Re: Graphics cards with Free drivers

[Heikki Levanto <heikki@lsd.dk>]

On Tue, Apr 08, 2008 at 11:04:35PM +1000, Dean Hamstead wrote:
> just go
> 
> apt-get install module-assistant
> m-a prepare nvidia
> m-a a-i nvidia
> apt-get install nvidia-settings nvidia-glx
> 
> viola! just need to configure X somewhat.

Doesn't work for me. Compilation fails. I find several warnings in the file
   nvidia-kernel-source.buildlog.2.6.24-1-amd64.1207765467
for example:

make[3]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.24-1-amd64'
echo \#define NV_COMPILER \"`gcc-4.1 -v 2>&1 | tail -n 1`\" >
/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv_compiler.h
  CC [M]  /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.o
In file included from include/asm/dma-mapping_64.h:9,
                 from include/asm/dma-mapping.h:4,
                 from include/linux/dma-mapping.h:52,
                 from include/asm-generic/pci-dma-compat.h:7,
                 from include/asm/pci.h:88,
                 from include/linux/pci.h:796,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv-linux.h:76,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c:14:
include/linux/scatterlist.h: In function ?sg_virt?:
include/linux/scatterlist.h:293: warning: pointer of type ?void *? used in
arithmetic
In file included from include/asm/pci.h:88,
                 from include/linux/pci.h:796,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv-linux.h:76,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c:14:
include/asm-generic/pci-dma-compat.h: In function ?pci_map_page?:
include/asm-generic/pci-dma-compat.h:49: warning: pointer of type ?void *?
used in arithmetic


And then a real error:

make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv'

NVIDIA: calling KBUILD...
make CC=gcc-4.1 -C /lib/modules/2.6.24-1-amd64/build
SUBDIRS=/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv modules
make[3]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.24-1-amd64'
echo \#define NV_COMPILER \"`gcc-4.1 -v 2>&1 | tail -n 1`\" >
/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv_compiler.h
  CC [M]  /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.o
In file included from include/asm/dma-mapping_64.h:9,
                 from include/asm/dma-mapping.h:4,
                 from include/linux/dma-mapping.h:52,
                 from include/asm-generic/pci-dma-compat.h:7,
                 from include/asm/pci.h:88,
                 from include/linux/pci.h:796,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv-linux.h:76,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c:14:
include/linux/scatterlist.h: In function ?sg_virt?:
include/linux/scatterlist.h:293: warning: pointer of type ?void *? used in
arithmetic
In file included from include/asm/pci.h:88,
                 from include/linux/pci.h:796,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv-linux.h:76,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c:14:
include/asm-generic/pci-dma-compat.h: In function ?pci_map_page?:
include/asm-generic/pci-dma-compat.h:49: warning: pointer of type ?void *?
used in arithmetic
In file included from include/linux/compat.h:14,
                 from include/asm/mtrr.h:131,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv-linux.h:104,
                 from /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c:14:
include/asm/compat.h: In function ?compat_alloc_user_space?:
include/asm/compat.h:210: warning: pointer of type ?void *? used in
arithmetic
/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c: At top level:
/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c:102: error: expected ?=?, ?,?, ?;?,
?asm? or ?__attribute__? before ?*? token
/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c: In function ?nvos_create_alloc?:
/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv/nv.c:418: error: ?nv_pte_t_cache?
undeclared (first use in this function)

The line in qestion is

static kmem_cache_t *nv_pte_t_cache = NULL;


I suppose something is screwed up with my m-a, or kernel sources or compiler,
or something else. This should be a fairly regular Debian/Lenny machine
running 2.6.24-1-amd64. I have just upgraded a great number of packages, but
I can not say if that made any difference, it is some time since I tried
last.


There seems to be a driver in nonfree, but that is a bit old (for 2.6.18),
and does not recognize my card (GE 8600-something, silent). So I can't use
that one. I would like to get a bit of 3d working... But it is not really
important, I can live without.


Any ideas where to go hunting for this compile error?

  - Heikki


-- 
Heikki Levanto   "In Murphy We Turst"     heikki (at) lsd (dot) dk