Re: Unable to install nVidia driver on Debian 6 LTS - was - Re: How to boot without GUI
On 13/06/2015, Bret Busby <bret.busby@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 13/06/2015, Bret Busby <bret.busby@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 13/06/2015, Petter Adsen <petter@synth.no> wrote:
>>> On Sat, 13 Jun 2015 03:54:49 +0800
>>> Bret Busby <bret.busby@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 13/06/2015, Bret Busby <bret.busby@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> > On 12/06/2015, Matthijs Wensveen <matthijs.wensveen@gmail.com>
>>>> > wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> On 11-6-2015 7:13, Bret Busby wrote:
>>>> >>> On 11/06/2015, Ric Moore <wayward4now@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> >>>> On 06/10/2015 03:45 PM, Bret Busby wrote:
>>>> >>>>> On 11/06/2015, Nick T. <nick@ncktsp.com> wrote:
>>>> >>>>>> Oops, forgot to cc in the mailing list.
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>> - Nick
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>> On 06/10/2015 09:19 PM, Nick T. wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>> Install build-essential it should contain all the packages
>>>> >>>>>>> necessary to install the driver.
>>>> >>>>>>> Also you might want to install dkms if you don't want to
>>>> >>>>>>> reinstall the
>>>> >>>>>>> driver after every kernel update.
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>> - Nick
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> Thank you for that.
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> The driver installation appears to have subsequently succeeded.
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>> However, after rebooting, the system still does not see the
>>>> >>>>> external monitor (using System -> Preferences -> Monitors), and
>>>> >>>> I don't think that will work. Try using nvidia-settings.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>> As I had said, xwindows now no longer works on the system.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> What do I need to do, at the command line level, to get xwindows
>>>> >>> operable on the system?
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> In the circumstances, it appears to be a congiuration or settings
>>>> >>> issue.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Or, despite the information on the nvidia web site, perhaps the
>>>> >>> driver simply does not work with Debian 6.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> I note that the gcc version issues showed that the gcc version
>>>> >>> applicable to the driver, appeared to be an earlier version (4.3,
>>>> >>> I think) than the installed version when I installed gcc (4.4, I
>>>> >>> think) (but the discrepancy appeared to have been overcome in the
>>>> >>> procedure that I followed), indicating (I believe) that Debian 6
>>>> >>> should not be a version to early for thenvidia driver.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> It might be that you need to generate an Xorg.conf file from
>>>> >> scratch. Make sure to backup any existing configuration file first
>>>> >> (/etc/X11/xorg.conf). You can generate one using the nvidia-xconfig
>>>> >> package:
>>>> >> https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers#Configuration
>>>> >> - Matthijs
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >
>>>> > Hello.
>>>> >
>>>> > As previously mentioned, that wiki web page refers to only Debian 7
>>>> > and 8, and not to Debian 6, which is the applicable version.
>>>> >
>>>> > I will reboot into Debian 6 (I am currently in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS,
>>>> > which allows use of the external monitor, and which provided
>>>> > installation of an earlier (v3.3) nvidia driver), and see what I
>>>> > can find in the specified path.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>> Okay.
>>>>
>>>> In running ls on /etc/X11/ , a file xorg.conf was listed, as was a
>>>> file named xorg.conf.nvidia-xconfig-original
>>>>
>>>> The latter file showed no content, in running cat on it.
>>>>
>>>> The former file had content;
>>>>
>>>> "
>>>> # nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
>>>> # nvidia-xconfig: version 346.72
>>>> (buildmeister@swio-display-x64-rhel04-19) Tue May 5 18:19:38 PDT
>>>> 2015
>>>>
>>>> Section "ServerLayout"
>>>> Identifier "Layout0"
>>>> Screen 0 "Screen0"
>>>> InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
>>>> InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
>>>> EndSection
>>>>
>>>> Section "Files"
>>>> EndSection
>>>>
>>>> Section "InputDevice"
>>>> # generated from default
>>>> Identifier "Mouse0"
>>>> Driver "mouse"
>>>> Option "Protocol" "auto"
>>>> Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
>>>> Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
>>>> Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
>>>> EndSection
>>>>
>>>> Section "InputDevice"
>>>> # generated from default
>>>> Identifier "Keyboard0"
>>>> Driver "kbd"
>>>> EndSection
>>>>
>>>> Section "Monitor"
>>>> Identifier "Monitor0"
>>>> VendorName "Unknown"
>>>> ModelName "Unknown"
>>>> HorizSync 28.0 - 33.0
>>>> VertRefresh 43.0 - 72.0
>>>> Option "DPMS"
>>>> EndSection
>>>>
>>>> Section "Device"
>>>> Identifier "Device0"
>>>> Driver "nvidia"
>>>> VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
>>>> EndSection
>>>>
>>>> Section "Screen"
>>>> Identifier "Screen0"
>>>> Device "Device0"
>>>> Monitor "Monitor0"
>>>> DefaultDepth 24
>>>> SubSection "Display"
>>>> Depth 24
>>>> EndSubSection
>>>> EndSection
>>>> "
>>>>
>>>> In thinking about it, as the creation of that file, had rendered
>>>> xwindows inoperable, I renamed the file, with an extra extension, and
>>>> rebooted.
