It’s documented in the howto’s that you need to have the nomodeset kernel parameter specified if you want to run the proprietary Nvidia driver. But I read in certain posts that this is only required for “older” graphics cards.
Can someone shed some light on this? Is the parameter ALWAYS required when running the nvidia driver, or only for certain graphic cards?
twelveeighty Asks:
Is the (kernel) parameter (nomodeset) ALWAYS required when running the nvidia (proprietary) driver? Answer=YES
You should look at this document before proceeding on…
SDB:Configuring graphics cards - openSUSE
Then, take a look at the procedure I use to install the nVidia driver as I install openSUSE 11.3:
- During the install, when you have the option to change your booting setup, I add nomodeset to the kernel load command for the normal load/start of openSUSE. This kernel startup option is already present for the Failsafe selection for openSUSE.
- During the first start of openSUSE, I download the latest nVidia Video driver to the downloads folder.
- I change/save the System/Kernel option NO_KMS_IN_INITRD from “No” to “Yes” in the /etc/sysconfig Editor in Yast.
- I do an update of openSUSE on the first run of openSUSE and then a restart/reboot.
- In grub OS selection I add the command line option “3” to the openSUSE start line so that I just go to the run level three terminal prompt.
- I login in as root and change to the /home/user/Downloads folder.
- I run/install the NVIDIA video driver using “sh ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-256.35.run” and answer all questions as appropriate for my system.
- Type in reboot at terminal prompt to restart the system with new video driver.
Thank You,
When I set the Nvidia driver up on 11.3 RC1 I was simply able to uninstall the nouveau driver in YaST and then install the proprietary driver without changing any Kernel parameters, but that doesn’t work under GM.
Thanx for the informative post, James again! 
Thanx for the informative post, James again!
Happy to help rschaffter. Let anyone else know about this if you see another post concerning changing their default video driver and particularly if they are using nVidia.
Thank You,
Yes, that was pretty much the procedure I followed and it’s working well, but I was curious to hear if it was only required for older cards, since my laptop is quite new.
Are we missing anything with having that nomodeset on? Is there a performance penalty for having it switched on?
I’ve been reading a lot since the launch of 11.3, and some problems with nouveau. I tried to uninstall the nouveau under YaST, but the modules are still loaded after i reboot my computer.
Also I had to enter in the Failsafe option to compile the Official Nvidia Driver, after a successful install the reboot gave me no X. After that i just gave the nomodeset option in grub, everything is working like a charm. But the Nouveau module is still runnning, din’t know if i can get rid of it or if it could bring problems.
Also, my Nvidia Card isn’t old, is a GTS250 1Gb and didn’t get any problems im OpenSuse 11.2
twelveeighty Asks:
Are we missing anything with having that nomodeset on? Is there a performance penalty for having it switched on?
There is no penalty using the kernel load option nomodeset which allows the nVidia binary driver to load and no penalty using the kernel option NO_KMS_IN_INITRD=No which prevents the Nouveau from trying to load with the nVidia binary driver at the same time. In both cases we are talking about using the nVidia proprietary binary driver you are downloading directly from nVidia to work with your video card and selected based on using either 32 or 64 bit copy of openSUSE 11.3.
Thank You,
On a side note, to add “nomodeset” to the kernel parameters, simply copy/paste and execute (by pressing the Return key ;)) the following line in a root shell:
sed -i '/^ *kernel / s/$/ nomodeset/' /boot/grub/menu.lst
Well i think i tried just about everything under the sun to get my Gforce 5600 and openSUSE 11.3 to work but i just would not work. Went back to openSUSE 11.2 and installed Nvidia drivers just fine. I will just have to wait till they update the drivers or a fix comes out now that one is on my spare desktop not much to that one. But with this happening to 11.3 and Nvidia drivers i’m just worried to do my main desktop GeForce GTX 260 16GB Ram dual core but i guess i can wait till i build my AMD 6 core.
brad455 if you are using a legacy nVidia driver, you need to look at the following thread:
Seems like there is a way to startx with a run time option that might let you go. When x does no start, use the following terminal command:
startx -- -ignoreABI
Thank You,
I’ll have to try this one this weekend because i sure would like to get 11.3 on the other desktop. I like 11.3 a lot it boots faster and runs nice just wanted the 3d effects, really don’t use them that much just like to have them some times.
Thanks pbleser! Wasn’t sure what they meant by that.
