[SLUG] NVidia kernel module

[Ian Eade at IGM]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: scarborough-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk 
> [mailto:scarborough-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk] On Behalf Of 
> Gavin Baker
> Sent: 02 November 2003 20:00
> To: pdt at rcsuk.fsnet.co.uk; Scarborough Linux User Group
> Subject: Re: [SLUG] NVidia kernel module
> 
> 
> On Sun, Nov 02, 2003 at 07:19:45PM +0000, Paul Teasdale wrote:
> > I have just been getting very frustrated with the official NVidia 
> > graphics
> > driver for Linux. I was just about at the point of posting 
> a question onto 
> > the SLUG mailing list for help when I discovered what the 
> problem was. I have 
> > posted this message in case it may help someone else.
> <snip>
> > To cut a long and frustrating story short the latest NVidia 
> graphics 
> > driver
> > had changed my modules configuration file (/etc/modules.conf) from:
> > 
> > alias char-major-195 NVdriver
> > 
> > to
> > 
> > alias char-major-195 NVidia
> 
> The name of the kernel module changed from "NVdriver" to 
> "nvidia" a while ago. A mixed case module name seemed silly. 
> A lot of people have had problems with the latest driver 
> being unstable (Chris included), and downgrading as you have 
> seems the only way to fix it.
> 
> > but the old installation did not change it back to 
> NVdriver. Therefore 
> > when I
> > complied and installed the old NVidia driver it was also 
> loaded into memory 
> > by 'make install' until I rebooted. After reboot NVidia 
> could not be loaded 
> > because my older copy of the NVidia driver is actually 
> called NVdriver.
> 
> I just add the module name to /etc/modules(.autoload).
> 
> Regards,
> Gav


Having found out that Debian would install on my XP box (Mandrake and
Redhat don't like USB CD/DVD drives) I now have it set up, however the X
server would not accept my nvidia card and continually crashed. After
downloading 8MB of Linux nVidia driver stuff I got a problem installing
them as the source header files version did not match the current
kernel. To make things worse none of the source header files Debian has
on the install DVD match the kernel. Opting to look for plan B (as
opposed to downloading more files) I found a way of setting up a simple
vga display with a vesa card and it worked, now when I look at my
graphics set up its listed as nVidia with all the correct settings (?).
Just to rub salt in I looked in the Debian package manager and found a
set of nVidia drivers etc, however everything works so I am not going to
tempt fate by installing them. And despite opting for KDE as the display
manager I got Gnome.

Aside from this "small" but show stopping problem I am wondering what
has Debian got in its favour over other distro's aside from its open
source ethical stance? I have used Mandrake for years and its easy
enough to install, runs well and is easy to maintain, if all apps use
the same kernel (or near enough) then aside from personal taste whats
the difference?. Debian is trickier to install, I ended up installing
(accidental mouse click somewhere) 1.6GB of apps (?) and it looks like
some time is going to be required to set everything up (server,
database, programs etc). With Mandrake I had a running
server/database/php/perl etc setup within an hour, I also got sound and
the same (functionaly) package manager as Debian. Not much point in
having a 5.1 sound system when I have not got sound or a media player.

Maybe after a while I'll find everything that Debian has to offer and
forget about Mandrake, however its going to take some persuading (not to
mention time and effort). As for Linux heading for desktop status, some
distro's have a long way to go before the average user will accept this
sort of carry on.

Regards

Ian


Ps
1GB of RAM and an AMD 2600 chip makes Linux run quiet well
I use XP as Baldur's Gate II will only run on windows, not that I am a
zealot for anything :)

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