NVIDIA and our systems don't mix?

[jrbush82]

We have been attempting to install our NVIDIA drivers for Slackware 8.0. Though, currently, we am not successful. So far during the installation, we have had to:

edit /usr/src/linux/include/autoconf.h
and change:

#define CONFIG_SMP 1
to
#undef CONFIG_SMP

Which we don't understand that at all, but it did let us compile and "finish" the installation. Though, X doesn't load when we give the new drivers a shot.

Now, we get this error regarding something about symbols, so we look into the FAQ, and this is what it says:

Q: When I start X it fails and my XFree86 log file contains:
(II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.o
No symbols found in this module
(EE) Failed to load /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.o
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (loader failed, 256)
...
(EE) No drivers available.
A: The nvidia_drv.o X driver has been stripped of needed symbols;
some versions of rpm (wrongly) strip object files while installing.
You should probably upgrade your version of rpm. Or, you can install
the NVIDIA_GLX package from tarfile.

Funny thing is, we are installing from a tarfile.

Both systems are running Slack 8, one NVIDIA card is a GeForce 256 DDR and the other is a GeForce 3, both Visiontek cards. The two systems are completely different as far as internally, and we are both having these problems. We were both able to get these drivers working in Mandrake 8. Anybody heard of this? Is it a Slack problem with NVIDIA?

Thanks,
jrbush82

[bdl]

No, Nvidia works beautifully with Slackware. You might use the following checklist to troubleshoot:

If you have not done so already, run a 'make config' and 'make dep' on your kernel source to establish deps.
In the NVIDIA_kernel directory you have untarred, run the command (as root) : 'make install'. Check the output for errors.
In the NVIDIA_GLX directory you have untarred, run the command (as root) : 'make install'. Check the output for errors.
Check your /etc/ld.so.conf file, make sure '/usr/lib' comes before '/usr/X11R6/lib' and then run the command 'ldconfig' to establish the freshly installed libGL* libs under '/usr/lib'
Run the command (as root): 'modprobe NVdriver' to load the Nvidia module.
Double check your XF86Config-4 file for the 'nvidia' statement and remove 'dri' and 'GLcore' as per the Nvidia readme. Double check for errors, correct Modelines, etc.
startx


Please repost after you've gone through the list. Luck!

[Mike Miller]

Originally posted by jrbush82:
<STRONG>We have been attempting to install our NVIDIA drivers for Slackware 8.0. Though, currently, we am not successful. So far during the installation, we have had to:

edit /usr/src/linux/include/autoconf.h
and change:

#define CONFIG_SMP 1
to
#undef CONFIG_SMP

Which we don't understand that at all, but it did let us compile and "finish" the installation. Though, X doesn't load when we give the new drivers a shot.

Now, we get this error regarding something about symbols, so we look into the FAQ, and this is what it says:

Q: When I start X it fails and my XFree86 log file contains:
(II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.o
No symbols found in this module
(EE) Failed to load /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.o
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (loader failed, 256)
...
(EE) No drivers available.
A: The nvidia_drv.o X driver has been stripped of needed symbols;
some versions of rpm (wrongly) strip object files while installing.
You should probably upgrade your version of rpm. Or, you can install
the NVIDIA_GLX package from tarfile.

Funny thing is, we are installing from a tarfile.

Both systems are running Slack 8, one NVIDIA card is a GeForce 256 DDR and the other is a GeForce 3, both Visiontek cards. The two systems are completely different as far as internally, and we are both having these problems. We were both able to get these drivers working in Mandrake 8. Anybody heard of this? Is it a Slack problem with NVIDIA?

Thanks,
jrbush82</STRONG>

FTP for NVidia Drivers (ftp://ftp1.detonator.nvidia.com/pub/drivers/english/XFree86_40/)

[jrbush82]

wow, nicely done bdl... at least for my system. the other system we are working on... loaded the driver... (GeForce 3 System) but only runs X at roughly 8 bit. Any ideas on this?

Thanks again,
Jason

[jrbush82]

okay, now we have both systems working with the NVidia drivers, but there is still one problem. On the machine with the GeForce 256 DDR running, it lokcs up frequently now where as it never did before. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jason Bush

[jrbush82]

okay, I think it was UnrealTournament doing it. I was loading with SDL OpenGL instead of without SDL. Since then, my system hasn't locked up. KNOCK ON WOOD!

Jason