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

[~rob33n]

Finally I fix the problem.
it's about the nvidia-kernel-source and some source lists.

[denham2010]

UPDATE

I found this post: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions ... lx-452126/

And looking in /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers the file nvidia_drv.o exists but I don't have nvidia_drv.so

Help! I am completely new to installing nvidia drivers (using kernel 2.6.22.2-686 if that helps.)

Hi rob33n.

Can you please provide more details.

I have exactly the same problem, but cannot seem to find how to fix it.

I followed the install guide here: http://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers without any errors, yet on boot, it fails to load the nvidia module.

[mzilikazi]

yet on boot, it fails to load the nvidia module.

Try probing the driver manually and post the output here.

Code: Select all

CTRL+ALT+F1
root
<password>
modprobe nvidia

[~rob33n]

the problem is about mesa-utils ..

[mindtrick]

There's no nvidia-kernel-source in testing repository? What should I do?
I can upgrade to Sid but I want to try out Lenny for some time.

[mindtrick]

Anyway, upgrading to Sid.

[mzilikazi]

Anyway, upgrading to Sid.

You don't have to upgrade just pull the source from Sid and comment out the repo.

[neonl]

Hi.

I'm a complete n00b at Debian (recently arrived form Ubuntu ) and I'm having a problem witch may be kind of stupid.

When I try to run the first line of the tutorial I get this:

Code: Select all

rui-debian:/home/rui# apt-get update && apt-get install nvidia-kernel-source module-assistant nvidia-settings nvidia-xconfig
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch Release.gpg
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch Release
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch/contrib Packages/DiffIndex
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch/main Packages/DiffIndex
Get:1 http://ftp.uevora.pt etch Release.gpg [378B]
Hit http://ftp.uevora.pt etch Release
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge Release.gpg
Ign http://ftp.uevora.pt etch/main Packages/DiffIndex
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge Release
Ign http://ftp.uevora.pt etch/main Sources/DiffIndex
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Packages/DiffIndex
Hit http://ftp.uevora.pt etch/main Packages
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Sources/DiffIndex
Hit http://ftp.uevora.pt etch/main Sources
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Packages
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Sources
Hit http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Packages
Get:2 http://security.debian.org etch/updates Release.gpg [189B]
Hit http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Sources
Hit http://security.debian.org etch/updates Release
Ign http://security.debian.org etch/updates/main Packages/DiffIndex
Ign http://security.debian.org etch/updates/contrib Packages/DiffIndex
Ign http://security.debian.org etch/updates/main Sources/DiffIndex
Ign http://security.debian.org etch/updates/contrib Sources/DiffIndex
Hit http://security.debian.org etch/updates/main Packages
Hit http://security.debian.org etch/updates/contrib Packages
Hit http://security.debian.org etch/updates/main Sources
Hit http://security.debian.org etch/updates/contrib Sources
Fetched 2B in 1s (1B/s)
Reading package lists... Done
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package nvidia-kernel-source

Do I need to update anything at /etc/apt/sources.list?

Thanks and sorry again if this is an Idiot question.

By the way, my graphic is a NVIDIA 8600 GT.

[mzilikazi]

Hi.Do I need to update anything at /etc/apt/sources.list?

Thanks and sorry again if this is an Idiot question.

By the way, my graphic is a NVIDIA 8600 GT.

Not an idiot question but yes - you need an Etch repo in sources.list. I have this one:

Code: Select all

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian etch main contrib non-free

[neonl]

Hi.

Problems again. Now when doing "apt-get install nvidia-glx" I get this

Code: Select all

neonland:/home/rui# apt-get install nvidia-glx
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  nvidia-glx: Depends: nvidia-kernel-100.14.19 but it is not installable

The repos us.debian.org are enabled I done apt-get update...

The strangest thing is that I installed once already...

[didi]

THERE IS NO NEED TO INSTALL FROM EXPERIMENTAL AT THIS TIME!
I do however leave the Experimental instructions for reference and it's likely that in the future we'll need the experimental repo again. (See bottom for Experimental instructions)

Thanks for that, it allowed me to install nvidia drivers the debian way (on Testing)

Standard method
You need some specific tools to build this:

Code: Select all

apt-get update && apt-get install nvidia-kernel-source module-assistant nvidia-settings nvidia-xconfig

In testing it couldn't/can't find nvidia-kernel-source, but it was available in sid. See below for more

I'd switch to a VT at this point and stop your DM

Code: Select all

CTRL+ALT+F1
/etc/init.d/gdm stop

or /etc/init.d/kdm stop if you're using kde, like you described at the experimental repos way

EXPERIMENTAL NVIDIA DRIVER
THIS is for experienced users or at least those who do not mind fixing what they break. If you do want the latest greatest bleeding edge Nvidia driver, here it is:

