Re: Fedora Core3 - nvidia - I can compile the driver - where to put it ?

From: Michael Heiming (michael+USENET_at_www.heiming.de)
Date: 12/31/04 

Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 10:50:03 +0100

In comp.os.linux.setup Nico Kadel-Garcia <nkadel@comcast.net>:

> "Andy Fraser" <andyfraser31@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:q9bda2-078.ln1@news.linuxuser.org.uk...
>> In comp.os.linux.setup, Michael Heiming uttered the immortal words:
>>
>>>> The nvidia installer runs normally as long as I
>>>> point it to the kernel source. The installer exists
>>>> without any complaints but I can not start X.
>>>> I get the annoying "Can not intialize module" error.
>>>
>>> You shot yourself effectively in the foot with using nvidia
>>> graphics, since the module is AFAIK proprietary binary only
>>> crap, which usually limits you to the kernel it was made for.
>>
>> ??? Proprietary yes, binary only no. The driver package from nvidia.com
>> contains the source code for the driver which compiles against the
>> currently running kernel as a last resort (kernel sources must be
>> installed).
>>
>> I've been using nVidia cards for ages with Linux with virtually no
>> problems.
>> I always buy nVidia because they're so trouble free with Linux.

> Nonsense. The "driver" contains a kernel *hook* to load their binary driver,

Ah see, so I was quite right with the "binary only crap" and the
driver (with source) Andy talked about doesn't do anymore then
load the proprietary module(s).

[..]

> This is bad, bad practice, and the non GPL code is why a Linux kernel with
> the NVidia drivers is reported as "tainted" when you load the drivers.

>> From what I've heard lately FC3 doesn't come with the kernel source. I
>> can't
>> believe that that's strictly true but anything's possible. If it is true
>> then compiling the nVidia drivers becomes damn near impossible unless
>> there's a package for FC3 either from the maintainers or nVidia.

> Of course it comes with kernel source! It's in the kernel-source RPM.

Yep, it might be confusing that there's a kernel-source*.rpm with
the source that will be installed to /usr/src/linux, needed to
compile things that require kernel source installed and a
kernel*.src.rpm. Needed to recompile the kernel*.rpm.

> Read again: NVidia drivers do not come with source, only a kernel module
> hook that has been causing Linux kernel developers to rip out what little
> remaining hair they have left because it encourages this sort of behavior.

Thx for clearing things up, couldn't easily verify, as I don't have
nvidia graphics, since I refuse to buy any hw that isn't
supported from a kernel downloaded from kernel.org.;) 

-- 
Michael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94)
mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'
#bofh excuse 448: vi needs to be upgraded to vii

Relevant Pages

  • Re: [Fedora] Re: Nvidia sucks, sucks, sucks !
    ... The problem was that installing the new kernel killed nvidia from ... -> There appears to already be a driver installed on your system ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: Warning: Latest Kernel Sources on Sid
    ... Kqemu and Nvidia's driver were hit by this. ... I am using nvidia module. ... booting in the new kernel version): ... Their installer is simple: ...
    (Debian-User)
  • Re: Fedora Core 6 HUGE problem - Binary drivers.
    ... in installing the driver that Nvidia makes freely available. ... The party-line argument that third party drivers cause support problems kind of falls on its face when the included driver doesn't work at all... ... the inability or refusal of the kernel developers to define a driver interface. ... In fedora the users lose. ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: F7 nvidia-96xx driver problem and [rant]
    ... I too use the NVIDIA driver. ... Now, if you can duplicate the problem using the nv driver, which we as a group, do have the src code for, then someone might be able to help you. ... So as long as you and I use that driver, there is absolutely zero chance that a kernel bug report filed by either of us will get more attention than cleared with a notabug, kernel is tainted note in bugzilla. ... You might also take your problem to nvidia, where legit bugs are usually fixed and new drivers issued in just a few days. ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: Fedora 7 - RPM Build Nvidia 9755 [revisited]
    ... Livna NVIDIA driver RPMs doesn't mean that the same problem exists ... to have to do it everytime I boot a different kernel, ... echo install of nvidia.ko driver failed ...
    (Fedora)
Loading