nvidia-173.14.25 fails to install on 2.6.33.4 kernel | X.Org X Server 1.7.7

[Jamesc359]

I'm having a bit of trouble installing nvidia 173.14.25 after I updated my distro. I've installed the matching kernel sources and ran the installer the same as I did under my previous kernel. Yet this time I get an error. I believe the installer is detecting the location of my kernel sources (/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/), so I'm at a bit of a loss. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

~James


Kernel: 2.6.33.4
XServer: X.Org X Server 1.7.7
Video Card: GeForce FX5200
Installer: NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.25-pkg1.run

nvidia-installer log file '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log'
creation time: Fri May 28 16:26:50 2010
installer version: 1.0.7

option status:
  license pre-accepted    : false
  update                  : false
  force update            : false
  expert                  : false
  uninstall               : false
  driver info             : false
  precompiled interfaces  : true
  no ncurses color        : false
  query latest version    : false
  OpenGL header files     : true
  no questions            : false
  silent                  : false
  no recursion            : false
  no backup               : false
  kernel module only      : false
  sanity                  : false
  add this kernel         : false
  no runlevel check       : false
  no network              : false
  no ABI note             : false
  no RPMs                 : false
  no kernel module        : false
  force SELinux           : default
  no X server check       : false
  no cc version check     : false
  force tls               : (not specified)
  X install prefix        : (not specified)
  X library install path  : (not specified)
  X module install path   : (not specified)
  OpenGL install prefix   : (not specified)
  OpenGL install libdir   : (not specified)
  utility install prefix  : (not specified)
  utility install libdir  : (not specified)
  doc install prefix      : (not specified)
  kernel name             : (not specified)
  kernel include path     : (not specified)
  kernel source path      : (not specified)
  kernel output path      : (not specified)
  kernel install path     : (not specified)
  proc mount point        : /proc
  ui                      : (not specified)
  tmpdir                  : /tmp
  ftp mirror              : ftp://download.nvidia.com
  RPM file list           : (not specified)

Using: nvidia-installer ncurses user interface
-> License accepted.
-> Installing NVIDIA driver version 173.14.25.
-> Performing CC sanity check with CC="cc".
-> Performing CC version check with CC="cc".
-> Kernel source path: '/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build'
-> Kernel output path: '/lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build'
ERROR: If you are using a Linux 2.4 kernel, please make sure
       you either have configured kernel sources matching your
       kernel or the correct set of kernel headers installed
       on your system.
       
       If you are using a Linux 2.6 kernel, please make sure
       you have configured kernel sources matching your kernel
       installed on your system. If you specified a separate
       output directory using either the "KBUILD_OUTPUT" or
       the "O" KBUILD parameter, make sure to specify this
       directory with the SYSOUT environment variable or with
       the equivalent nvidia-installer command line option.
       
       Depending on where and how the kernel sources (or the
       kernel headers) were installed, you may need to specify
       their location with the SYSSRC environment variable or
       the equivalent nvidia-installer command line option.
ERROR: Installation has failed.  Please see the file
       '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details.  You may find suggestions
       on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux
       driver download page at www.nvidia.com.

[danix]

Do you actually have anything at /lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build?

That's where kernel *headers* are usually installed, which are sufficient to build the module, but they might be absent. I suspect the installer is trying this location for the running kernel's headers because it's not aware of the kernel sources existing anywhere else.

Did you build the kernel yourself, or did you install a new kernel through your distribution's package manager? Some distributions will install a tarball of the kernel sources to /usr/src when you install a kernel-source package. It's possible that you installed the kernel-source package, and simply have an unextracted tarball sitting around, which obviously the installer can't use. If this is the case, extract the tarball into /usr/src. You can also see if your distribution has a kernel-headers or kernel-devel package.

If you built the kernel yourself, and the sources are located somewhere unusual, then pass the actual path of the kernel sources to the installer using the "--kernel-source-path" option.

[Jamesc359]

Hello danix, :-)

Originally Posted by danix

Do you actually have anything at /lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build?

Yes there is. /lib/modules/2.6.33.4/build is a link to /usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4 Which seems to contain (part of?) the header files.

Originally Posted by danix

That's where kernel *headers* are usually installed, which are sufficient to build the module, but they might be absent. I suspect the installer is trying this location for the running kernel's headers because it's not aware of the kernel sources existing anywhere else.

Did you build the kernel yourself, or did you install a new kernel through your distribution's package manager? Some distributions will install a tarball of the kernel sources to /usr/src when you install a kernel-source package. It's possible that you installed the kernel-source package, and simply have an unextracted tarball sitting around, which obviously the installer can't use. If this is the case, extract the tarball into /usr/src. You can also see if your distribution has a kernel-headers or kernel-devel package.

I used my distro's package manager to install the kernel headers. I don't see any tarballs lying around. /usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4 seems to contain the headers.

Originally Posted by danix

If you built the kernel yourself, and the sources are located somewhere unusual, then pass the actual path of the kernel sources to the installer using the "--kernel-source-path" option.

I've tried using both --kernel-source-path=/lib/modules/2.6.33.4 and --kernel-source-path=/usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4 Both result in the same error message and log.

[Jamesc359]

Yay! I just got it to work. I needed to install the kernel source as well. Thank you very much for your time and assistance danix. :-)