Nvidia driver - Debian way, custom (or not) kernel.

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didi · #106 Post by **didi** » 2008-05-05 00:12

Using this HOW-TO, I've just installed the nvidia drivers (169.12-1) on my server and my work laptop and upgraded my workstation ... all using the Debian way

Excellent, thanks!

Debian Lenny and set APT::Default-Release "testing"; according to rickh's HOW-TO

mojoman · #107 Post by **mojoman** » 2008-07-27 13:41

I've been doing a new Lenny 64-bit install after buying a new HDD. I'm pretty much sticking to Lenny, save for the few packages from Sid that are *really* needed. Today (2008-07-27) the nvidia-kernel-source and nvidia-glx packages are not available in Lenny. I installed nvidia-kernel-source from Sid, unpacked it in /usr/src, used module-assistant to compile it and then installed glx from Sid, all as has been advised earlier in this thread (although for previous versions of the nvidia packages). It worked like a charm for the current versions too.

Thanks!

jongi · #108 Post by **jongi** » 2008-10-01 22:03

when i run m-a prepare && m-a a-i nvidia:

http://www.uploading.com/files/MWOX5POW ... g.txt.html

Telemachus · #109 Post by **Telemachus** » 2008-10-01 22:05

jongi wrote:when i run m-a prepare && m-a a-i nvidia:

http://www.uploading.com/files/MWOX5POW ... g.txt.html

For a simple text file, please use a pastebin rather than a download site.

jongi · #110 Post by **jongi** » 2008-10-01 22:19

In OOo, the log file is 137 pages long and doesn't seem to want to post on pastebin.

Telemachus · #111 Post by **Telemachus** » 2008-10-01 22:21

jongi wrote:In OOo, the log file is 137 pages long and doesn't seem to want to post on pastebin.

Ah, well fair enough. On the other hand, most people aren't going to be willing to read a 137 page log, so that raises a different problem.

jongi · #112 Post by **jongi** » 2008-10-01 22:29

that thought did pass my mind i will admit

EDIT: I notice I forgot to mention that this happens with a kernel i compiled. However, apart from the real time kernel options, the config file is one from 2.6.26.1-amd64 (the latest debian kernel if i have the number wrong).

EDIT2: Just noticed I had unticked the option with Paravirtualisation by mistake. Recompiling now. Pretty sure this will fix the error.

jongi · #113 Post by **jongi** » 2008-10-02 19:45

I was sure the below would work. but no go.I must be missing something.

I compiled kernel-2.6.26.5 from kernel.org with relevant patches. I used the config file from 2.6.26.1-amd64 and enabled the real time options (as I have done on a number of previous kernel builds that have had no problem). yet the nvidia driver fails to compile when i run m-a a-i nvidia.

btw the process worked on kernel-2.6.26.1.

mzilikazi · #114 Post by **mzilikazi** » 2008-10-02 22:18

jongi wrote:I was sure the below would work. but no go.I must be missing something.

I compiled kernel-2.6.26.5 from kernel.org with relevant patches. I used the config file from 2.6.26.1-amd64 and enabled the real time options (as I have done on a number of previous kernel builds that have had no problem). yet the nvidia driver fails to compile when i run m-a a-i nvidia.

btw the process worked on kernel-2.6.26.1.

Fails with what error?

Telemachus · #115 Post by **Telemachus** » 2008-10-02 23:35

mzilikazi wrote:
jongi wrote:I was sure the below would work. but no go.I must be missing something.

I compiled kernel-2.6.26.5 from kernel.org with relevant patches. I used the config file from 2.6.26.1-amd64 and enabled the real time options (as I have done on a number of previous kernel builds that have had no problem). yet the nvidia driver fails to compile when i run m-a a-i nvidia.

btw the process worked on kernel-2.6.26.1.
Fails with what error?

I think it's on page 125 of the error log he posted.

I know that's unhelpful, but some nights, you just can't resist.

jongi · #116 Post by **jongi** » 2008-10-03 17:36

Good one Telemachus.

mzilikazi - the log file produced by m-a a-i nvidia is 374k long.lems.

it's strange coz i've done this a number of times without problem. i've compiled 2.6.26.5 without a rt-patch and followed the process again and it works.

mzilikazi · #117 Post by **mzilikazi** » 2008-10-03 18:43

jongi wrote:Good one Telemachus.

mzilikazi - the log file produced by m-a a-i nvidia is 374k long.lems.

it's strange coz i've done this a number of times without problem. i've compiled 2.6.26.5 without a rt-patch and followed the process again and it works.

Oh sorry I forgot about the nvidia problem w/ rt kernels. Read the last post here.

jongi · #118 Post by **jongi** » 2008-10-03 23:42

Thanks for that.

You should possibly add that to the opening post of the thread. Will compile overnight and put that to use. Sad I deleted the debs.

mzilikazi · #119 Post by **mzilikazi** » 2008-10-04 02:16

jongi wrote:Thanks for that.

