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MrFahrenheit
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 Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:09 pm |
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Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:54 pm
Posts: 77
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I've been unable to get the latest nvidia drivers installed on my R5E50 system.
I followed the instructions on the wiki and downloaded them from nvidia's site.
The problem is that I can't seem to stop X and whenever I try to run the install script, it won't let me proceed because X is running.
I've seen many posts about restarting X but I need it to stay stopped.
I've tried telinit 3 but I was still told by the install program that X was running.
Is there an alternate way to install the 9xxx series of nVidia drivers? I'd like to install these because, from what I've read, they allow a different method of v-syncing that allows for xorg to not chew up so much cpu that it bogs down other processes.
Thanks and great job on R5E50!
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iscraigh
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:41 pm |
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Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:43 pm
Posts: 388
Location:
Nanaimo BC
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I have tried every method I can to install an older driver with no luck either. It seems simple but I get an error about X running no matter what way I try to stop it.
C
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whitepines
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:46 pm |
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Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:47 pm
Posts: 43
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You will need to edit /etc/inittab and temporarily comment out the bottom line.
Then run 'telinit 3'.
Then repeatedly run 'killall xinit' until it says xinit is no longer running.
But be forewarned, you may have to download, compile, and install the 2.6.19 kernel before you can build the nVidia kernel module (at least I had to).
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MrFahrenheit
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Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:56 pm |
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Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:54 pm
Posts: 77
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Ok, I renamed startx so that it wasn't called and then did killall xinit. Thanks for the help.
Next problem, the install fails with the following log:
Code: Using: nvidia-installer ncurses user interface
-> License accepted.
-> No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you li
ke the installer to attempt to download a kernel interface for your kernel f
rom the NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nvidia.com)? (Answer: Yes)
-> No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site;
this means that the installer will need to compile a kernel interface for
your kernel.
-> Performing CC sanity check with CC="cc".
-> Performing CC version check with CC="cc".
-> Kernel source path: '/lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13/build'
-> Kernel output path: '/lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13/build'
-> Performing rivafb check.
-> Performing nvidiafb check.
-> Performing Xen check.
-> Cleaning kernel module build directory.
executing: 'cd ./usr/src/nv; make clean'...
rm -f -f nv.o nv-vm.o os-agp.o os-interface.o os-registry.o nv-i2c.o nv.o nv
-vm.o os-agp.o os-interface.o os-registry.o nv-i2c.o nvidia.mod.o
rm -f -f build-in.o nv-linux.o *.d .*.{cmd,flags}
rm -f -f nvidia.{o,ko,mod.{o,c}} nv_compiler.h *~
rm -f -f stprof stprof.o symtab.h Modules.symvers
rm -f -rf .tmp_versions
rm -f Makefile
-> Building kernel module:
executing: 'cd ./usr/src/nv; make module SYSSRC=/lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13/b
uild SYSOUT=/lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13/build'...
sh ./conftest.sh "cc" "cc" /lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13/build /lib/modules/2.6
.18-chw-13/build cc_sanity_check full_output
sh ./conftest.sh "cc" "cc" /lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13/build /lib/modules/2.6
.18-chw-13/build select_makefile full_output
make --no-print-directory -f Makefile module
failed to determine PATCHLEVEL!
make[1]: *** [module] Error 1
make: *** [module] Error 2
-> Error.
ERROR: Unable to build the NVIDIA kernel module.
ERROR: Installation has failed. Please see the file
'/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details. You may find suggestions
on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux
driver download page at www.nvidia.com.
First, what does this mean.
Second, does anyone know how to fix it?
I've already downloaded the kernel source from cesman's post.
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whitepines
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:38 am |
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Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:47 pm
Posts: 43
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There are several issues with Cesman's kernel and the nVidia drivers.
The error you are getting is referring to a missing symbolic link in /lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13. The missing link is from the kernel source (/usr/src/linux) to /lib/modules/2.6.18-chw-13/source.
Seriously, it is much easier if you download a stock kernel from www.kernel.org (preferably the 2.6.18 kernel, as you won't have to rebuild LIRC and the other modules). Extract it in /usr/src, link /usr/src/linux to it. Then find the folder asm-i386 (I forget the exact location, but it's underneath include somewhere) and link it to asm (in the same directory).
