Installing Nvidia Drivers in linux

[vish786]

1.) i have downloaded nvidia drivers from geforce but i cannot installed them... can someone help me ??

while installing getting this error :

No matching kernel found... blah blah

2. ) how to install nvidia drivers without using repositories... any idea ??

[mehulved]

What version of ubuntu are you using? You can ask someone from local LUG or ubuntu-in group to get an apt-on-cd for you with required software packages.

[vish786]

Originally Posted by mehulved

What version of ubuntu are you using? You can ask someone from local LUG or ubuntu-in group to get an apt-on-cd for you with required software packages.

ubuntu 6.06 LTS and Mandriva 2007 (without spring).

[mehulved]

Well apt-on-cd will work for ubuntu. For mandriva you will have to find a way. Try contacting someone from your local LUG.

[vish786]

Originally Posted by mehulved

Well apt-on-cd will work for ubuntu. For mandriva you will have to find a way. Try contacting someone from your local LUG.

what is apt-on-cd ???? is that related to something downloading drivers again. ?

even after having all sort of Linux softwares on my hdd... why on earth i have to download the same things again and again just to install from repo. dont u think this is dumb.

and that too if i reinstall my linux OS then again i have to download and install all the softwares from repository.... this is disgusting part in linux .... that is one of major reason by people are hating linux

[mehulved]

Such an uninformed post.
Now, let me clear things.
You don't need to redownload anything. You just need to save the packages and place them in right place after reinstall.
You can always download from source and compile but you will have to take care of dependancies and uninstalling by yourself.
Still if you don't like linux you're free to go back to windows. If you like to use linux you will have to learn the way linux works.

[vish786]

Originally Posted by mehulved

Such an uninformed post.
Now, let me clear things.
You don't need to redownload anything. You just need to save the packages and place them in right place after reinstall.
You can always download from source and compile but you will have to take care of dependancies and uninstalling by yourself.
Still if you don't like linux you're free to go back to windows. If you like to use linux you will have to learn the way linux works.

ok tell me what all stuffs should i do and download.... give the procedure in complete details so i dont have to disturb you again. and i'm not running away from linux

Listen this is what i did

Downlaoded linux drivers for x86 system

while installing the file i get this error " kernel not matching "

" no precompiled kernel found "

their was some problem with the main repo so i removed the main repo and added a new repo along with a mirror but still getting this error " no precompiled kernel found on nvidia ftp site "

[mehulved]

Firstly, tell me, if you have a working net connection or not? So, I can tell you about which procedure to follow.

[vish786]

Originally Posted by mehulved

Firstly, tell me, if you have a working net connection or not? So, I can tell you about which procedure to follow.

yes i have a net connection and tell me both the procedure with net and without net.

[abhasbajpai]

you have to install kernel-devel kernel-sources for your kernel"
acutely driver is not getting the kernel header or kernel-source for
your kernel

[mehulved]

With net, just use the package manager. And there's a specific place where all the downloaded packages are saved like /var/cache/apt for debian based distros. So, you can save them somewhere. Ubuntu has introduced this software - apt-on-cd, which saves these packages in ISO format. For other distros just tar up the folder where packages are stored and restore it back when needed. So, you don't have to download packages everytime you install the system.
Without net is going to be troublesome. Couple of ways out are
1) Get softwares from the source, read about dependencies on it's website
2) for ubuntu there's apt-on-cd so you can request your LUG members to download packages and give it on a cd. If you can find someone willing to do so, you're in luck.
3) Get the 3 Debian DVD's and dump everything on your hard disk. You will hardly ever face any dependency errors or even need new packages.

Forgot to add. Check sources.list given on ubuntuguide.org and add the necessary repositories.

[ChaiTan3]

Even I had the same probem while installin the nvidia drivers
When the installer asks to search for the precompiled kernel on the ftp site
dont click on yes, click on no
then the installer itself will do the compiling stuff
and you can proceed.

[praka123]

I too uses NVIDIA grfx card and Ubuntu is the easiest distro for me to enable nvidia graphics support.Debian too have repositories for drivers(unofficial)
My humble suggestion is dont go for nvidia's installer in debian based systems like ubuntu,mepis etc.
.there is no need for going to nvidia site or for that matter any other site for getting packages as with windows,that is the beauty of debian apt package manager.check menu System>admin>synaptic for ur packages first.

