NVIDIA drivers....

**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