Change into the /usr/src/linux directory, run make menuconfig, save the configuration file, run make.
Then run make install, say yes to updating lilo. Run make modules_install.
Execute nano /etc/lilo.conf and comment out the initrd line, as well as changing the kernel image to the one you just compiled.
Run lilo.
Reboot.
Remove the preinstalled nVidia driver packages (do a dpkg -l | grep nvidia, then a dpkg -r package_name).
Reboot again.
Try installing the nVidia drivers again, it worked for me! (Finally!  )
Hope this helps! 
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bbear
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:54 am |
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Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:00 pm
Posts: 158
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whitepines,
I just spotted your post, and at last I have some hope now of being able to install an nvidia driver which will hopefully get my tv-out working. I had been struggling for days getting nowhere. I had asked for help but had posted to the 'hardware' forum, maybe this was the wrong forum and so perhaps that is why no one has replied.
http://mysettopbox.tv/phpBB2/viewtopic. ... 8606#78606
KnoppMyth is all very new to me, and I started first by trying R5E50 and then hit problems with my nvidia card. It seems to me that it is quite difficult to resolve these issues, especially for a novice like me.
I also know now, to check my xorg.conf and not the XF86Config-4, since this no longer exists. Maybe I might find something in there which could explain why my tv-out isn't working. It might turn out that I don't need to install the later driver at all. I feel more confident now that I can sort this out.
This has been a steep learning curve but hey you don't learn anything if you dont have to work through a few problems 
Kevin
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MrFahrenheit
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:02 am |
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Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:54 pm
Posts: 77
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Thanks for the info, I'll try that out tonight. What driver version did you install with this method?
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whitepines
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:14 pm |
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Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:47 pm
Posts: 43
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The latest and greatest from nVidia's web site. All of the newer drivers should work OK.
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whitepines
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:19 pm |
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Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:47 pm
Posts: 43
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bbear,
In you /etc/X11 directory, there will be a file called xorg.conf.nvidia.tv.out.sample. Execute a Code: cp xorg.conf.nvidia.tv.out.sample xorg.conf and say yes when it asks if you want to overwrite xorg.conf. Run a Code: killall xinit and your TV out should work!
Note: That file disables a regular computer monitor. If you do not want that to happen, find the line in xorg.conf that says ConnectedMonitor and comment it out.
Hope this helps!
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bbear
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:50 pm |
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Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:00 pm
Posts: 158
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whitepines,
thanks for your help, I can't wait to get home and try this out tonight. Sounds like I was wrong all along by assuming that I needed to update the nvidia driver. Probably comes from using windows for so long and having the mindset that downloading and installing the latest video drivers was the first thing to try to fix a problem.
IF at some stage I need to upgrade to the latest nvidia driver do you think that your way will become the documented flow, or will the later driver(s) be incorporated into KmoppMyth (as .deb ?) at some point?
I have been reading up about creating Debian package files (.deb), thinking that I could just take the .run file from the Nvidia download and convert it to .deb. However, the process of creating the .deb looks tricky, and requires gcc and a number of other applications to be on my machine and for a config file to be set up. From what I have read though, the flow which installs from the .deb does seem to be much more straightforward. Shame Nvidia can't just post the .deb files, but I guess there must be a good reason for this.
At some point I am going to need to know how to customise my xorg.conf as I still have to resolve an issue with DVD playback not being smooth. I have seen people post examples of their xorg.conf which they claim works, but is there no gui for helping to customise the xorg.conf file?
My first impressions of KnoppMyth is that it does a tremendous job of streamlining the install of MythTV and the auto install is great for getting beginners like myself to at least get something up and running quickly. However the issue of resolving video card related issues seems to be a bit of a minefield,
Kevin
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whitepines
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 9:36 pm |
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Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:47 pm
Posts: 43
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I have no idea if KnoppMyth will release debs or not; I am not actually working on the project. 
I have been having problems with choppy DVD playback as well; my advice is to dump MythTV's internal DVD player for now and go with Xine. You will need to edit the field under Setup->Optical Disks->DVD->Playback (or something similar) and put this command in the blank box labeled External Player Command:
Code: xine -pfhq dvd://
Hope this helps!