Now for me i just apt-get install restricted-manager .in restricted manager tick the nvidia thing.i then apt-get intall nvidia-glx,nvidia-settingsedited /etc/X11/xorg.conf device section for specific effects available from nvidia card that's all.run nvidia-settings for options.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf
Section "Device"
        Identifier      "nVidia Corporation G70 [GeForce 7300 GT]"
        Driver          "nvidia"
        BusID           "PCI:1:0:0"
        Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
        Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"
        Option "AllowDDCCI" "True"
        Option "NoLogo" "True"
        Option "RenderAccel" "True"
        Option "TripleBuffer"   "true"
EndSection

the ubuntuguide site explains the things very nicely.
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:F...rivers_in_7.04
and then there is Envy script.
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:F...r_.28NVIDIA.29

[amitava82]

Envy Script is the best without any hassle.. I've suggested so many times in the forum but nobody cares to follow

[kalpik]

^^ Restricted driver manager is a better way..

[amitava82]

Did not work for me for my nvidia card...

[QwertyManiac]

Originally Posted by amitava82

Did not work for me for my nvidia card...

What did it say? Envy from Seveas is good yes, but the easiest way out is the Restricted Drivers Manager. It's never failed me in over 15 installations yet.

[amitava82]

I have nvidia 5700LE. First Ticked Check Mark in the Restricted Driver manager and restarted but nothing happened. Then I used synaptic to install driver. It installed fine but i could not enable desktop effect. Don't remember the error msg. When I checked xorg.conf the driver was still "nv" instead of "nvidia". So i Changed to "nvidia", restarted and as usual desktop manager crashed. So I had to change it to "nv" form CLI to get GDM. Then I downloaded binary package from nVidia site and installed it but same story. Finally I installed using Envy script and Everything worked without any hitch.

[praka123]

@amitava
first of all,simply enabling restricted manager doesnot enable 3d driver.below list as of latest feisty will be there installed :
restricted-manager
linux-image-2.6.20-16-386
linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-16-386
nvidia-kernel-common
linux-restricted-modules-common
and finally install,
nvidia-glx
^ this does the job.make sure modules: nvidia,agpgart is loaded.do one thing edit ur /etc/modules files to accomodate below lines or do as below:

sudo su -

to root

~# echo "agpgart" >> /etc/modules;echo "nvidia" >> /etc/modules

restart system or modprobe nvidia and agpgart and try.make sure ur /etc/X11/xorg.conf device line contains "nvidia" instead of "nv"(opensource).make sure "dri" and "GLcore" is disabled(with a "#")
also make sure delete below lines too:

Section "DRI"
        Mode    0666
EndSection

I've already posted the device line above.if ur in doubt attach ur /etc/X11/xorg.conf in http://pastebin.ca and link here.for reference u can see my /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
http://pastebin.ca/571572

[amitava82]

Thats the reason I suggest Envy.. no complex CLI operations...

[praka123]

anyways in one way or other there needs to use CLI in Linux be it Ubuntu or what.and CLI (bash shell) aint that tough as with ms-dos one.be ready to face it .i dint tried envy yet.but manual optimizations for nvidia and ati drivers are better(see the Device section of /etc/X11/xorg.conf ).even there is nvidia-xconfig,nvidia-settings etc packages available.nvidia-xconfig generates ur /etc/X11/xorg.conf line.

[vish786]

Originally Posted by amitava82

I have nvidia 5700LE. First Ticked Check Mark in the Restricted Driver manager and restarted but nothing happened. Then I used synaptic to install driver. It installed fine but i could not enable desktop effect. Don't remember the error msg. When I checked xorg.conf the driver was still "nv" instead of "nvidia". So i Changed to "nvidia", restarted and as usual desktop manager crashed. So I had to change it to "nv" form CLI to get GDM. Then I downloaded binary package from nVidia site and installed it but same story. Finally I installed using Envy script and Everything worked without any hitch.

Envy script ?? How to use it... and what is it?

[QwertyManiac]

Envy:
http://www.albertomilone.com/nvidia_scripts1.html