BELOW are instructions for getting your nvidia driver from the experimental branch. As of 4.23.07 this is not necesary. I leave it here for completeness.
Add an experimental repo to /etc/apt/sources.list

Code: Select all

deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian experimental main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian experimental main contrib non-free

Get updated, install the necesary packages

Code: Select all

apt-get update && apt-get install nvidia-kernel-source/experimental module-assistant nvidia-settings

Well, I'm not an experienced user, but got it working through this way afterall.
Since the nvidia-kernel-source package wasn't available in the testing repos, I added those two lines to my sources.list and then tried apt-get install nvidia-kernel-source/experimental, which gave me errors (couldn't find it or sth like that).
But when I changed it to apt-get install nvidia-kernel-source (without the "/experimental") it did install. After that I commented out the sid repos, since I didn't want any (more) updates from that.
Followed the rest of your directions and got it working

[bluesdog]

Hi.

Problems again. Now when doing "apt-get install nvidia-glx" I get this

Code: Select all

neonland:/home/rui# apt-get install nvidia-glx
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  nvidia-glx: Depends: nvidia-kernel-100.14.19 but it is not installable

The repos us.debian.org are enabled I done apt-get update...

The strangest thing is that I installed once already...

Check your repositories include, temporarily, sid/unstable

Example:

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian sid main contrib non-free

nvidia-kernel-source 100.14.19-1 from sid/unstable, is required by nvidia-glx 100.14.19

Temporarily add sid repository,

Code: Select all

apt-get update
apt-get install nvidia-kernel-source

do your module build using nvidia-kernel-source 100.14.19-1, then

Code: Select all

apt-get update
apt-get install nvidia-glx

[roadnottaken]

I just took a look at the nvidia drivers (both the debian packages and the upstream drivers) and discovered a very wide spread of versions. The Etch version is 1.0.x, the Sid version is 100.x, and the drivers from nVidia are version 169.x (and there is no Lenny version due to release-critical bugs). Why is there such a huge spread in the version numbers?

I also noticed that the version in Etch does not seem to support any of the gforce chips. Is this correct? Finally, why does nvidia-glx from Sid have a broken dependency (nvidia-kernel-100.14.19)?

[llivv]

Those are all $10000 questions. Let me see how close I can come to answering them correctly.

Why is there such a huge spread in the version numbers?

Both Debian and upstream devels have a "standard?" way of numbering versions. Since packages usually have more than one file in them, when certain files in the package change the version number changes to reflect the changlog for the updated files. When other files in the package are updated both the changlog and the version number are different to reflect what has been updated in the package. ( at least this is how I understand it so far)

I also noticed that the version in Etch does not seem to support any of the gforce chips. Is this correct?

sorry but I always seem to get confused by what is the gForce GPU and what is the gForce chipset. nForce too shessh!

Finally, why does nvidia-glx from Sid have a broken dependency (nvidia-kernel-100.14.19)?

It probably depends on who you ask, as to what kind of answer you'll get to this kind of question. Let me refer you to someone elses take on it instead of me making a fool of myself by typing in something I know zilch about.
nvidia_is_bad_at_coding.png and if you don't get it, join the crowd

Oh and by the way, the new version of metacity is hopefully going into experimental soon. You can get it at the maintainers site now. And it has composition enabled by default.

hey guys,

here in italy are 3.02 a.m and i'm still drunk (as my friend XX said:"i have a problem with alcol.. i like it") , but i made a good thing for all the crazy guys who run experimental, i've build latest metacity (the GNOME window manager).

The cool thing of version 2.21.5 (experimetal) is that it is build with the composition manager enabled by default.

all my changes are in the debian pkg-gnome svn, but i'm not sure if i should upload it right now, so feel free to take it on my home on people .

I like a good double of scotch (or two or three ....) every once in a while too, Riccardo ... and thank you very much.

[bluesdog]

...why does nvidia-glx from Sid have a broken dependency (nvidia-kernel-100.14.19)?

The pre-built nvidia-kernel packages in Debian unstable repositories always seem to lag behind the available nvidia-glx driver.
Perhaps the assumption is those who use unstable stuff also build their own modules

To satisfy the dependency, just build the kernel module package from nvidia-kernel-source, as outlined above.

The list of supported chipsets is available in /usr/share/doc/nvidia-glx/README.txt.gz


... solstice cheers and best wishes to one and all <hic>

[Kingghost]

I'm having issues installing the drivers. I'm currently running SID, with kernal 2.6.23-1-486. ANywho when Installing the drivers I get a couple errors.