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bbear
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:44 pm |
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Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:00 pm
Posts: 158
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whitepines,
I carried out the steps you suggested but still I can't get TV-OUT to work when I am in MythTV or KnoppMyth desktop.
When I boot up my computer I see the bios and debian messages output to both my monitor and my TV but as soon as the nvidia screen comes up and it boots to MythTV the TV-OUT turns off.
If I do a CTRL-ALT-F1 it goes to the mythtv login prompt and the TV-OUT comes back on. If I then log in as root and do a 'killall xinit' it goes back to MythTv and the TV-OUT turns off again.
I am wondering if I have a problem with the installed Nvidia driver and my old MX440 based card. I know that the 97xx drivers are not compatible as when I went to install the 97xx driver it told me that it was not compatible and that I needed to obtain the latest legacy (96xx) driver.
I am confused as to why the TV-OUT only fails when in MythTV or KnopMyth desktop, perhaps up till that point it is using some default vesa driver and not using the Nvidia driver at all?
Also, when in the KnoppMyth desktop when I do right click, apps/tools/NVidia TV-out it doesn't bring up any tv-out menu, it does nothing.
On your system, when you select the NVidia TV-out under the apps menu on KnoppMyth desktop what do you see?
thanks for the tip about using xine for DVD playback, I will give that a try,
thanks,
Kevin
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whitepines
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:29 pm |
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Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:47 pm
Posts: 43
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Kevin,
The reason that it works in text mode is that Linux is letting the video card deal with the video output stuff. As soon as the graphical mode is started, X reconfigures the graphics card, including the video outputs.
In all honesty, I have found R5B7 to be the best release of KnoppMyth so far. I have had nothing but problems with MythTV 0.20 (and 0.20-fixes)!!!
My only reason for upgrading to 0.20 was for the DVD burning support, so when I found Avi2DVD (a freeware Windows program that does an EXCELLENT job of creating DVDs), I abandoned 0.20 and all my problems went away!
Note that this is not KnoppMyth or Cecil's fault! KnoppMyth is a GREAT project, I will just be using an earlier version.
I think 0.20 needs to stabilize a bit before it is ready to be thrown at eveyone's different hardware configurations!
Anyway, just my $0.02
Tim
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tjc
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:30 pm |
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Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:00 am
Posts: 9551
Location:
Arlington, MA
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bbear wrote: I am confused as to why the TV-OUT only fails when in MythTV or KnopMyth desktop, perhaps up till that point it is using some default vesa driver and not using the Nvidia driver at all?
Maybe I've been doing this too long but why would this be confusing? It happens when the card switches modes from old fashioned hardwired, bog standard, undemanding, never fail, text mode to over to the infinite possible nonstandard variations of graphics mode. The problem is typically that the graphics mode it's trying to use don't work with either the card or the display it's connected to.
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bbear
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:52 pm |
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Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:00 pm
Posts: 158
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ok, good point. It is just like the old bog standard video output like you say. Just like when I first boot up a brand new machine before I have ever installed any video drivers. sorry just me being stupid 
Maybe I should just take Tim's advice and abandon R5E50 for now. DVD burning was also an important factor for me, but since there is an alternative that is hopefully not a problem.
Before I try R5B7 I would lke to mention that I tried 'install-nvidia-debian.sh 1.0-8776 -force' as root, and with X stopped but it gave out some error messages. They flew off the screen and I did not know where to look for the logfile so I cannot report them here. However in digging around. trying to find the log I did stumble upon the following file ..
/var/log/dpkg.log and if I do a tail of this I see ..
Status: unpacked nvidia-glx 1.08776-1
Status: half-configured nvidia-glx 1.0.8776-1
Status: installed nvidia-glx 1.0.8776-1
so, I am hoping that going by that last message that I can ignore those error messages from install-nvidia-debian.sh
Also in /usr/local/bin I found 'check-nvidia-driver-version.pl' so I ran this perl script and it told me that I had 1.0-9629 installed, which since it is a '96xx' driver, should be ok for my GF4 MX440 card.
Unless anyone else has any suggestions I will go ahead and take Tim's suggestion and try out R5B7,
thanks for all your help and suggestions,
Kevin
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