You should possibly add that to the opening post of the thread.

Done.

estus · #120 Post by **estus** » 2008-10-17 13:30

i have very big problem when i type "/etc/init.d/gdm restart i get only black screen, and nothink work, i try ctrl+alt+f2 dont work alt+f2 dont work only work ctrl+alt+del

pls help me

Jackiebrown · #121 Post by **Jackiebrown** » 2008-10-18 01:12

run startx and report the problem - that should give you some error output

- if not, check your xorg error logs and see what they say (/var/logs)

- best to open a thread for your problem, though

estus · #122 Post by **estus** » 2008-10-18 16:13

i cant use terminal and ctrl+alt+f2 dont work

mzilikazi · #123 Post by **mzilikazi** » 2008-10-19 00:09

estus wrote:i cant use terminal and ctrl+alt+f2 dont work

Reboot.
At the boot prompt add this to the end:

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single

When asked for the root password, provide it.

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update-rc.d -f gdm remove

Now GDM will not start

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nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Change your driver from nvidia to nv or vesa

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init 5

Log in as user

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startx

Then we need to see if you have built nvidia and installed all components.

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dpkg -l|grep nvidia

You can also try to reconfigure xorg.

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apt-get install nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-xconfig

tommcd · #124 Post by **tommcd** » 2008-10-27 11:53

I just installed Lenny from the Lenny beta 2 install CD. I followed the tutorial from the Debian wiki:
http://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

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# apt-get install module-assistant gcc nvidia-kernel-common
# m-a update
# m-a prepare
# m-a auto-install nvidia

I also had to install nvidia-xconfig, mesa-utils, and nvidia-settings. I then ran "nvidia-xconfig".

I also apparently ran into this bug mentioned in the Debian wiki article:

BUG: There is a bug when you 'apt-get install nvidia-kernel-common' you are asked to insall 40+ packages. (http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=303521)

Well, I did not read that far in the wiki untill I had already installed the driver. Fortunately, it all went well. The driver runs well.

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tom@debian:/data/sauerbraten$ cd /data/
tom@debian:/data$ glxinfo | grep -i direct
direct rendering: Yes
tom@debian:/data$

This has been a very informative thread. I learned a lot.

mdevour · #125 Post by **mdevour** » 2008-12-08 04:27

I'm following the HowTo in hopes of enabling 3d acceleration on my fresh Lenny net install from the current weekly build image.

The first hitch I ran into was that, by default, only the main repositories are included in sources.list. mzilikazi, you might want to mention that contrib and/or non-free need to be added before you can install the nvidia kernel source and other pakages, for the benefit of others working on a fresh install?

The next hitch is that, with the newfangled stripped down version of xorg.conf, there is no 'nv' or 'vesa' driver line to change to 'nvidia.' So I'm off to find a representative xorg.conf "Device" entry...

In the Debian Wiki, nVidia Graphics Drivers page,the section on how to configure X to use the nvidia driver the manual way says:

Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf:

* If it contains a "Module" section, be sure that it contains a line:
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Load "glx"
... and remove or comment out (prepend with a #) any lines that refer to the "dri" or "GLCore" modules.

* In the "Device" section for your video card, change the driver (normally nv or vesa) to nvidia. If the driver is not defined, add the line
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Driver "nvidia"

Well, I don't have a "Module" section, but I added the Driver line so my Device section now looks like:

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Section "Device"
   Identifier   "Configured Video Device"
   Driver   "nvidia"
EndSection

Adding a little more detail to this part of the HowTo would be helpful, I think.

Now to save, then restart gnome... It says there's a display manager running on display 0 and do I want to go ahead anyway... yes... some flickering and transient blackness, a grey screen with the "X" in the middle, and another dialog warning that this session was started on display 1...

Finally, I've managed to log into a new session which seems to be functional.

Lets try:

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# glxinfo|grep rendering
bash: glxinfo: command not found

Okay, Debian's package database tells me that glxinfo is in package mesa-utils... Load Synaptic and install it.

Is this another thing to add to the HowTo?

Try again:

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# glxinfo|grep rendering
direct rendering: Yes

Wahoo! YES!

Allright, now to try nvidia-settings... Opens a very pretty looking GUI configuration window showing all sorts of stuff. It seems to have identified my GeForce 8600 GT; the thermal monitor is even working. This is good.

Okay, now it's off to see if I can break it on something that uses 3d... Hmmm... Synaptic... Neverball...

Lordy, it works!!! I've never seen how the game's supposed to behave before!

Okay then, the upgrade to Lenny is paying off!

Thanks to mzilikazi for maintaining this HowTo, and anarchyinc666 for his index of HowTo's.

Now to bring over some more of my configuration stuff and data!! Oh, and maybe install a few more 3d games!

Mike D.

Debian User Forums

Nvidia driver - Debian way, custom (or not) kernel.

Doing this HowTo in fresh Lenny install...