Complete noob help--found NVidia GeForce 8200M drivers, cannot install

[senselocke]

Hiya.

Knoppix 6.4.4, installed and running on 8GB flash stick, in Compaq Presario CQ60-215dx laptop. Persistent install, files saved remain on reboot. I boot up, I have no wireless, and my screen starts to flicker horribly after a few minutes.

I found driver file NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.22-pkg1.run driver file for my video card, GeForce 8200M.

I tried to install the driver by "sh [driver name]" under the Terminal, I get "ERROR: nvidia-installer must be run as root".

So I hit CTRL-ALT-F1, and I get to root. I find the file, and input "sudo sh [driver name], and get "ERROR: You appear to be running an X server; please exit X before installing. blah blah blah page that doesn't exist blah..."

Please, can someone tell me, in detail, how to install a driver in Knoppix? Because after spending 6 hours trying to get the right configuration to get the damn thing to boot (burn to CD, then install to flash... because just installing to flash is too difficult), I am officially tired of this crap. No commands like "kill kdm" or "/etc/init.d/kdm stop" seem to work, and I can't find a single helpful forum post anywhere in existence.

I need to get the graphics driver updated, and the wireless networking working--that's it. Help??

[Werner P. Schulz]

... start with 'Preferences > Root Shell'. Now follow the description from NVidia, type

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.22-pkg1.run

and so on..

Greetings Werner * http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/summary.html
Own Rescue-CD with Knoppix (Knoppix V6.4.4 remaster)

[klaus2008]

@senselocke:
Since the driver (180.22) you found is quite old, I am not sure that it will work with the new Linux kernel and Xserver. Therefore I would suggest that you download the latest driver (275.21) from nvidia. It might be the possible that the driver is incompatible with your hardware because the Nvidia GeForce 8200M is unsupported by the driver whereas Nvidia GeForce 8200M G should work with that driver. As you already know the installation has to be done without an Xserver running. Thus I would suggest that you switch over to the console and issue

init 2

This will terminate the Xserver and will set the system in runlevel 2. If you issue

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-275.21.run

you will get an error message concerning the nouveau kernel driver. Let the installer create a blacklist file and reboot the system

reboot

This time you boot into runlevel 2 by issuing

knoppix 2

at the boot prompt. Rerun the NVIDIA installer. This time the installation procedure should finish. Let the installer create the configuration file xorg.conf. You will be ready to try the new video driver out. Issue

init 5

If everything works fine you will get the graphical desktop environment. When you boot the system you should use the cheat code xmodule=nvidia at the boot prompt.

If you have an issue with your WLAN you could post in the "Networking" forum and describe your hardware and what you have done so far.

[senselocke]

Thank you both for a quick reply--it is appreciated.

klaus2008:

I got to the console, typed "init 2", then ran the installer. I got to a driver install acceptance agreement--progress!

I let it install whatever it wanted, and reboot, and tried again--and got the same Nouveau kernel. Now it says:

"WARNING: The modprobe configuration file to disable Nouveau, /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-installer-cisable-nouveau.conf, is already present. Please be sure you have rebooted your system since that file was written. If you have rebooted, then Nouveau may be enabled for other reasons, such as being included in the system initial ramdisk or in your X configuration file. Please consult the NVIDIA driver README and your Linux distribution's documentation for details on how to correctly disable the Nouveau kernel driver."

I have no idea where the NVIDIA driver README is, nor the Linux distro's documentation either. Any ideas?

Side note: Will this be the same routine I need to install any driver under Knoppix?

[klaus2008]

@senselocke

I am sorry because I made a little mistake in my previous post. I forgot two cheat codes.

After the NVIDIA installer had created the blacklist file I rebooted my system with

knoppix vga=normal nodrm 2

at the boot prompt. I was able to run the NVIDIA installer successfully.

[senselocke]

klaus2008:

Thank you! That seems to have done the trick. Whether or not if clears up the screen flicker is yet to be seen--but everything went smoothly, and I have the desktop again.

If you don't mind, could you break down what each command does? Or, if you don't have time, point me to where documentation exists that would let me know? Because it seems like everyone who runs linux finds all this out--but I don't know where they all might be hiding. A simple how-to for things like driver installs would be immensely helpful.

Again, thank you so much--the drivers are now installed. I very, very much appreciate the help.