Problems installing Nvidia Driver on Ubuntu 8.10

[quorthon]

Hello

I've tried the following official nvidia-drivers for my geforce GO 7600 graphiccard on my notebook:

NVIDIA-Linux-x86-177.70.33-pkg1
NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.44-pkg1
NVIDIA-Linux-x86-185.13-pkg0

I use ubuntu 8.10, kernel version:

2.6.27-11-generic #1 SMP Thu Jan 29 19:24:39 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

But none of this drivers work, everytime I get the following error:

nvidia-installer.log

nvidia-installer log file '/var/log/nvidia-installer.log'
creation time: Thu Apr  2 10:02:11 2009
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 180.44.
-> There appears to already be a driver installed on your system (version: 180.
   29).  As part of installing this driver (version: 180.44), the existing driv
   er will be uninstalled.  Are you sure you want to continue? ('no' will abort
   installation) (Answer: Yes)
-> No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you li
   ke the installer to attempt to download a kernel interface for your kernel f
   rom the NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nvidia.com)? (Answer: Yes)
-> No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site;
   this means that the installer will need to compile a kernel interface for
   your kernel.
-> Performing CC sanity check with CC="cc".
-> Performing CC version check with CC="cc".
-> Kernel source path: '/lib/modules/2.6.27-11-generic/build'
-> Kernel output path: '/lib/modules/2.6.27-11-generic/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.

What could be the problem?

Thanks for your help.
Peter

[NvFuchs]

Do _not_ install the driver manually on Ubuntu.

Use the packages provided by your distribution. If you have really good reasons to do a manual installation, read

http://nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=72490

for a how to. There are several packages you need to install (developer tools such as the gnu compiler collection, kernel headers ...), and some steps you have to follow precisely, else your graphical user interface will be broken.

Please also keep in mind that after each kernel update (which is part of the updates you do regulary on an ubuntu system) you have to re-install the driver, else your graphical user interface will be broken. (Either no X at all, or failsafe)

And many people, here and in ubuntu forums, simply don't support people who broke the system
by manually installing a driver.

Please consider installing the packages provided by Ubuntu, or with Envy.

Fuchs

[twoborg]

Do you have the kernel headers installed? (linux-headers-generic)

[quorthon]

Originally Posted by twoborg

Do you have the kernel headers installed? (linux-headers-generic)

yes they are installed...

I've tried the following:
- Install the recommend 177 driver with envyng
- Install the driver with System>Administration>Hardware Drivers

With both variants I get the following error at startup:

NVIDIA(0): Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module!

And then I have just the 800x600 resolution.

When I try to install the drivers from nvidia I still get the following error:

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.

I've also tried the steps mentioned here:
http://nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=72490

and here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NvidiaManual

Always the same error...

Here's my xconf.org:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
	Device		"Configured Video Device"
	DefaultDepth	24
EndSection

Section "Module"
	Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Driver	"nvidia"
	Option	"NoLogo"	"True"
EndSection

Is there any other way to solve my problem?

Thanks for your help.
Peter

[hl_]

NvFuchs, if you uninstall the NVidia driver distribution package before installing the NVidia drivers and uninstall the manually installed driver before installing the package again (or doing a distribution upgrade), there shouldn't be any problems.

[NvFuchs]

Originally Posted by hl_

NvFuchs, if you uninstall the NVidia driver distribution package before installing the NVidia drivers and uninstall the manually installed driver before installing the package again (or doing a distribution upgrade), there shouldn't be any problems.

Thanks, I am aware of this, and it is one of the reasons for why I am not recommending a manual installation on Ubuntu. I am a supporter in a Ubuntu Forum (even though I am using Gentoo myself), and I see way too much people facing problems because of manual installations. It is not a big problem to get it to work, but you should either read manuals and be very careful or you should know what you are doing.

Fuchs

[NvFuchs]

Is there any other way to solve my problem?

Thanks for your help.
Peter

Please install the nvidia driver via ubuntu packages, and make sure that no manually installed or envy installed drivers are there. Please also remove the failsafe Xorg config in /etc/X11/ if it is there. Then:

`sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop`

log in on a VT (CTRL+ALT+F1, you should be there anyway after quitting gdm)

`startx -- -logverbose 5`

(which should fail)

`sudo nvidia-bug-report.sh`

then change the /etc/X11/xorg.conf to use vesa or nv, and start up gdm again.

You can then upload the nvidia bug report file, plus the /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old (or similar) to a post here, so we can try to find and solve your problem.

Fuchs

[quorthon]

Originally Posted by NvFuchs

Please install the nvidia driver via ubuntu packages...

Do you mean the one from System>Administration>Hardware Drivers (Version 177)?

Peter

[NvFuchs]

Yes.

Fuchs

[quorthon]

I've ended up in reinstalling ubuntu...now I'm using the recommended 177 nvidia driver installed with System>Administration>Hardware Drivers and all works fine...conclusion: hands away from the official nvidia-driver.

Thanks anyway for your help and sorry for wasting your time...

Greetings
Peter