openSuse 11.3 & nvidia GeForce FX 5500 driver

English Hardware
1

I installed openSuse 11.3 (new installation), and all work fine.
But, the problems started when I wanted to install nvidia drivers.
I used two methods for that installation: A) By adding repository by hand:
YaST -> Software -> Software Repositories -> Add

Protocol: HTTP
Server Name: : download.nvidia.com
Directory on Server: /opensuse/11.3

                                                    B) one click install:

http://opensuse-community.org/nvidia-fx5xxx.ymp

In both methods, after add the repository, download and installing “nvidia-gfxG01-kmp-default” and “x11-video-nvidiaG01” files, and reboot, the system start on console mode (no X server).
Then, I type this:

Xorg -configure
cp /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf
shutdown -r now

So, I can see graphical interface again. But when I tried to go:

Applications → System → Configuration → Nvidia Settings

A notification say “It seems no nvidia driver is used…”.
So I typed in terminal:


nvidia-xconfig

And I rebooted the system. But nothing changed.

Then, I edit “/etc/xorg.conf”, changing:


Section "Device"
.....
Driver       "nv"

to


Section "Device"
.....
Driver       "nvidia"

And when I rebooted the system, the system started in console mode, again.

That is:
A) With Driver “nvidia” no graphical environment.
B) With Driver “nv”, graphical environment with drivers of original openSuse 11.3 installation. No propietary drivers are in use.

Could somebody install and make work properly, the propietary nvidia drivers in openSuse 11.3?

I was reading “SDB:NVIDIA drivers”, “SDB:Configuring graphics cards” , “SDB:NVIDIA troubleshooting” and this forum, but nothing seems work.

Thank you, in advance.

2

Are the one click drivers available for the FX5500 and openSUSE ? I would be surprised if they are, since to the best of my knowledge there are no released proprietary drivers for the FX5xxx series of cards.

Instead, one needs (after installing the current official driver) to boot to run level 3 and run X via:

startx -- -ignoreABI

and there are side effects on sound and shutdown (both of which have work arounds).

There is a beta version of the proprietary driver, but it may not have a one click install built for it yet, and you may need to install ‘the hardway’ (which is not hard).

I recommend you read post#6 here: fx 5200 thread - likely applicable to your FX5500

3

In SDB:NVIDIA drivers - openSUSE (SDB:NVIDIA drivers)
Under: “The easy way to get NVIDIA -> openSUSE 11.3, 11.2, 11.1 and 11.0 -> For Geforce FX cards (5xxx) click here:”

Maybe, I’ll have to wait until a new driver versionwill be released.

Thank you for your answer.

4

I opened a thread 5 hours earlier with the the same exact issues but I have an f5200 card. I also tried most of the same things to get it to work without resolve. There are definitely new drivers available in the openSuse repository which were added in the last couple of days. They seem to work as if they are copies of the 11.2 drivers. Anyway, your not alone.

5

Thanks!
I’m waitting for a new driver version.

6

I got a response on my post that the person used the repository and it worked for them. Although they didn’t mention which Nvidia card they were using. Perhaps it was one needing a different driver. Thanks also for the way you documented what steps you used to try and get the card to work. As I mentioned, I did almost the same exact things but couldn’t have docuented it if I had to. Any, maybe someone will look at the driver we are using and can find the problem as I really feel it should work but they missed something…

7

Both the current and the beta driver work, if installed ‘the hardway’. But I can not speak for the repository method as I have never used it. The ‘hardway’ is not hard, and it just works for me, so I never saw the point to try another method. Note in 11.3 there are some extra steps to ensure the nouveau driver does not load by mistake when using the nvidia driver. There is some guidance here: SDB:NVIDIA drivers - openSUSE NOTE THE WARNING at the top.

8

Thanks oldcpu (cool handle) for your input. I Originally installed the card the hard way and it worked fine. I’m just trying to have to re-install the driver every time the kernel changes. Thus the reason for wanting to use the repository. And also, I have been a programmer for 25+ years recently moving into the Linux/Mac OS X world and it drives me nuts when something doesn’t work. Kind of like a little kid always saying “why mommy”. Anyway, I wish I knew more about drivers, I would look at the driver source and try and figure it out. That is the fun part…

9

I think I just hit on the fix!!! HURRAY. I have been banging my head on the wall for 2 days now.

I have a laptop with the FX5200 Nvidia card. Going from the default non Nvidia driver to the latest breaks it. I don’t care if you use the Nvidia easy way or hard way. Still breaks and will NOT load. I got the API Mismatch. Kernel is .25 and driver is .27. ARGGG… There must be something hosed with the install package. I tried nomodeset, and all the other stuff I could find. I happened to find this obscure Nvidia text below. Sorry I was so excited, I forgot to capture the url. But it worked for me. woo hoo!!! Give it a whirl.

The kernel interface layer of the NVIDIA kernel module must be

compiled specifically for the configuration and version of your kernel.

If you upgrade your kernel, then the simplest solution is to reinstall

the driver.

ADVANCED: You can install the NVIDIA kernel module for a non

running kernel (for example: in the situation where you just built

and installed a new kernel, but have not rebooted yet) with a command

line such as this:

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6629-pkg1.run --kernel-name=‘KERNEL_NAME’

Where ‘KERNEL_NAME’ is what uname -r would report if the target

kernel were running.

10

Now, I also installed Nvidia drivers in the “hard way”.
This method didn’t work for me!

11

Installing the nVidia drivers the “Hard Way” doesn’t work when you already have them installed via YaST. I had the same problem when I decided to have a go at doing it the “Hard” way after getting fed up of waiting for the repo’s to catch up.

The solution in my case was very simple, but I can’t remember exactly what it was. It was either

  1. Uninstall the .rpm packaged driver via YaST

  2. Do step 1 and then reinstall the “Hard Way” driver as normal.

Personally, I think the “Hard Way” is much easier and much less hassle than the alternative.

Hope this helps. ^^

EDIT: Oh and I was (and still am) on the GeForce FX 5600 for my own computer, and I’m just about to have a look at installing for an nVidia driver for the “GeForce 6200 LE” on the Boss’s computer. I’ll probably post back if there’s a driver for it and there’s some problem installing it.

12

I installed the nVidia driver in the hard way, immediatly after a clean installation of openSuse 11.3.
Thank you, anyway.

13

Is it working properly now after you did the clean install and the “Hard Way”, or are you still having problems with the driver?

14

I’m still having problems with the driver after install it in the hard way: I can’t view “Nvidia Settings” from Applications -> System -> Configuration -> Nvidia Settings. When I try to access to “Nvidia Settings”, a notification say “It seems no Nvidia driver is in use…”
Then, I had to install openSuse 11.3 one more time, because after install the nVidia driver in the hard way, I got desktop environment scrolled to the right side of the screen, and I can’t correct it.
Thanks.

15

When you try that and you get the message saying “It seems no Nvidia driver is in use…”, what does (as root) hwinfo --gfx say is in use? If it still says “nouveau” then you’ll need to use the command (as root) echo “blacklist nouveau” >> /etc/modprobe.d/50-blacklist.conf

By the sounds of it, getting your system to use the correct driver still won’t fix your problem; it’ll just throw up another problem instead, but you should be able to eliminate each problem one by one until you’re all set up. :smiley:

16

Now, with the new release of Nvidia driver (173.14.27) and following the instructions of nVidia Driver via Repo in 11.3 - Guide, driver works properly!
Thank you very much.