Re: nVidia drivers don't work

From: J.O. Aho (user_at_example.net)
Date: 10/24/03 

Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 17:26:59 +0200

Borys wrote:
> I made the appropriate changes in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 (you can see my
> file here: http://brustracja.sourceforge.net/logs/XF86Config-4)

Nothing to complain there.

> When I try to start X, the nVidia logo appears (good quality) and then
> the mouse pointer which I can move on the screen. Then the system hangs up.
> Actually once or twice it happened to load the whole fvwm, the apps and
> so, and it hang up then ;P
> I cannot use the keyboard, switch desktops, anything. I just have to
> restart by CTRL+ALT+DEL.

I'm not sure to say if this faul is the nVidia driver or the XFree86.
But the combination of those two can make that the XFree86/nVidia crashes if
the XFree86 is reset or change resolution after a startup of XFree86.

Sometimes it's enough to change the AGP driver, this you can do with an option
line in the Device section, try out the nVidia-AGP, the kernel-AGP or no-AGP.

  Option "NvAGP" "1" # nvidia
  Option "NvAGP" "2" # kernel
  Option "NvAGP" "0" # no

Yes, there is an option 3 too, but what it does is try to load the kernel
module, if not found, then use the nvidia agp driver.

I know this don't always help at all. I have two machines, running different
distros and kernels, both with a nVidia based gfx-card and different chipsets,
but the same problem.

I don't have the same problem as you, I guess your XFree86 changes resolution
during start of the graphical environment (mine don't, I run into kdm, KDEs
loginmanager), but if you can get it to not to do that, then you can still
login as root and issue the "fix" (this works only during the current boot, if
you reboot, then you need to issue it again), 'killall -9 X', after this
XFree86 works fine.

I should say that the chipsets I have at the moment are KT133 w GF2MX200 and
nForce2 w GF4Ti4200, I had XFree86 work really well on KT600 w GF4Ti4200, but
sadly the mainboard got killed and I couldn't get a new KT600 board here in
sweden and the store where I bought it is on the other side of the world.

> What else could I have done wrong? I'm really losing hope I can ever get
> these drivers to work...

You could try to use an older version of the driver, think you need to skip
the two-three latest.

> I'd be extremely thankful for any kind advice.

My advice is that you write a bugreport to linux-bugs@nvidia.com, don't forget
to include chipset, manufactor of gfx-card and mainboard and so on.
The more people that reports this bug, the more they will be working on it.

  //Aho

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