installing nvidia drivers. quick question:

[S.D.Willie]

http://linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/distros/mandrake/mdk_nvidia.html

is this NHF from this site the correct info for installing in mandrake 8.1 as well???

i would like to know the proper procedure for installing. what i did was this:

1. installed the kernel and nvidia tarballs
2. did a make install on both
3. ran xf86config and created a file.
4. tried to edit xf86config and changed a few parameters listed from nvidias site.(did nothing. tux racer wouldnt run)
5. then tried to edit xf86config-4 and saved and when i rebooted, bam. x was screwed!!!!

so i have a clean install now and would like to know if that link above is all i should need or is there something else. thank you.

SD

ps. i have a feeling i have the order backwards of the way i went about things. :(

[ch0c0b0]

Hello,

I've recently installed Mandrake 8.1, and I read the LNO page. It is not (or it shouldn't be) as complicated as that. It's simpler for rpm based distros (like Mandrake).

Would love to type out the instructions, but I followed the nvidia readme (here) (http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=linux) to the letter, and therefore writing it here would be redundant. Follow the instructions in the install guide.

Just make sure that:

1.You download the first set of rpms (Any RPM-based system with an upgraded / customized / non-default kernel). This is because the kernel version is new and nvidia has not come out with a driver for this.

2.Make sure you have all the necessary requirements as stated in the install guide. These should be:

o linux kernel 2.2.12
o XFree86 4.01
o Kernel modutils (package name "modutils")
o binutils
o make
o gcc
o spec-helper

3.Before installing, set your computer NOT to startup X so if anything goes wrong, it won't puke on you. To do this, go to Control Center > Boot Config (or whatever, i'm not my linux box rite now) and where it has the setting to start X on boot, disable it.

4. Log out and go into console. I found that the Console mode wasn't available as an option in the log in prompt, so i just simply rebooted. This should take you to console since you disabled automatically starting X (as per 3)

5. Now install the drivers following the "INSTALLING/UPGRADING BY SRPM" in the install guide. I'll paste it here for you:
INSTALLING/UPGRADING BY SRPM
Instructions:

To build a custom NVIDIA_kernel rpm for your system, pass rpm the
'--rebuild' flag:
$ rpm --rebuild NVIDIA_kernel.src.rpm

Watch for the line that looks something like (the path may be different):
Wrote: /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/NVIDIA_kernel.i386.rpm

and use that as input to rpm to install:
$ rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/NVIDIA_kernel.i386.rpm

To install the NVIDIA_GLX package:

$ rpm -ivh NVIDIA_GLX.i386.rpm

Hope this helps! :D

[ch0c0b0]

Heh, just realized..don't read the install guide, I pretty much summed it up for you ;) Just to add to it:

Make sure you make the changes in the /etc/XF86Config-4 file:

Load "glx"

Change "nv" to "nvidia" in the appropriate section.

[ 05 October 2001: Message edited by: Criz ]

[smtanner]

I recomment downloading the tarballs from nvidia's site. Unzip them, type "make install" in the Nvidia_kernel directory, then type "make install in the Nvidia_glx directory. then follow the instructions from the post above. I also had to run ldconfig after restarting. It's been my experience that the rpm's are nothing but trouble.

[S.D.Willie]

but i get errors when i do a make install in the kernel directory.

when i tried to use the rpms i had a problem as well. i think is said something about kernel 2.x(something is needed) when i tried to install the rpm kernel. duh!!! yes, im root

any other thoughts? do i need to unzip the kernel tar.gz into the kernel directory OTHER that the one it created by default??? if so what and where is that directory? this is really pissing me off.
thanx

SD

[ch0c0b0]

Are you trying to install the rpm "kernel" ? If that's what you're doing, then it's wrong. The package "kernel-source" is what you should be installing.

[S.D.Willie]

from what i remember i did a search in rpm software manager and didnt find a "kernel-source" but i will fish around again for it.
thanx

SD

[S.D.Willie]

i got the drivers installed finally. i see the nvidia eyeball looking at me when i boot. but when i try to change my resolution from 640x480 to 1024x768, i test it and my screen goes completely black therefore forcing me to reboot. any ideas?? i think i should be able to run it in 32 bit correct?? or am i missing something.

SD

[S.D.Willie]

bump ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^