Code: Select all

 ┌─────────Building nvidia-kernel-source, step 2, please wait...───────────┐
 │ Done! Run                                                               │
 │ m-a install nvidia-kernel-source                                        │
 │ to install.                                                             │
 │                                                                         │
 │                                                                         │
 │                                                                         │
 │                                                                         │
 │                                                                         │
 │                                                                         │
 │                                                                         │
 │  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
 │  │                               100%                                │  │
 │  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
 └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘




Done with /usr/src/nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486_100.14.19-1+2.6.23-2_i386.deb .
dpkg -Ei /usr/src/nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486_100.14.19-1+2.6.23-2_i386.deb
Selecting previously deselected package nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486.
(Reading database ... 128072 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486 (from .../nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486_100.14                                                                                                                               .19-1+2.6.23-2_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486:
 nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486 depends on nvidia-kernel-common (>= 20051028+1-0.1);                                                                                                                                however:
  Package nvidia-kernel-common is not installed.
dpkg: error processing nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486 (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486

I: Direct installation failed, trying to post-install the dependencies

apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  nvidia-kernel-common
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  nvidia-kernel-common
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 58 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 4526B of archives.
After unpacking 115kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://debian.yorku.ca sid/contrib nvidia-kernel-common 20051028+1-0.1 [45                                                                                                                               26B]
Fetched 4526B in 2s (1871B/s)
Selecting previously deselected package nvidia-kernel-common.
(Reading database ... 128079 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking nvidia-kernel-common (from .../nvidia-kernel-common_20051028+1-0.1_all                                                                                                                               .deb) ...
Setting up nvidia-kernel-common (20051028+1-0.1) ...

************************************************************************
*
* The update-modules command is deprecated and should not be used!
*
************************************************************************

Setting up nvidia-kernel-2.6.23-1-486 (100.14.19-1+2.6.23-2) ...
slutb0x:/htpc# rmmod nvidia
slutb0x:/htpc# /etc/init.d/gdm restart /proc/modules
Stopping GNOME Display Manager: gdm.
Starting GNOME Display Manager: gdm.nf

When GDM starts it displays an error

[Kingghost]

I got around this by doing..

update-pciids && apt-get install module-assistant nvidia-kernel-source && m-a prepare && m-a a-i nvidia && apt-get install nvidia-glx && depmod -a && modprobe nvidia && dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

[Eck]

Maybe those couple of additions would have helped, but the normal ways didn't work for me today with my previously install nvidia drivers from Sid on my Lenny system. I kept getting the 100.14.19 kernel modules built and that making it impossible to upgrade nvidia-glx.

I purged my Sid sources, nvidia-kernel-100.14.19, nvidia-glx, nvidia-glx-dev, nvidia-settings, nvidia-xconfig, nvidia-kernel-source, nvidia-kernel-common, xserver-xorg-core and its friends and reinstalled the deskop, gnome-desktop, kde-desktop tasks, gnome-desktop-environment, xorg-dev, removed nvidia from /etc/modules.conf, dpkg-reconfigured nv back in, booted into it, and installed the downloaded NVidia driver from upstream.

No more Sid sources to be concerned about or problems with NVidia driver changes when upgraded. I had used the Debian way for the first time this time, and it had been fine but this upgrade would have left me with nv as I couldn't get module-assistant to do the upgrade and nvidia-glx was impossible to install with the 100.14.19 that module-assistant always left me with. It just wouldn't build 169.07 kernel even though that's the source I had upgraded to. It would take that source and install 100.14.19 somehow.

Interestingly, compiz (compiz-manager really) reports what --no-libgl-fallback is an unknown switch (I added it as the new driver requires that, or has required it since the beta). But it starts Compiz Fusion fine anyway and all is working. Strange.

[roadnottaken]

You shouldn't use nv as your fall-back driver. I've found that the generic "vesa" driver usually works better with my nVidia card (a GeForce 8400). Specifically, I noticed that, using the nv driver, switching between the GUI and a terminal was a lot slower as was anything else involving graphics, and cpu usage was much higher (compared with the vesa driver).

[Eck]

No problem. I usually don't have nv running long enough to notice its peculiarities.

I just removed my additional --no-libgl-fallback compiz option and compiz started up fine without it using the 169.07 NVidia script driver. I'm surprised actually. I had thought that was needed, but for some nice reason this official Debian Lenny Compiz Fusion set works fine without bothering to add that. Maybe it does it in some mysterious way that doesn't include that command.

I'm actually happy that I'm not mixing distributions anymore. I did apt-show-versions | grep unstable and I have nothing left over from before. Nice. All Lenny now. Guess I'll get rid of that /etc/apt/apt.conf file.

Of course, the caveat is I will now need to do nvidia-installer --uninstall and reinstall the driver after any xorg or kernel upgrades, but I was always used to doing that so it's really no big deal.