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slc
08-25-2003, 10:21 PM
My nvidia driver will not install and/or work.
The folks in the #knoppix channel said I can't just do it with the apt-get stuff. I did try originally, but since I didn't find anyone/anything that told me exactly which bits to install, I couldn't do that.

I've tried all the instructions and scripts I could find, but all of them result in errors insisting I'm using a different compiler than the one that made my kernel. I'm using the stock kernel that came with the knoppix 3.2 (6/6/03). Everyone says to "export CC=/usr/bin/gcc-2.95", and I did but it still says no, "you seem to be trying to build with a compiler other than the one you used for your kernel." If I do it with IGNORE_CC_MISMATCH, then I get it compiled and installed but unresolved symbols when I try to run the module.


What on earth???
What am I supposed to do to make this work?
Does it involve human sacrifice and a full moon??

sl

fingers99
08-25-2003, 11:11 PM
A search for nvidia here turn up lots of stuff, but this looks especially useful:

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=960#3848


Does it involve human sacrifice and a full moon??

No, but it probably won't do any harm, especially if the sacrifice is:

CEO of SCO
Steve Bulmer
Bill Gates 4

slc
08-25-2003, 11:22 PM
If you follow the link in that set of instructions, you'll find that the .tar.gz file they say to use isn't there. Just NVIDIA*.run. Which doesn't work for me.
If you can FIND the .tar.gz i'll happily install from that, I've done it before under slackware, I just don't know where to get the files anymore. :(

fingers99
08-26-2003, 12:12 AM
You can get them through Synaptic. There are several choices. You need the kernel stuff and the actual driver.

When I get a moment, I'll try popping the damn thing on!

There's also this (semi automated) script at:

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2037#9699

which should do the download for you.

slc
08-26-2003, 01:14 AM
Who or what is Synaptic? If it's a site, can you give me a link please??

That script does the same thing. Downloads that dumb NVIDIA*.run file, which does the same thing it's done all along.
That same awfully familiar garish red and blue screen asking if I Accept their conditions, and saying "No kernel interface found, I'll build one" and then saying "can't build one, look at the log for more info".

The log says:

You appear to be compiling the NVIDIA kernel module with
a compiler different from the one that was used to compile
the running kernel. This may be perfectly fine, but there
are cases where this can lead to unexpected behaviour and
system crashes.
...
^[[1;31m*** Failed cc sanity check. Bailing out! ***
^[[0mmake: *** [gcc-check] Error 1
-> Error.

I'm getting really crabby at this. (be forewarned)
Why am _I_ the only one having this problem? I couldn't have modified my kernel and forgotten about it, I don't even have menuconfig!!

Are we POSITIVE this kernel was compiled with gcc 2.95???

sl

slc
08-26-2003, 03:13 AM
I've added the kernel source and headers now, by the way.
Still same errors.
If I can make it compile at all, I get unresolved symbols, but mostly I can't get it to compile at all.

fingers99
08-26-2003, 05:16 AM
Who or what is Synaptic?

Synaptic is a neat graphical front end to apt-get.

apt-get install synaptic

and so on.......

For the rest, the thought occurs that (ah, you've had it, too!)


Are we POSITIVE this kernel was compiled with gcc 2.95???

the alternate gcc (and possibly the one used to compile the kernel) may not be 2.95.

But doing a locate gcc throws up

/usr/bin/gcc
/usr/bin/gcc-2.95
/usr/bin/gcc-3.2

hmmm.

Anyone?

w.nelson
08-26-2003, 05:24 AM
Look at the top of the return of dmesg to verify what gcc was used.

slc
08-26-2003, 02:11 PM
it was gcc 2.95.3. (thanks w.nelson)

So it's definitely not a gcc-mismatch. At least that's something we can now rule out.

So why unresolved symbols when I give it ignore_cc_mismatch? :(

s

PS I'll try to get something more specific, it's just not a good time to log outta X.

slc
08-26-2003, 02:45 PM
Okay here we go, hand-typed thru Links to you:

NV: Could not open control device /dev/nvidiactl (No such file or directory).
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module!
(EE) NVIDIA(0): *** Aborting ***
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Screen(s) found but none have a usable configuration.

