Re: Questions about the nvidia packages.
On Wed, Jan 11, 2006 at 04:49:16PM +0100, Christoph Anton Mitterer wrote:
> Hi.
>
> First of all. Until now (I've just switched from i386 to a amd64 Debian)
> I've always used the vanilla files from nvidia.com (and their installer).
>
> The problem of course is that this passes the package systems,
> overwrites Xlibs etc. etc.
>
> So I'd like to use the Debian way now :-)
>
> However, I must admit that I have problems to understand how to
> correctly do so.
>
> 1) I'm using my own kernel created with make-kpkg.
> With my old i386 system I've always used the vanilla sources but now
> I'll give the debian sources a try.
> So I've installed linux-tree-something.
>
> First of all is there documentation about how the "Debian-kernel-way
> works"? I mean there is the linux-source-xx package and the
> linux-patch-debian-xxx.
You can stick with your own kernel if you want. No reason to change if
it works for you.
> The source package already says, that it's a patched version (from
> vanilla). (btw: How can I find out what changes have been applied to
> each source-xxx?)
>
> Which patches does the patch pagage contain?
>
> (I've read all the /usr/share/doc/ stuff but it didn't become clear to me).
>
> Ok, when I use make-kpkg are the patches from the patch-debian package
> automatically applied? If not, should I apply them?
>
> And whats the designated way to apply own patches (e.g. reiser4, or so
> => the deb-package for it is totally out of date)?
> E.g. should they be copied to the directories from the patch-debian-package?
>
> 2) back to nvidia problems:
> What are the different packages for?
> (nvidia-kernel-common, nvidia-kernel-source, nvidia-glx)
nvidia-kernel-common provides some startup scripts and such.
nvidia-kernel-source provides the kernel driver code that has to be
compiled for each kernel you want to run it with. module-assistant
(m-a) is a great tool for compiling that against your kernel sources.
nvidia-glx is the actual X driver that talks to the kernel modules.
I am tempted personally to add this to a startup script:
modprobe nvidia || m-a -t a-i nvidia && modprobe nvidia
That should take care of rebuilding the nvidia driver when the kernel
changes.
> One must contain the binary-only libs (for X), another the binary only
> module ("nvidia"), and one must contain the hooks and interface for the
> kernel.
nvidia-glx is the binary X driver. nvidia-kernel-source contains the
kernel hooks code and the binary parts for the kernel.
> 3) About the same as 1) (-> patches): Whats the Debian-way of creating
> external (not from the vanilla sources) modules? Is there some good
> document or so (for the whole Debian-way in kernel/patches/modules
> matters?).
Hmm, no clue about that dir. Never had to look at it.
> 4) Last but not least:
> My graphic card requires one of the newer drivers from nvidia (it does
> not work correctly with the 7147). Why are the packages for newer
> versions in i386 but not amd64?
You can simple grab the source package from i386 and build it on amd64.
Works just fine. nvidia being non-free and amd64 being still unofficial
and such means a few things don't get auto built.
Len Sorensen
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