Issues with Nvidia driver on a laptop

English Hardware
1

Hello there,

I recently installed opensuse 11.3 (64-bit version) on a laptop from scratch. After the installation I used the 1-click install to add support for my NVIDIA graphic card.

From then on, system crashes during boot just before loading the graphic login.
I tried uninstalling the drivers and doing the installation manually, with no success.

Since then, the only way I have access to the desktop is by using the failsafe option during boot.
After that I got access to my pc in graphic mode, at a very low resolution (800x600)
If I run the NVIDIA X Server Settings, I get the following error message:
“You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver. Please edit your X configuration file (just run ‘nvidia-xconfig’ as root), and restart the X server”

if I run nvidia-xconfig, I got a new xorg.conf file, that is identical to the one I got before, here are the relevant lines:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Unknown"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Actually the system keeps on crashing at startup, unless I keep on using the failsafe mode, and the NVIDIA configuration utility keeps on giving the same error as above.

I did some searches on the internet to check some possible issues, and I verified that:

  • nomodeset appears in boot options in /boot/grub/menu.lst
  • in etc/sysconfig/kernel appears NO_KMS_IN_INITRD = yes
  • the following modules are blacklisted: vga16fb, nouveau, rivafb, nvidiafb, rivatv

these are the drivers I am using at the moment (got them using rpm -qa | grep nvidia):
nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-desktop-260.19.21_k2.6.34.0_12-19.1.x86_64
x11-video-nvidiaG02-260.19.21-20.1.x86_64

my kernel version: 2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop

KDE’s sysinfo correctly recognizes my video card as a GeForce GT 425M, and says that (at least in safe mode) I am running fbdev as 2D Driver.

Any suggestions to work it out?

2

Did you add nomodeset to the menu.lst?

Post result of this from su - terminal

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

nVidia Driver via Repo in 11.3 - Guide

3

Remove the created xorg.conf, try booting with ‘nomodeset’. What you describe is the nouveau driver not letting go of the card, thus the nvidia driver cannot use it.

FYI: /etc/X11/xorg.conf is deprecated, yet, when one is found, X will try to use it.

4

@ Knurpht: I deleted xorg.conf, but still the same behaviour

@ caf4926: here is my menu.lst

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Wed Dec  8 09:34:24 CET 2010
# THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader
# Configure custom boot parameters for updated kernels in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader

default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,4)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Desktop -- openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.7-0.5
    root (hd0,4)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS725050A9A360_100919PCJ400VLKGZ1KJ-part5 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS725050A9A360_100919PCJ400VLKGZ1KJ-part6 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x314 nomodeset
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.7-0.5
    root (hd0,4)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS725050A9A360_100919PCJ400VLKGZ1KJ-part5 showopts apm=off noresume edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x314
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.5-desktop
5

I come back with some more informations:

  • after a bit of testing, I discovered that the magic word that makes my system works (even if in low res) is “x11failsafe” added to the failsafe option in menu.lst

  • I played a bit around with this guide I found on the forum; and I created a xorg.conf file either using nvidia-xconfig or Xorg -configure. When I try to launch as normal user startx, the computer crashes

hope this may help to get closer to the solution

6

Did you ever try a manual install?

7

Just now…
I downloaded the driver from NVIDIA, went into console mode and successfully installed it.

Unfortunately, same behaviour as before when I launched startx

8

Darn.
I think you need the experts. My nvidia driver always just works, no questions asked. So I’m not a big problem solver here.
I always install manually from level 3
And I guess my next step in your situation would be check the guide by @oldcpu

9

Actually, I never had such problems with NVIDIA drivers too; as you said, I used to download them and everything was already bang-on

Unfortunately the guide you cited is just the one I mentioned before when I wrote that I was playing around with xorg.conf.
I think I will give a try to the nouveau driver, and see if it works. If not, I will try another distro (sigh!)

Thanks for your help!

10

nouveau worked on mine no problem
But there will be no desktop effects

I’m not sure I’d give up so easily though

When you removed your config files to try again.
Did you go to level 3 and run: Xorg -configure
And then follow the rest of the guide?

11

Yes exactly.

I tried once using nvidia-xsettings, and it crashed when, after getting back to normal user, I typed startx
Then I tried all the procedure again, using Xorg -configure instead. Same result

12

Just to be sure…
And when you very first installed the nVidia driver ( it was from the repo wasn’t it ) Did you just install it via Yast ( you said OneClick didn’t you ) - and then you just reboot, not trying anything else but that, just reboot. And it failed?

13

Exactly so!

14

Did you read this
Nvidia Installer HOWTO for openSUSE users

15

Its not clear to me that you followed the advice in the openSUSE-11.3 release notes, which suggests to disable KMS via YaST in such difficult cases. Nor can I tell if you booted with the nomodest parameter.

BEFORE installing the proprietary driver, you need to have done that.

16

That’s a new one on me! Do you have to be nude to use this parameter?

17

Such a prerequisite is not documented, but if it helps you to be nude - go ahead.

18

It helps if one types it correct! (which I did not).

Its “nomodeset”.

19

Unfortunately it did not work either…
I will repeat the procedure naked, then report again!

20

Did you follow the advice in the 11.3 release notes ? (I don’t recall instructions as to one’s apparel there :stuck_out_tongue: ).