[Sussex]The first of the Debian based confusion(s)

[John D.]

Thomas Adam wrote:

>On Mon, May 02, 2005 at 12:35:12AM -0400, John D. wrote:
>  
>
>>Further to my last post, the opera installed OK.
>>
>>The nvidia driver installer is complaining about missing
>>/lib/modules/2.6.11/source/include/kernel.h - which I'm presuming
>>would be the "kernel-sources"???? (which I always had to go and get
>>with mandrake - gentoo doens't use "their" installer, they've made
>>their own).
>>    
>>
>
>You'll be wanting to do the following:
>
>apt-get install kernel-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential module-assistant 
>
>... *Don't* use the nvidia installer -- it's useless.  When you're
>compiling things against the kernel as modules, you only ever need the
>headers -- under Debian, headers, and source are often separated, so as
>to minimise the bloat.  'Build-essential' is a meta-package to install
>compiler-related files as well as header files.
>
>m-a a-i nvidia 
>
>.. I forget what this does.
>
>apt-get install nvidia-glx nvidia-settings 
>
>... self-explanatory.
>
>echo nvidia >> /etc/modules 
>
>... This is done so that the nvidia kernel module is loaded on each
>successive (re)boot.
>
>modprobe nvidia 
>
>... This loads it for the current session.
>
>dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86.
>
>... so that you can select nvidia as your correct device driver for your
>card.
>
>You'll also need to ensure that in your /etc/sources.list file, for the
>deb lines you have listed that you include:
>
>contrib non-free
>
>HTH,
>
Yes thanks, Thomas, I think I'm in the right direction, but not quite 
there. Most of it seems to be doing something, except that when I try 
modprobe nvidia, I get the "FATAL : module not found" error report. I'm 
not sure if it's connected with when I do the m-a  a-i nvidia, it starts 
off doing "stuff" (too fast too read), but then gets so far and offers 
the choice of View (examine the build log file), Continue (skip and 
continue with the next operation) and Stop (stop processing the build 
commands).

I wouldn't know what I was looking at with the build log file anyway, so 
if I try the "continue" option, I just get dumped out at a # prompt (Oh 
I've just noticed that the "module assistant, interactive mode says that 
the build of the nvidia-kernel-source failed!.

It seems to be failing at one of the make points. It seems to be 
"calling KBUILD" then proceeds to enter the 
/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.11/scripts/gcc-version.sh: but reports no 
such file or directory.
make[3]: entering directory /usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.11
make[4]: scripts/Makefile.build: No such f' or d'
make[4]: *** No rule to make target scripts/Makefile.build . Stop.
make[3]: ***[_module_/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv] Error 2
make[3]: Leaving directory /usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.11
NVIDIA: left KBUILD.
nvidia.ko failed to build!
make[2]: *** [module] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nv
make[1]: ***[build-stamp] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory /sr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel
make: *** [kdist_image] Error 2

As I say, I don't know what the error is telling me. So I'm not so sure 
that I even know what too look for?

Any further advice ??? (all of which has been very much appreciated - 
without it, I'd be totally lost).

regards

John D.