Is a downgrade of X software components feasible/useful?

English Hardware
#1

I tried to keep my graphic card running by the driver “NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-304.88.run” for a while. I have dared to update some components with software from the repository “http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/X11:/XOrg/openSUSE_13.1/”.
Unfortunately, the desired display of the desktop environment will not start at the moment.

  • It seems that the X11 API version does not fit any more.
  • I stumble also on an error message like “undefined symbol: _glapi_tls_Context”.

Are there any chances to get the full graphic display back by downgrading relevant X software components?

#2

As far as I know, the problem is that “NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-304.88.run”, as provided by nvidia, won’t build drivers with 3.10 or later kernels. There are patches that you can find on the web. I decided to stick with the nouveau driver.

#3

What openSUSE version are you using?
The driver version 304.88 is too old and doesn’t work on oS 13.1 (the kernel module doesn’t even compile).
The current version (304.117) works though, so better install that one.

And if you’re not using 13.1 you added the wrong X11:XOrg repo!

I have dared to update some components with software from the repository “http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/X11:/XOrg/openSUSE_13.1/”.
Unfortunately, the desired display of the desktop environment will not start at the moment.

  • It seems that the X11 API version does not fit any more.
  • I stumble also on an error message like “undefined symbol: _glapi_tls_Context”.

The nvidia driver doesn’t work at all with the latest XOrg (which is not even released yet). Nvidia still has to adapt their driver, that will take a while.
So if you want to use the nvidia driver, stay away from that repo!

Otherwise it should work fine.
But you have to switch all packages to the versions in that repo. It won’t work if you only upgrade a few packages!
See http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Vendor_change_update#Full_repository_Vendor_change

Are there any chances to get the full graphic display back by downgrading relevant X software components?

Yes.
But again, you have to change back all packages that you switched to that repo.

Depending on your repo list, the easiest way may be to remove that repo and run “sudo zypper dup”. But beware, this could also break your system depending on the repos you added to your system.

#4

I have noticed that the package “ftp://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/13.1/x86_64/nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-desktop-304.108_k3.11.6_4-31.2.x86_64.rpm” became available again. Where do you find the version that you mentioned?

#5

On the nvidia’s download page:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

I mentioned this one because you were talking about the 304.88 .run installer.

But the RPM in the repo works as well, because it is patched to compile on kernel 3.11.

So which one to take rather depends on whether you want to install “the easy way” or “the hard way”…

#6

On 2013-12-17 18:16, elfring wrote:
>
> I tried to keep my graphic card running by the driver
> “NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-304.88.run” for a while. I have dared to update
> some components with software from the repository
> “http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/X11:/XOrg/openSUSE_13.1/”.
> Unfortunately, the desired display of the desktop environment will not
> start at the moment.
>
> - It seems that the X11 API version does not fit any more.
> - I stumble also on an error message like “undefined symbol:
> _glapi_tls_Context”.

You updated X. As the Nvidia driver replaces some components of X, the
upgrade of X removes them. Thus you have to reinstall the NVidia driver.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.3 x86_64 “Dartmouth” at Telcontar)

#7

Thanks for your link.

I mentioned this one because you were talking about the 304.88 .run installer.

I would like to point out that I get this result “http://www.nvidia.de/download/driverResults.aspx/59894/” still from the manual download search for a “GeForce 7 Series” driver. I am curious if the involved data base will also be updated there.

Does anybody know more about the shown version differences?

#8

For some reason the search only lists older drivers.
Others have mentioned that also here in the forums.

And that’s not just since the latest update. There were some other versions released since 304.88.

Why that is or when it gets fixed, I don’t know. You would have to ask NVidia…