Re: Nvidia graphic card and newer kernels (open source driver)
Malte Marwedel composed on 2021-04-23 18:31 (UTC+0200):
> Any Ideas? I don't want to install the closed source module, I had
> enough pain with fglrx ~10 years ago.
I've never installed NVidia's proprietary drivers on any PC I own. I did do an
install once too many moons ago to remember on someone else's NVIDIA G98 [GeForce
8400 GS Rev. 2] (which since became mine).
These are the NVidia cards I have in current use, all running on the FOSS default
DIX driver, Modesetting:
NVIDIA C61 [GeForce 6150SE nForce 430]
NVIDIA G84 [GeForce 8600 GT]
NVIDIA G98 [GeForce 8400 GS Rev. 2]
NVIDIA GF108 [GeForce GT 630]
NVIDIA GF119 [NVS 310]
NVIDIA GT218 [GeForce 210]
The FOSS X drivers from upstream are in source packages named xf86-video-<name>.
Debian releases them compiled in the form xserver-xorg-video-<name>. They are
called DDX as shorthand for device dependent X. The Modesetting DIX is newer
technology, provided by the X server package itself, so is not optional. DIX is
shorthand for device independent X. It supports AMD, ATI, Intel, NVidia and other
brands of GPUs for which a kernel driver exists. All DDX and DIX depend on KMS.
Use of either nomodeset or *.modeset=0 on a kernel command line disables KMS, thus
disabling their use.
xf86-video-nouveau is unique among all other X drivers in that it is created and
maintained via reverse engineering, as NVidia refuses to release specifications
required for the FOSS community to conveniently and completely develop device
drivers, quite unlike AMD and Intel, who do most of the actual development for the
FOSS DDX drivers amdcpu and intel.
The gist of all the above is that in a fresh installation of Debian that excludes
all xserver-xorg-video-<name>, Xorg and Xwayland should just work with all
non-ancient AMD, Intel and NVidia GPUs released before some short period of months
or weeks prior to the release of the applicable Debian release, which clearly
includes the GeForce GTX 660.
Once a proprietary NVidia driver installation has been attempted, all bets are
off. Until all traces of an NVidia driver installation are eradicated, a FOSS DDX
or DIX cannot be used, though either of the poorly performing non-accelerated
generics, from xserver-xorg-video-fbdev or xserver-xorg-video-vesa, can typically
be utilized for the purpose of troubleshooting a DDX or DIX problem.
--
Evolution as taught in public schools is, like religion,
based on faith, not based on science.
Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!
Felix Miata *** http://fm.no-ip.com/
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