Linux Debian support - HOWTO: Get NVidia graphics drivers running under Ubuntu

Author

HOWTO: Get NVidia graphics drivers running under Ubuntu

ajmayo@my-deja.com

2005-11-28, 5:58 pm

Since there appears to be no dedicated Ubuntu group (yet), I'll post
here with your forgiveness. I assume that this is relevant to Debian
users, in any case.

After much pain I have learned the hard way that if you want to get an
NVidia graphics card working with hardware acceleration, use the older
1.0.7667 driver NOT the latest 1.0.7676 driver from Nvidia's site.
(unless it's a 7800, of course)

This may be posted elsewhere but I sure didn't find it in searching.
For those who are currently at the stage I was days ago, some other
useful hints which might be obvious to non-noobs to Ubuntu/Debian but
then again...

1. You need the kernel sources (Breezy Badger is 2.6.12 currently.

2. You need GCC 3.4 , not 4 and you need to set the CC environment
variable to /usr/bin/gcc-3.4.Don't forget to export it!

3. To find the kernel sources set the Synaptic package manager to point
to 'universe' otherwise it is not visible (it is 'linux-source-2.6.12')

4. The 1.0.7676 driver installer just won't install - it will fail with
an error message regarding wrong kernel sources for nvidia.ko.
Interestingly, it WILL install if you extract it and then do a make
install, but then if you modify your X configuration file, it'll fail
to load the driver. (actually, it was this that gave me the clue; it
complained that there was a version mismatch between components and
cited the older 1.0.7667 version, so I thought, aha!)

5. Once you've built it, all I had to do was change the driver from
'nv' to 'nvidia' in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. I did not change the BusID
setting which still reads 'PCI:1:0:0' although the card I have (FX5200
ultra) is AGP.

Unfortunately I assumed I should download the latest driver from the
NVidia site as it strongly steers you in that direction. My mistake!

6. To check it is working you should get a big Nvidia banner up briefly
during X startup. Also, the 'ant' screen saver should now run much
faster - 20fps on my card, which by today's standards is a seriously
crappy piece of kit (look,it was cheap, OK!).

7. Because I went so far off the wrong track using the wrong driver
install, I can't say how many incantations that I tried are absolutely
necessary. I did do a full kernel recompile, linking to /usr/src/linux
which if nothing else was a good test of my new hardware, but I don't
think this is necessary as long as you install the kernel source. Also
by then I'd installed about a squillion other packages including all of
KDE and QT so I could make xconfig for the kernel, but again, this was
really only a diversion, albeit an interesting one.

Walter Mitty

2005-11-28, 5:58 pm

ajmayo@my-deja.com wrote:
> Since there appears to be no dedicated Ubuntu group (yet), I'll post
> here with your forgiveness. I assume that this is relevant to Debian
> users, in any case.

alt.os.linux.ubuntu

very quiet though.

Peter J Ross

2005-11-28, 5:58 pm

On 28 Nov 2005 13:07:53 -0800, ajmayo@my-deja.com <ajmayo@my-deja.com>
wrote in alt.os.linux.debian:

> Since there appears to be no dedicated Ubuntu group (yet), I'll post
> here with your forgiveness. I assume that this is relevant to Debian
> users, in any case.

In fact, alt.os.linux.ubuntu exists. However, Ubuntu questions are
also on-topic here.

Unfortunately, I'm a Matrox person, not an NVidia person, so I can't
help you.

PJR :-)
--
Nemo hibericam exspectat inquisitionem.

alt.usenet.kooks award-winners and FAQ:
<http://www.insurgent.org/~kook-faq/>

Janis Blechert

2005-12-02, 5:48 pm

I use a GF 2 MX 400 and use the newest drivers from ubuntu dapper,
installation was as easy as "sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx" then
adjust /etc/modules and /etc/X11/xorg.conf and that's it.

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Gimmmo

2005-12-05, 2:46 am

Hi,

I managed to install nVidia GeForce2 MX200 by following:

http://home.comcast.net/~andrex/Deb...stallation.html

I use debian SID and it works for me!

Rgds.
Gimmmo

ajmayo@my-deja.com wrote:
> Since there appears to be no dedicated Ubuntu group (yet), I'll post
> here with your forgiveness. I assume that this is relevant to Debian
> users, in any case.
>
> After much pain I have learned the hard way that if you want to get an
> NVidia graphics card working with hardware acceleration, use the older
> 1.0.7667 driver NOT the latest 1.0.7676 driver from Nvidia's site.
> (unless it's a 7800, of course)
>
> This may be posted elsewhere but I sure didn't find it in searching.
> For those who are currently at the stage I was days ago, some other
> useful hints which might be obvious to non-noobs to Ubuntu/Debian but
> then again...
>
> 1. You need the kernel sources (Breezy Badger is 2.6.12 currently.
>
> 2. You need GCC 3.4 , not 4 and you need to set the CC environment
> variable to /usr/bin/gcc-3.4.Don't forget to export it!
>
> 3. To find the kernel sources set the Synaptic package manager to point
> to 'universe' otherwise it is not visible (it is 'linux-source-2.6.12')
>
> 4. The 1.0.7676 driver installer just won't install - it will fail with
> an error message regarding wrong kernel sources for nvidia.ko.
> Interestingly, it WILL install if you extract it and then do a make
> install, but then if you modify your X configuration file, it'll fail
> to load the driver. (actually, it was this that gave me the clue; it
> complained that there was a version mismatch between components and
> cited the older 1.0.7667 version, so I thought, aha!)
>
> 5. Once you've built it, all I had to do was change the driver from
> 'nv' to 'nvidia' in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. I did not change the BusID
> setting which still reads 'PCI:1:0:0' although the card I have (FX5200
> ultra) is AGP.
>
> Unfortunately I assumed I should download the latest driver from the
> NVidia site as it strongly steers you in that direction. My mistake!
>
> 6. To check it is working you should get a big Nvidia banner up briefly
> during X startup. Also, the 'ant' screen saver should now run much
> faster - 20fps on my card, which by today's standards is a seriously
> crappy piece of kit (look,it was cheap, OK!).
>
> 7. Because I went so far off the wrong track using the wrong driver
> install, I can't say how many incantations that I tried are absolutely
> necessary. I did do a full kernel recompile, linking to /usr/src/linux
> which if nothing else was a good test of my new hardware, but I don't
> think this is necessary as long as you install the kernel source. Also
> by then I'd installed about a squillion other packages including all of
> KDE and QT so I could make xconfig for the kernel, but again, this was
> really only a diversion, albeit an interesting one.
>