Kernal patch & Nvidia drivers

After the recent Kernel Patch 2.6.37.6 & NVidia upgrades, I was unable to login. My splash screen would appear and and just hang there.

I was able to remove the NVidia drivers and can boot now. Is there a dependency issue to be able to run the patch and NVidia drivers? System was fine before upgrades.

Opensuse 11.4 Gnome 2

I installed the new 2.6.37.6 kernel on two PCs. One PC has a nVidia GTX-260 graphic card with a 64-bit openSUSE-11.4 install (with the 270.41.06 nvidia driver) and the other PC has a much older nVidia FX5200 graphic card with a 32-bit openSUSE-11.4 install (with 173.14.28 nvidia driver). In both cases after updating to the latest 2.6.37.6 kernel and then rebooting and rebuilding the proprietary nvidia driver(s) the manual way (also called ‘the hardway’ (which is not hard)) I found X would not start and I was thrown back into a full screen text mode.

The solution for me was to blacklist the nouveau driver, rebooting and rebuilding the nvidia driver - and then X would boot ok with proprietary nvidia driver(s). Please read post#9 and #10 in this thread: Kernel Update Goes Well! where I go into more detail.

Good luck and I hope that helps.

Thank you, I will give that a try.

Silly question from SDB:NVIDIA the hard way - openSUSE it says,

To install the driver you need to log out and under the shutdown options choose “console login”.

I don’t see an option to do that at shutdown or start up; how do I get to a console at start-up? And if I have to change something can I revert it back to have the normal boot instead of console.

Also, as said,

Disable Kernel Mode Setting (KMS)

openSUSE 11.3 uses KMS by default, which is not supported by the proprietary Nvidia driver, therefore you have to disable it.

Add nomodeset to the boot options in /boot/grub/menu.lst

Also remove it from the initrd. Edit /etc/sysconfig/kernel and set NO-KMS-IN-INITRD = yes . Then run:

mkinitrd

I checked
/boot/grub/menu.lst and after which line do I add nomodeset

Finally when do I blacklist nouvea? After loading the NVidia driver in the console at startup?

I do not know about timing of activities when installing the proprietary nvidia driver via the repository method.

But if one is installing the nVidia driver in run level 3 via the .run file (the manual way which some call “the hardway” (which is not hard)) then I typically blacklist the nouveau driver BEFORE rebooting to run level 3 to build the proprietary nVidia driver.

I’m not sure where I went wrong, but I’m back to loading OpenSuse in Icewm and unable to in Gnome or KDE.

I followed the instructions from Nvidia the hard-way and I still have trouble. When I go to log into Gnome or KDE, and after the login the screen asks for my password, the splash screen just hangs and never logs in.

I did as you did (Although I run Gnome)

After updating I rebooted to run level 3 (with ‘nomodeset’ specified) and rebuilt the proprietary 270.41.06 video driver manually (ie what they call ‘the hardway’ which is NOT hard). Previous I was running KDE4 successfully with the 260.19.36 version of the nVidia driver). Note I also have yast > System > /etc/sysconfig Editor > System > Kernel > NO_KMS_IN_INITRD equal to “yes” (which was necessary for the 260.xx.xx version build previous).

then I

Code:

echo “blacklist nouveau” >> /etc/modprobe.d/50-blacklist.conf

I haven’t checked the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file

will do that next

No errors stood in var/log/xorg, but I’m not sure what else to look for.

That does not (necessarily) sound like a graphics issue. Have you tried with a new user? Just to see it you are able to log in to KDE or Gnome with that account.

i was running the suse nvidia driver
WAS
until this update
then hang and hang and hang
failsafe boot then …

back to the tried and true .run "NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-270.41.06.run "

uninstalled the nvidia rpm
checked to make sure my nvidia-installer file still was there

/etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.conf


blacklist nouveau
options nouveau modeset=0

installed the run and up and running

Lord_Emsworth, I tried a new user and the same issue occurs a freezing screen that doesn’t boot to the desktop.

JohnVV,
did you install Nvidia the hardway?
You said,

back to the tried and true .run "NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-270.41.06.run "

uninstalled the nvidia rpm
checked to make sure my nvidia-installer file still was there

/etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.conf
Code:

blacklist nouveau
options nouveau modeset=0

installed the run and up and running

So you installed NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-270.41.06.run in safemode being the driver from NVidia website?
How did you uninstall NVida rpm?
Then you ran /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.conf
Finally, blacklist nouveau
options nouveau modeset=0

I’m just trying to clarify that was your procedure?

well i have been installing the .run since `04

it is a “no brainer” after 6+ years

the “/etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.conf” is basically the same as the file “50.blacklist”
but with one more line ( past red hat/fedora/cent/SL experience )

from the nvidia web site i DL andf save it to Downloads
that as root


su -
mv *.run /

and put it on / ( for ease of use )

So you installed NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-270.41.06.run in safemode being the driver from NVidia website?

