NVIDIA 3

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I have 5 linux distros on my PC with nvidia card GT 250. When I use nvidia driver 295 installed hard way: sh NVIDIA etc. in openSUSE 12.2 there is no problem. As soon as I use NVIDIA driver 3, no login screen appears. I would like to solve this problem generally. What I should do for example for Sabayon 10? Is fault in NVIDIA driver 3? I am long term user of linux, I like nearly all distros but I do not know how to solve this problem.

2

I am not sure if this is the cause of your problem or not, but have you blacklisted the Novoau driver and disabled the kms (yast, sysconfig, system, kernel, no_kms = yes) I know the knew nvidia drivers offer these options on install but not sure the 295 does that

3

Of course I have.Driver 295 is fully functioned.

4

Actually, its possible to have the nouveau still loaded with the nVIDIA driver. You can’t get nVIDIA to install with it loaded, but blacklisting is required to keep the driver at bay. For anyone not sure what is loaded, have a look at this bash script:

S.K.I.M. - SuSE Kernel Installed Modules - A lsmod replacement- Creates Alphabetized Module Listing - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

For anyone wanting to load the nVIDIA driver the hard way, have a look here:

Installing the nVIDIA Video Driver the Hard Way - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

If you would like to have a script to install the nVIDIA driver, have a look here:

LNVHW - Load NVIDIA (driver the) Hard Way from runlevel 3 - Version 1.46 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

If you compile your own kernel, its possible to install the nVIDIA driver using DKMS with SANDI, have a look here:

S.A.N.D.I. - SuSE Automated NVIDIA Driver Installer - Version 1.47 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

And to install that latest Linux Kernel, have a look here:

S.A.K.C. - SUSE Automated Kernel Compiler - Version 2.78 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

I can say I have not had an issue loading the latest nVIDIA driver, but I use the latest stable kernel as well, up to 3.5.4 right now under openSUSE 12.2.

Thank You,

5

Having just installed 12.2 and taken a good look at the new install sequence,
Nothing much has changed with the nouveau driver. The fact that it’s faulty is well known but is not fixed properly is a mystery. The problem is even now described in some detail in the official 12.2 Release Notes. READ IT (if you didn’t during Install or aren’t able to open YAST in front of you, openSUSE 12.2 Release Notes).

I found that on initial install, the nouveau driver works fine. On first reboot after finished install everything will go haywire unless you do something pre-emptively. Easiest is to simply add the nVidia Repo as listed in the Community Repos. Amazingly just adding the repo seems to already mark the proper replacement driver for downloading, just run YAST Software Management to finish the d/l and install. On reboot, you’ll be using the Proprietary Driver.

If you don’t fix the problem pre-emptively, updating the driver to Proprietary requires different steps from before. The “Failsafe Desktop” no longer works, I found that you an instead perform the following steps:

After booting into a messed up display,

  1. Click CTL-ALT-BACKSPACE twice which will logout of the current session.
  2. Logon to Root, you should find like I did that the display is fine even if you don’t want to stay logged into Root
  3. While logged into root add the nVidia Repo from the Community Repos list
  4. Open Software Management and click “Accept”
  5. Reboot.
    You’ll be golden with no problems.

Alternative is to follow the instructions in the Release Notes which is the same as previously often recommended in these Forums, configuring NOMODESET.

HTH,
TSU