>>>>
>>>> So, I now have xwindows operating again, on Debian 6, on this
>>>> computer, but, the only way that I can get the external monitor to
>>>> work, is by running one of the two Ubuntu installations; 12.04 or
>>>> 14.04. Unfortunately, they both involve GNOME3, and what I think of
>>>> GNOME3, is not polite.
>>>>
>>>> So, I still can not get the external monitor to run, with Debian 6 or
>>>> 7, on this computer, with its nvidia GEForce GT750M device.
>>>
>>> If it works under Ubuntu, have you considered copying the
>>> (working) xorg.conf file from there and trying it in your Debian
>>> installation?
>>>
>>> Petter
>>>
>>
>> No, I hadn't considered that. It is a logical and good idea. Thank you
>> for
>> that.
>>
>> However, having now tried it, I got both screens blank - nothing
>> displayed.
>>
>> So, I also renamed that one, and rebooted without such a file, so that
>> the system would operate again, such as it is operable.
>>
>> That file content is thus;
>>
>> "
>> # Warning: This file is autogenerated by nvidia-prime. All changes to
>> this file will be lost.
>>
>> Section "ServerLayout"
>> Identifier "layout"
>> Screen 0 "nvidia"
>> Inactive "intel"
>> EndSection
>>
>> Section "Device"
>> Identifier "nvidia"
>> Driver "nvidia"
>> BusID "PCI:1@0:0:0"
>> EndSection
>>
>> Section "Screen"
>> Identifier "nvidia"
>> Device "nvidia"
>> # The internal display might not be connected
>> # to the nvidia card but we definitely want
>> # to be able to connect external displays later
>> #Option "AllowEmptyInitialConfiguration" "on"
>> Option "UseDisplayDevice" "none"
>> EndSection
>>
>> Section "Device"
>> Identifier "intel"
>> Driver "modesetting"
>> EndSection
>>
>> Section "Screen"
>> Identifier "intel"
>> Device "intel"
>> EndSection
>> "
>>
>
> Similarly, leading on from that, I thought that I would try it with
> the equivalent file from the Ubuntu 14.04 installation (the last one
> above, was from the Ubuntu 12.04 installation, being the installed
> operating system that is closest in release time, I believe, to Debian
> 6).
>
> But, I could not find an xorg.conf file, in the Ubuntu 14.04 installation.
>
> However, in thinking "maybe, while I am here, I should update the
> system", as it is in the same area, I found the information in the
> attached screenshot file - the Ubuntu 14.04 installation, which
> happily runs the external monitor, has available for installation, as
> did Ubunutu 12.04, the nvidia driver, and of the same version number,
> but, instead, Ubuntu 14.04 is using the nouveau driver, and,
> apparently, without an xorg.conf file, to run the external monitor,
> apparently without any problems.
>
> --
> Bret Busby
> Armadale
> West Australia
> ..............
>
> "So once you do know what the question actually is,
> you'll know what the answer means."
> - Deep Thought,
> Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
> "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
> A Trilogy In Four Parts",
> written by Douglas Adams,
> published by Pan Books, 1992
>
> ....................................................
>
I have now, again, examined another laptop computer that I have, which
successfully runs the external monitor, with Debian 6; the computer is
an Acer 5750G, with an nvidia GEForce GT520M.
I did not find an xorg.conf file under /etc/X11.
The command
lspci -nn | grep VGA
returns
"
:~# lspci -nn | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Sandy
Bridge Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0116] (rev 09)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation Device
[10de:0df7] (rev a1)
"
IIn running Synaptic, and searching on the string nvidia, to find what
nvidia drivers are installed (as I do not know how else to find that
information, in Debian 6), I found the following two packages
installed;
"
xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
X.Org X server -- Nouveau display driver (experimental)
Version: 1:0.0.15+git20100329+7858345-5
"
and
"
xserver-xorg-video-nv
X.Org X server -- NV display driver
Version: 1:2.1.17-3
"
So, I will try to install them, on the system with the GEForce GT750M,
and find what happens.
--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............
"So once you do know what the question actually is,
you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
A Trilogy In Four Parts",
written by Douglas Adams,
published by Pan Books, 1992
....................................................
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