[ILUG] Debian and Nvidia 3d drivers

[Nick Murtagh]

On Thursday 21 March 2002 19:03, Mark Page wrote:
> I have Woody up and running with X working ok. I want to install the nvidia
> 3d drivers that came with Woody, but I am a bit nervous.

The more you do it, the less scarier it becomes :)

> I tried the install on a previous install of Woody using the drivers from
> the nvidia website and ended up screwing up the X11 server. I was/am not
> accomplished enough to recover the situation and ended up re-installing
> Woody.

Keep a backup of your XF86Config file (obviously!)

> However I have gleaned from the README that I need to delve into the
> kernel-source file in /usr/src issue a command line, come back out and link
> one of the driver packages to the kernel-source file. This is where I am
> getting nervous. I have a kernel-source-2.4.10 in /usr/src from which I
> created a bzImage which I copied to /boot to solve a few other hardware
> problems that I had. I have this bzImage entered in LILO as a separate
> entry to the stock kernel, and use this image to boot, and everything is
> working well. Am I ok to proceed following the README instructions?

The driver needs to be recompiled against whatever kernel you are using.
 From the sounds of it you have a compiled kernel tree in /usr/src/linux.
If this is the kernel you are currently running, just go ahead and build
the NVIDIA driver, all will be well. 

I use Mandrake 8.1 which has a useful feature: if X crashes repeatedly
(which happens if you screw up the NVIDIA driver) the display manager
notices and stops trying to spawn it. Previous distros I used would 
keep trying to start X, requiring a reboot. If you are in this situation
start linux with the parameter "3" which will start you up with init
level 3 and no X.

The other thing to watch out for is replacing any software OpenGL stuff
that might be lying around. You'll notice this if you run OpenGL and 
everything seems just as slow as before you installed the NVIDIA driver :)

Hope this helps

Nick