I am using 11.3 on a Dell Latitude D830 (notebook screen + external screen):
ucl02564:~ # lspci -vv|grep -i nvidia
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation G84M [Quadro NVS 140M] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Kernel driver in use: nvidia
The nvidia driver I installed using yast (I know… girly) from the NVIDIA repo.
I didn’t add the nomodeset to the kernel parameters and it is working fine, although the nouveau driver is installed:
ucl02564:~ # rpm -qa|grep nouveau
xorg-x11-driver-video-nouveau-0.0.15_20100401_bfb95cc-1.10.x86_64
ucl02564:~ # rpm -qa|grep nvidia
nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-desktop-256.53_k2.6.34.0_12-15.1.x86_64
x11-video-nvidiaG02-256.53-16.1.x86_64
Cheers,
Robert
AFAIK the rpms that install the NVIDIA driver, do this for you.
Kernel mode setting (KMS) seems to be cumbersome with some NVIDIA chips: I had trouble on both a laptop (Geforce 8400M) and a PC (Geforce 6150) where the screen just turned black with KMS when changing resolution for the boot splash screen.
After booting with the nomodeset kernel parameter and installing the proprietary driver things are fine now.
Though it’s nice that the KMS issue is mentioned in the release notes, that doesn’t help you too much if the screen turns black before you get there 
Instructions on this matter are quite clear: if you don’t install the driver from the repos, you have to apply ‘nomodeset’.
I continue to have no luck with the 260.19 driver. When I install it and reboot plasma crashes with floating point exception. I tried submitting a bug report but the Run dialog crashes before I can type a letter and keeps crashing every 3-4 seconds. I finally give up with alt-ctl-backspace. Here are some pertinent facts:
opensuse 11.3
kernel 2.6.34.7-0.5-default i686
KDE 4.5.3
GeForce 7600 GS
My installation method was to:
check the KMS entry to be sure it is as directed here
download 260.19 from the nvidia site
drop to init 3
type su (and password)
type sh NVIDIA etc
answer all the questions in the affirmative
type reboot
at the splash screen, I leave the vga parameter as-is and type (a space, then) nomodeset behind it; click on the regular (not failsafe) opensuse login.
I get the crashes listed above. Rebooting to failsafe gives the same result. I then follow essentially this procedure but install the 256.53 driver and my desktop comes back.
If I’ve made an error, please help me to correct it.
kaluscha wrote:
>
> Kernel mode setting (KMS) seems to be cumbersome with some NVIDIA
> chips: I had trouble on both a laptop (Geforce 8400M) and a PC
> (Geforce 6150) where the screen just turned black with KMS when
> changing resolution for the boot splash screen.
>
> After booting with the nomodeset kernel parameter and installing the
> proprietary driver things are fine now.
>
> Though it’s nice that the KMS issue is mentioned in the release notes,
> that doesn’t help you too much if the screen turns black before you
> get there
>
I’ve was doing basically what you do(Until I was able to install from
the Repo), ftp://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/11.3/ ] except Instead
of reboot after install as root, I do /sbin/init 5. I also do
/usr/bin/nvidia-xconfig before leaving run level 3.
I was able to install the driver from the Nvidia repo, using:
nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default-260.19.12_k2.6.34.0_12-22.1.x86_64
x11-video-nvidiaG02-260.19.12-23.1.x86_64
nvidia-texture-tools-2.0.6-7.2.x86_64
nvidia-settings-256.35-0.pm.1.1.x86_64
Don’t think you need the last two rpms. I also noticed I DO NOT have
nomodset in my grub menu or on the cmd line on boot. See hardware below,
my card is GeForce 8400GS.
Not sure if this will help you, but it shows it can be done.
–
Russ
openSUSE 11.3 (2.6.34.7-0.5-default)|KDE 4.5.3 Release 10|
Intel core2duo 2.5 MHZ,|4GB DDR3|GeForce 8400GS
On Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:12:23 +0530, upscope <upscope@nwi.net> wrote:
> nvidia-texture-tools-2.0.6-7.2.x86_64
> nvidia-settings-256.35-0.pm.1.1.x86_64
> Don’t think you need the last two rpms.
i think only gamers will need nvidia-texture-tools, but nvidia-settings is
a very useful utility, allowing you to configure your display. if
started as root, it can save settings to xorg.conf, saving you the trouble
to edit xorg.conf or files under /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ by hand.
i also found that the display manager in KDE systemsettings did not detect
a CRT monitor, plugged in via a converter plug into the digital input;
nvidia-settings did.
–
phani.