?? safemode ?? – this in not MS windows

install it as NORMAL in text only boot
or
kill x as per the nvidia instructions ( telinit 3)

something like this - start to stop


su -
telinit 3 
--- reloogin as root --
cd /
sh *.run 

fallow the on screen instructions – simple
reboot

… as of openSUSE-11.3 the file naming convention for what goes in the /etc/modprobe.d/ directory was changed. My understanding is any file WITHOUT a number in front (as part of the file name) in that directory is supposed to be ignored.

So unless I am wrong, and I could be wrong, your custom blacklisting is out of date and would not work.

I will try the NVidia the hardway one more time, based on oldcpu, suggestion,

… as of openSUSE-11.3 the file naming convention for what goes in the /etc/modprobe.d/ directory was changed. My understanding is any file WITHOUT a number in front (as part of the file name) in that directory is supposed to be ignored.

JohnVV as you said,

?? safemode ?? – this in not MS windows

You got to understand, I lost Gnome after a kernel update: I worked on it for a few hours: I put it down; then I got up a 5am, and blasted a quick response to all of those who responded; I wanted to show my appreciation; unfortunately I didn’t spell check, and used an old term I haven’t had to use since 2007.

Hi.

I’m also having problems since updating nvidia to the latest 270 and also installing the latest kernel patch on my laptop, login gets stuck at showing the openSUSE splash and a progress bar at approximately 80%, then nothing more happens.

I get the feeling that “behind” the splash KDE comes up, I can hear the familiar sounds when my KDE desktop is coming up, but I cannot see it since the splash wont go away.

I have installed nvidia 270 “the hard way” (I wont say it’s not hard, that seems to have become a mantra around here :-)), setting NO_KMS_IN_INITRD to “yes” in /etc/sysconfig/kernel, adding nomodeset when booting and blacklisting nouveau in 50-blacklist.conf. On top of that I completely removed nouveau from the system using zypper.

What is interesting is that when I try to remotely login to the laptop using NX this succeeds (the laptop itself is still stuck at the splash). Checking up “My Computer” in the remote session shows I’m using the nvidia driver for 2D but for 3D it only says “(6.4.1))”, exactly like I’ve written it with parenthesis and all. Shouldn’t it say something like “NVIDIA 270.41.06”?

Building the driver resulted in no errors, I let the nvidia-xconfig generate an xorg.conf file for me. The /var/log/Xorg.0.log shows no errors when loading the nvidia driver, in fact I can see no error messages anywhere. Still I cannot get into my system other than remotely using NX.

Sorry to read about your difficulty. Your post was pretty all inclusive, except for a few very important items (which I know is intutively obvious to you) which is

  1. your EXACT hardware (There have to be dozens of different graphic hardware implementations of nVidia cards) and
  2. whether your openSUSE version is 11.0, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, tumbleweed, factory ?
  3. whether your openSUSE version is 32-bit or 64-bit ?
  4. does a roll back to the last 260.xx.xx version work (260.19.44 I think) ?
  5. are you using a DVI connection or VGA connection to your monitor ?

Unfortunately answering that is NOT likely to help you, but it might help perform a systemic assessment as to who has this problem and who does not (have the problem).

Hi again.

I can confirm that reverting back to nvidia driver 260.19.44 solves the problem.

I installed this driver the same way I installed the nvidia 270.41.06 driver that didn’t work; the hard way downloading the installer from nvidias site, setting parameter NO_KMS_IN_INITRD=“yes” in /etc/sysconfig/kernel and adding “blacklist nouveau” to /etc/modprobe.d/50-blacklist.conf (in fact, I completely uninstalled nouveau using zypper).

My system is openSUSE 11.4, KDE 4.6.2, kernel 2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop, 64 bit.

So nvidia 270.41.06 seems to be broken.

 Regards, Micke.

Should add it’s a laptop so the monitor is integrated, nvidia hardware is GeForce Go 7400.

Broken for you on 11.4. Not broken for me.

I have 270.41.06 working on three different PCs with openSUSE-11.3 (different graphic hardware and combination 32-bit/64-bit openSUSE-11.3) and on one PC with 64-bit openSUSE-11.4 (GTX260) with DVI connection.

I confess I added a last minute edit.

Is your connect DVI or VGA ? Also what hardware ? ie FX5200 , G210, GTX 260 ? … etc …

… my apologies for asking for so much detail, but unless we have the detail to see a pattern, we end up with nothing constructive.

*Edit: I note this edit to your post “Should add it’s a laptop so the monitor is integrated, nvidia hardware is GeForce Go 7400.” … *

**

I had the same problem, and for me the workaround was:

  • uninstall nvidia packages
  • login as expected into KDE4
  • un-check the option for “Desktop Effects” in the Personal Settings
  • install back nvidia drivers
    Now I can login to KDE4 as expected, and have 3D driver working as well. I don’t have those fancy 3D effects, though, but … I don’t quit miss them anyway…

Would you try and see if it’s the case for you, too ?

You may have installed the driver, but are you using it? Can be seen by opening Konqueror and typing ‘sysinfo:/’ in the address bar.

I’ve been installing the latest NVIDIA driver ‘the hard way’ on all systems I manage, no issues at all. Points are:

  • NO_KMS_IN_INITRD = yes
  • nouveau driver needs to be blacklisted
    That’s all.