Re: Newbie Nvidia/Woody problem
"Alvin Smith" <email@alvinsmith.com> wrote in message
news:32Zuc-41c-13@gated-at.bofh.it...
> On Sunday 21 November 2004 06:32 am, Brian Coiley wrote:
> > "Andrea Vettorello" <andrea.vettorello@gmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:32XVe-2Rx-3@gated-at.bofh.it...
> >
> > > On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 10:30:17 -0000, Brian <bcap@clara.co.uk> wrote:
> > > > Hi there,
> > > >
> > > > Complete Linux newbie here. Successfully partitioned the disk on my
> > > > W2K box, and got it dual-booting with Woody (installed from a CD
set).
> > > > I thought that was pretty cool, and I was going good! Tried startx,
> > > > and
> >
> > got
> >
> > > > this: (EE) No devices detected.
> > > >
> > > > Hmmm, no video driver presumably. My video card is a an ASUS V9520
> >
> > Magic
> >
> > > > (Nvidia GeForce FX5200 Series). No Linux drivers at Asus, so tried
> >
> > Nvidia:
> > > > lots there! Unfortunately the most recent ones all refused to
install
> > > > because they don't support kernel versions earlier than 2.4 (despite
> > > > the readme saying that 2.2.12 is the minimum). The Woody install
seems
> > > > to
> >
> > have
> >
> > > > given me 2.2.20.
> > > >
> > > > So, by trial and error, I have finished up with driver version 5328.
> > > > However, when I run the Nvidia install, I finish up with the
following
> > > > error: "Unable to load the kernel module nvidia.o. This is most
likely
> > > > because the kernel module was built using the wrong kernel header
> > > > files. Blah blah blah."
> > > >
> > > > Now, I've used apt to install kernel-source-2.2.20. I have used the
> > > > kernel-include-path switch on the Nvidia installer to point at the
> >
> > folder
> >
> > > > containing the kernel.h file, which is what the installer seems to
> > > > want. Thus, my command line is this:
> > > >
> > > > sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-5328-pkg1.run --kernel-include-path
> > > > /usr/src/kernel-source-2.2.20/include
> > > >
> > > > But, I still get the error described above.
> > > >
> > > > Incidentally, before the install fails, I get a warning that "The
> >
> > compiler
> >
> > > > used to compile the kernel was gcc 2.7; the current compiler is gcc
> >
> > 2.95."
> >
> > > > Thus far I have overriden this warning and gone ahead anyway, but
could
> > > > someone tell me how to set the CC environment variable, as suggested
by
> >
> > the
> >
> > > > installer, to get the correct compiler?
> > > >
> > > > If all this is complete codswallop (or if indeed I am in the wrong
> > > > newsgroup!) please don't spare my feelings! As I said, I am a
complete
> > > > newbie, and all help will be very gratefully received, even if only
to
> > > > direct me elsewhere! If any technical help is forthcoming, please,
> >
> > please
> >
> > > > treat me like an idiot! I need actual commands to type!
> > >
> > > Surely someone with a nvidia card that read this list will answer
> > > helping you, but in the meantime you can search for former answers in
> > > the Debian mailing list archive (http://lists.debian.org/search.html)
> > > or with google (you can search "debian woody geforce" or "debian woody
> > > nvidia").
> > >
> > > Said that, probably you'll find easier to switch to Sarge, if you have
> > > a network connection, that should have better support for your card,
> > > as there should be some packages with support for the nvidia binary
> > > drivers, but YMMV... =)
> > >
> > >
> > > Andrea
> >
> > Thank you Andrea for your reply. I have spent hours trawling archives,
and
> > found lots of threads about Nvidia drivers, but none that I could
> > understand! I really need a complete idiot's guide to doing this which,
as
> > you say, will need to come from someone who's done it.
> >
> > Regarding Sarge, isn't that unstable? What exactly does that mean? How
> > exactly would I switch to it? I deliberately chose to install Woody,
from
> > a set of CD's, because I felt that for a complete dunce like me it would
be
> > far easier than downloading and installing bleeding-edge stuff that I
don't
> > understand.
> >
> > I do have a network connection, which is working OK.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Brian
>
> Brian,
>
> The problem seems to be with the installation itself. If you included the
X
> window system (graphical desktop) during the install, you would not have
had
> to type "startx". You would most likely be presented with a Desktop
Manager
> like GDM or KDM where you would logon to Gnome or KDE.
>
The installation instructions I followed
(http://www.aboutdebian.com/install3.htm) instructed me on how to avoid
having X start automatically.
> Since you just started, I would go back through the install process again,
> making sure to include the desktop system. Select "Sarge" instead of
"Woody"
> as your installation choice. If you do not have a choice of a 2.4 or 2.6
> kernel in the installation process, you may want to download newer
> installation media, or if you have broadband internet, try the "net
install"
> CD image. http://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/
>
As noted in previous replies, I'm going to try an upgrade to Sarge.
> As far as the video driver is concerned, a driver called
> "nv" (http://www.xfree86.org/current/nv.4.html) will be used and installed
by
> default for the nvidia card. If you need special features, look into the
> "nvidia" driver (http://www.desktop-linux.net/nVidia.htm), but you don't
need
> it to use the card.
>
As noted previously, nv appears not to support the Nvidia FX series.
> --
> Alvin Smith
>
Thanks so much, Alvin and everyone else! I'll let you know how it goes!
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