using NVidia's graphics card drivers

**drfreak** · 01-15-2003, 06:17 PM

I don't know what the legal issues might be in auto-installing NVidia's drivers. If we ask really nicely, they might just say yes

Heck, they might even put a 'LATEST_IS' file on their ftp servers so our scripts can download the most current driver. It couldn't hurt to ask. They just might do it in exchange for a nvidia framebuffer logo during boot or something.

But if you want to reimage your own CD with the drivers on it, I can't see the harm as long as you don't re-distribute it.

I haven't tested it, but all you would need to do is to copy the NVidia_kernel and NVidia_GLX source directories to somewhere in your Knoppix image source directory, and then put a conditional in /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig which checks if the 'nvidia' module has been picked to put in XF86Config-4, and then replace the 'nvidia' with 'nv' and run 'make install' in the source folders.

The problem is that the NVidia driver needs to replace the stock GLX libraries in /usr/X11R6/lib, which is not possible because they are read-only on the Knoppix CD. A fix for this may be to put a path on the ramdisk in ld.so.conf with a place in the search path above /usr/X11R6/lib, and modify the NVidia_GLX Makefile to install there instead.

**JetCowBoB** · 01-20-2003, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by drfreak

I don't know what the legal issues might be in auto-installing NVidia's drivers. If we ask really nicely, they might just say yes

Heck, they might even put a 'LATEST_IS' file on their ftp servers so our scripts can download the most current driver. It couldn't hurt to ask. They just might do it in exchange for a nvidia framebuffer logo during boot or something.

But if you want to reimage your own CD with the drivers on it, I can't see the harm as long as you don't re-distribute it.

I haven't tested it, but all you would need to do is to copy the NVidia_kernel and NVidia_GLX source directories to somewhere in your Knoppix image source directory, and then put a conditional in /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig which checks if the 'nvidia' module has been picked to put in XF86Config-4, and then replace the 'nvidia' with 'nv' and run 'make install' in the source folders.

The problem is that the NVidia driver needs to replace the stock GLX libraries in /usr/X11R6/lib, which is not possible because they are read-only on the Knoppix CD. A fix for this may be to put a path on the ramdisk in ld.so.conf with a place in the search path above /usr/X11R6/lib, and modify the NVidia_GLX Makefile to install there instead.

So how do we get the ball started rolling to get a knoppix version with nvidia drivers automatically installing? I would like this very much. =) I can help write letters to nvidia if someone wants to spearhead this.

**dvessey** · 01-20-2003, 01:44 AM

I really don't think that's a possibility, what with the licensing issues. I'm quite happy to set it up on my own CD, but I'm not quite sure how to make it us nvidia instead of nv

**JetCowBoB** · 01-21-2003, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by dvessey

I really don't think that's a possibility, what with the licensing issues. I'm quite happy to set it up on my own CD, but I'm not quite sure how to make it us nvidia instead of nv

What do ya'll think about an extra script to acompany the hd install script that would apt-get the nvidia drivers, and install them? The user would have to run the script, and the drivers are already avaialable through apt-get.. I dont see anything illegal about this.

**dvessey** · 01-22-2003, 02:44 AM

Originally Posted by JetCowBoB

Originally Posted by dvessey

I really don't think that's a possibility, what with the licensing issues. I'm quite happy to set it up on my own CD, but I'm not quite sure how to make it us nvidia instead of nv

What do ya'll think about an extra script to acompany the hd install script that would apt-get the nvidia drivers, and install them? The user would have to run the script, and the drivers are already avaialable through apt-get.. I dont see anything illegal about this.

yeah, there wouldn't be anything illegal about this, although CAN you apt get stuff on a Knoppix cd? hmm.. something to test out..

**drfreak** · 02-01-2003, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by dvessey

Originally Posted by JetCowBoB

Originally Posted by dvessey

I really don't think that's a possibility, what with the licensing issues. I'm quite happy to set it up on my own CD, but I'm not quite sure how to make it us nvidia instead of nv

What do ya'll think about an extra script to acompany the hd install script that would apt-get the nvidia drivers, and install them? The user would have to run the script, and the drivers are already avaialable through apt-get.. I dont see anything illegal about this.

yeah, there wouldn't be anything illegal about this, although CAN you apt get stuff on a Knoppix cd? hmm.. something to test out..

No, you can't apt-get in a running knoppix, but there is no reason why you need the debs, they just contain the code which still needs to be compiled/linked. probably easier just to auto-ftp the newest driver.

**Alextreme** · 02-01-2003, 05:08 PM

Hmm, stumbled on this problem too, already tried asking nicely but NVidia's linux email adres appears to be bouncing. Mandrake had a script to auto-install nvidia drivers, if nvidia doesn't give in i'll probably add some menuitem for nvidia-users so they can download, install and restart X.

Always respected the individual's right to licence software, but this is getting quite frustrating...

**Alextreme** · 02-03-2003, 09:01 PM

Well, it appears that there is an exception voor distro's, i've uploaded a modified GameMod iso that should (hopefully) use the nvidia kernelmodule from CD. Still needs testing though, got a few 'volunteers' busy playing with it

For the brave, it's in the incoming/ dir

**god** · 02-12-2003, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by dvessey

What I did to get it to work with knoppix 12/12 was to just download the nvidia drivers from nvidia themselves(the .tar.gz's). I used my knoppix hd install to compile them, and I had to set the IGNORE_CC_MISMATCH environement variable. other than that, just did "make" with both directorys(nvidia_kernel and nvidia_glx).

I re-mastered it, burnt it, and it all works fine

haven't tried any open gl stuff yet though

two questions for you... is there any way i can hook up with this iso? and how does glx work (in order of importance...)