn't see the module, which is in /lib/modules/2.6.0-test4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.ko . Is this the right place?

[unhappy_mage]

got it working!
edited usr/src/nv/Makefile to include:
nvidia.o: all
and then did the nvidia-installer thing. it worked. i would do a victory dance, and in fact i did, but you can't see any of that. feel glad.

[zander]

The module is installed to /lib/modules/2.6.0-test4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.ko by convention, where it should easily be found by depmod/modprobe. Also, there's a modified version of the NVIDIA installer with Linux 2.6 support, which supports the KBUILD Makefile's module target in place of the nvidia.o target in the original NVIDIA Makefile.

[unhappy_mage]

well, it is installed in /lib/modules/2.6.0-test4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.ko, but modprobe doesn't find it. i have to do 'insmod /lib/..../nvidia.ko' for it to work. any ideas on this? also, whenever i rebuild the kernel, the nvidia.ko gets deleted and i have to recopy it.

[zander]

I can't think of a good reason why modprobe wouldn't find it there; did you run depmod? Since this is the default installation location, it's also odd that nvidia.ko isn't installed correctly (i.e. to that location) on your system...

[LordMorgul]

Originally posted by unhappy_mage

this is the problem i get trying to modprobe any module, not just this one. have you run into this anywhere else? i just went out and got a new modutils which didn't fix it, so that's presumably not it. does it have to do with the new 'module unloading' code?

---edit---

i replaced my modprobe again and it works now, but after doing 'make install' and changing my X config, it doesn't see the module, which is in /lib/modules/2.6.0-test4/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.ko . Is this the right place?

For kernel 2.6.0-testx you should be using a changed set of module handling binaries. You need to install module-init-tools-0.9.9 or newer. When installing these you can save the old binaries by moving them, a command integrated in the tarball installation (don't know about rpm options).

Yes, you will have issues loading any module until you've installed these.

The module is installed in the correct location, but you need to make sure you've recompiled and relocated the nvidia.ko each time you change your kernel and recompile to be certain you didn't change anything related.

I'm working on getting this going myself, so I also am in the midst of the struggle, I have issues with the disk drivers at present.

[zander]

I'm sure he's using the module-init-tools, he wouldn't be able to load modules at all on Linux 2.6.0-test* kernels if he wasn't. The transition from the old modutils should be relatively painless, however, depmod/modprobe should be able to find installed kernel modules without additional magic. The translation of modules.conf to the new modprobe.conf can be a little tricky for certain constructs, but the conversion script shipped with the module-init-tools should work fine for the entry pertainting to the NVIDIA module; either way, difficulties with modprobe.conf shouldn't affect explicit loading of the nvidia.ko kernel module with modprobe.

[unhappy_mage]

i am using the new modutils, however, i do not have a modprobe.conf entry. i'm probably going to a cheap-o (tm) video card soon, as the gf2 doesn't seem to like me, and i don't particularly like the separate kernel module.

also, i'm giving up on redhat, i'm trying to go even more pure than gentoo. i'm gonna get all the packages myself and compile them. i know gentoo would be a lot easier, but oh well. i haven't got anything better to do. well, homework, but...

also, if you see me in a few years with a sign that says "ATI is my god" or something, shoot me.