Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

glassparrot · Posted: Tue 18 Nov 2008, 04:33 Post subject: NVIDIA drivers in puppy 4.x

Who here has had any luck installing nvidia drivers on puppy 4.0 4.10 or 4.11? Me, I've tried all of Gray's pet packages to no avail. The initial pet dialogue comes up, but then after that nothing happens.

I've also tried using the NVIDIA-Linux-x86-177.82-pkg1.run program from nvidia's website... but it cannot find the source directory it needs to be able to compile the driver.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom to offer me, here?

MU · Posted: Tue 18 Nov 2008, 05:22 Post subject:

to complile the driver, you need devx_410.sfs, and the kernel sources.
You also might need to compile the kernel if I remember well, because that creates files required by the installer, like version.h.
Just compile, not install the kernel.

For instructions of kernel compilation, see:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=34186

The problem with the nvidia drivers is, that you only can compile them, if your computer has a matching graficscard.

That makes it impossible for packagers to create pets, if they do not have such a card.

Mark

glassparrot · Posted: Tue 18 Nov 2008, 16:41 Post subject:

Thank you SO much for your help, Mu.

I was able to find Barry's instructions on recompiling here, and found it was pretty straightforward to unwrap the sources and prepare them for compiling a kernel. I'm almost there now. However, your config file you mentioned in that explanation isn't on the web anymore, and I seem to be experiencing an error while compiling using "make" after using "make defconfig."

MU · config-smp-2.6.25.16.tar.gz

Pupys original config:
http://puptrix.org/sources/kernel-2.6.25.16/DOTconfig-K2.6.25.16-26AUG08-STANDARD

I also attach the config for the smp-kernel.
Mark

glassparrot · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 01:29 Post subject:

All right, Mu... again, let me thank you for your patience with me.

Thanks to the configuration files you gave me I was able to compile the puppy kernel successfully. But yet and still, I'm having a hang up with the nvidia driver creator.

What do you make of this error message which it spits out?

MU · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 01:33 Post subject:

please type:
modprobe nvidia
Then copy&paste the error you get here.
You may select the text with the mouse, then middle-click in the forum message, to paste.

Mark

glassparrot · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 01:38 Post subject:

Ahhh so you CAN copy text from an rxvt window...! That's good to know... it simply says that the module is not found.

MU · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 01:42 Post subject:

ok, so try
depmod -a
modprobe nvidia

If it still is not found, there might have gone something wrong during compilation.

then type:
gzip /var/log/nvidia-installer.log

Then please attach the log /var/log/nvidia-installer.log.gz here.
I might answer in some hours, when I took some sleep, if I have an idea with help of the log.
Mark

glassparrot · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 01:50 Post subject:

Thanks Mark. I hate to take up your time with this sort of thing. Perhaps in the future this process of installing graphics card drivers can be made easier for folks.

There was no change when I typed depmod -a before typing modprobe nvidia

MU · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 02:02 Post subject:

No need to apologize, the nvidia drivers are difficult, but together we might create a solution.

From the log:

glassparrot · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 02:19 Post subject:

Ok, Mark... guten Nacht.

It looks like I need to take another half an hour to run "make" again first, then... I'll get back to you and post that nvidia.ko file, if I succeed at this.

Tchüss.

glassparrot · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 03:35 Post subject:

Yes! You were exactly right, Mark. I used the wrong kernel configuration file. Ahhh... glassparrot sighs... how refreshing to have a large screen area to work with! The glaciers look so much brighter on that horizon now.

OK.. so now at least I have the nvidia drivers installed. I hope that others can get them up and running too.

Therefore here is the nvidia.ko module file which you requested. It was in the folder /lib/modules/2.6.25.16/kernel/drivers/video. It was created with puppy 4.1.1, an 8500GT nvidia chipset, and the latest driver from the nvidia website: NVIDIA-Linux-x86-177.82-pkg1.run. Do you need a copy of my modified xorg.conf file as well?

(Somehow John Murga's bulletin board software does not seem to be allowing uploads anymore tonight, so I gave you a web link instead.)

MU · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 07:36 Post subject:

great, and thanks for sharing your module Smile

No, xorg.conf is not needed.
I installed the driver a while ago using a different kernel, so can use those files. I just needed the new kernelmodule from you.

thanks, Mark

glassparrot · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 14:47 Post subject:

Please post a note back on this thread when you have finished that pet package, Mark. I still haven't found a way to get that module transferred over to a frugal puppy installation. And it'd be nice to have that file for the future. Do you know of any discussion posts where someone explains all the things that the nvidia installer does, so that one can replicate the steps manually?

MU · Posted: Wed 19 Nov 2008, 15:35 Post subject:

I usually look in /initrd/pup_rw what files are new there.
You also could extract a existing nvidia.pet to see, what files it contains.
Rename it to nvidia.pet.tgz, then you can extract it.

Then you could copy the new nvidia files from your working system to a temporary folder, and package them.

This is basically, what I will do to create the pet.

Then one just must run the nvidia configuration utility, to create a new xorg.conf.

I don't remember the name of it, wait...