Fatal server error:
No screens found.

So I did finally get it installed (not based on anyone's instructions, based on what I remember from my slackware install--it had to be done in two pieces!) .

But I'm still stuck.
What next?

sl

fingers99
08-26-2003, 06:27 PM
Just a thought: could this be a "simple" XF86Config error?

From memory Knoppix has always used

/etc/X11/XF86Config-4

slc
08-26-2003, 07:38 PM
No, it isn't. I caught onto that the first time I tried to fix my resolution.

sl

padlamoij
08-27-2003, 01:51 AM
sorry to be the one to say this but setting up the nvidia drivers on debian(knoppix) is a pain in the bum hole. It comes down to downloading two packages through apt-get or aptitude or synaptec, whichever you prefer. then its down to reading the included documentation really. basically you are compiling a driver module for the nvidia driver and the glx library. I wish I could be more help but it was a while ago. I'm going to be doing a debian install tonight or tomorrow so maybe i'll write a little tutorial when i do it. good luk til then!

Dave_Bechtel
08-27-2003, 10:42 AM
--It wasn't that bad for me. I only have a Riva TNT2 and a 900MHz AMD Duron, but I can play 12 videos at once using xine. :)

--If you go to nvidia's site and download their .run file, chmod +x it, run it, and modify your XF86Config-4 file according to their instructions, things should work. However, you should run the NVidia script outside of the GUI. Boot into runlevel 2 and of course, be root.


sorry to be the one to say this but setting up the nvidia drivers on debian(knoppix) is a pain in the bum hole. It comes down to downloading two packages through apt-get or aptitude or synaptec, whichever you prefer. then its down to reading the included documentation really. basically you are compiling a driver module for the nvidia driver and the glx library. I wish I could be more help but it was a while ago. I'm going to be doing a debian install tonight or tomorrow so maybe i'll write a little tutorial when i do it. good luk til then!

Superstoned
08-27-2003, 12:56 PM
I was really amazed how simple it was to install nvidia drivers on my knoppix hd-install... I downloaded the script from this thread: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4016 then started it. I got an error, cuz this script is for the knoppix live cd, but the script automatically downloaded the hd-install script! I just started it, and worked on in kde. after some time, x was restarted, and everything was fine... I didnt do ANYTHING else than just start the script!

try it out ;-)

Superstoned
08-27-2003, 01:00 PM
btw KXconfig (in the kde control center, under X) helped me out, before, with the X-setup. I had been trying to get my screen res up to 1024x768, but I was unable to get it higher than 800x600. then I just started KXconfig, changed resolution, restarted - and everything was fine.

seems like you just have to find the right tool... (I tried almost all text-based x-config-programs, and none of them worked!) :shock:

slc
08-27-2003, 03:00 PM
Most useful thing anyone's said yet. Now I got my resolution changed, so I'm not going to worry about the NVidia driver for a while. THANKS!!! :)

To all of you who keep telling me "it's easy, just try!": I did. All day yesterday. I wish it were that easy for me, but it isn't, and all of you telling me how easy you had it does not make me feel better about it.

sl

Superstoned
08-27-2003, 03:22 PM
I had the same. had been trying a whole day. late in the evening, before I went to bed, I tried kxconfig, but didnt reboot. next day, I booted, and i've been gazing at my screen (1024x768!!!) for some time, wondering what the hell happened... posted a msg in this forum - telling I dont understand it anymore, linux was behaving as irrational as winBlow$ ;)


then I remembered - KXcontrol!

THATS why I love KDE :lol:

slc
08-27-2003, 04:09 PM
I don't care why it works, I just want it to work.
Eventually I'll need my nvidia drivers, but maybe by that time there'll be a new version out that works. :/

Superstoned
08-27-2003, 06:25 PM
well, its handy to know how to get something to work, for there might be a time you'll need it again, isnt it? :?