Proprietary nvidia driver break after installing virtualbox

superandy · September 28, 2008, 4:49am

I have had x64 suse 11 installed for a while now, and I have never had any problems with the nvidia graphics driver on my 8800 gtx. However, earlier on tonight I installed virtualbox ose, with the kernel module. Upon rebooting, the X server would not start. After a bit of digging, I realised the nvidia module could not be loaded. I went into xorg.conf, and changed the module back to nv, and X started. I then tried to reinstall the nvidia driver using the oneclick install thingy from NVIDIA - openSUSE . Upon rebooting, I had the same issue. I do not understand what is happening here. I include results on lsmod and the xorg.conf file, although they aren’t much help:

Module                  Size  Used by
vboxdrv              1666288  1 
snd_pcm_oss            68992  0 
snd_mixer_oss          35584  1 snd_pcm_oss
binfmt_misc            30476  1 
snd_seq                84592  0 
snd_seq_device         26644  1 snd_seq
uinput                 27520  2 
iptable_filter         20864  0 
ip_tables              39056  1 iptable_filter
ip6_tables             40720  0 
x_tables               43400  2 ip_tables,ip6_tables
af_packet              43264  2 
cpufreq_conservative    26376  0 
cpufreq_userspace      24196  0 
cpufreq_powersave      18944  0 
acpi_cpufreq           28944  3 
microcode              32920  0 
firmware_class         27904  1 microcode
fuse                   73152  5 
loop                   37892  0 
dm_mod                 90216  0 
snd_hda_intel         497836  5 
rtc_cmos               28728  0 
8139cp                 43392  0 
snd_pcm               116104  3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_hda_intel
snd_timer              45320  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
joydev                 31360  0 
8139too                46976  0 
snd_page_alloc         28688  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
iTCO_wdt               31200  0 
rtc_core               41356  1 rtc_cmos
r8169                  51332  0 
snd_hwdep              28552  1 snd_hda_intel
button                 27040  0 
rtc_lib                20224  1 rtc_core
mii                    23168  2 8139cp,8139too
sr_mod                 35876  0 
serio_raw              24708  0 
i2c_i801               28060  0 
i2c_core               45696  1 i2c_i801
iTCO_vendor_support    21124  1 iTCO_wdt
cdrom                  53416  1 sr_mod
intel_agp              48496  0 
snd                    97272  17 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_hwdep
soundcore              26128  1 snd
sg                     57136  0 
usbhid                 66384  0 
hid                    59424  1 usbhid
ff_memless             23432  1 usbhid
ehci_hcd               73624  0 
uhci_hcd               54816  0 
sd_mod                 47488  9 
usbcore               202664  4 usbhid,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd
edd                    28176  0 
fan                    23944  0 
thermal                44576  0 
processor              73416  2 acpi_cpufreq,thermal
ata_piix               43396  0 
ext3                  172176  4 
mbcache                27520  1 ext3
jbd                    86208  1 ext3
ahci                   51208  6 
pata_jmicron           23808  0 
libata                195616  3 ata_piix,ahci,pata_jmicron
scsi_mod              196088  4 sr_mod,sg,sd_mod,libata
dock                   29744  1 libata

# /.../
# SaX generated X11 config file
# Created on: 2008-08-03T01:27:56+0100.
#
# Version: 8.1
# Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2005
# Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users>
#
# Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)
# PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
#

Section "Files"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/local"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/URW"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Speedo"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/PEX"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/kwintv"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/truetype"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/CID"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/xtest"
  FontPath     "/opt/kde3/share/fonts"
  InputDevices "/dev/gpmdata"
  InputDevices "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
  Option       "AllowMouseOpenFail" "on"
  Option       "ZapWarning" "on"
EndSection

Section "Module"
  Load         "dbe"
  Load         "type1"
  Load         "freetype"
  Load         "extmod"
  Load         "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "kbd"
  Identifier   "Keyboard[0]"
  Option       "Protocol" "Standard"
  Option       "XkbLayout" "gb"
  Option       "XkbModel" "microsoftpro"
  Option       "XkbRules" "xfree86"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "mouse"
  Identifier   "Mouse[1]"
  Option       "Buttons" "12"
  Option       "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
  Option       "Name" "Logitech USB Receiver"
  Option       "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
  Option       "Vendor" "Sysp"
  Option       "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  Option       "CalcAlgorithm" "XServerPool"
  DisplaySize  452 283
  HorizSync    30-81
  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"
  ModelName    "SYNCMASTER 226BW"
  Option       "DPMS"
  Option       "PreferredMode" "1280x1024"
  VendorName   "SAMSUNG"
  VertRefresh  56-75
  UseModes     "Modes[0]"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
  Identifier   "Modes[0]"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  DefaultDepth 24
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      15
    Modes      "1680x1050" "1600x1024" "1600x1000" "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1440x900" "1280x960" "1366x768" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      16
    Modes      "1680x1050" "1600x1024" "1600x1000" "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1440x900" "1280x960" "1366x768" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      24
    Modes      "1680x1050" "1600x1024" "1600x1000" "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1440x900" "1280x960" "1366x768" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      32
    Modes      "1680x1050" "1600x1024" "1600x1000" "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1440x900" "1280x960" "1366x768" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      8
    Modes      "1680x1050" "1600x1024" "1600x1000" "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1440x900" "1280x960" "1366x768" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480" 
  EndSubSection
  Device       "Device[0]"
  Identifier   "Screen[0]"
  Monitor      "Monitor[0]"
EndSection

Section "Device"
  BoardName    "GeForce 8800 GTS 512"
  BusID        "1:0:0"
  Driver       "nv"
  Identifier   "Device[0]"
  VendorName   "NVidia"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier   "Layout[all]"
  InputDevice  "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
  InputDevice  "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
  Option       "Clone" "off"
  Option       "Xinerama" "off"
  Screen       "Screen[0]"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
    Group      "video"
    Mode       0660
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
  Option "Composite" "on"
EndSection

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Andy

foresthill · September 28, 2008, 6:03am

Uninstall your one-click Nvidia RPM’s through YAST and use the installer liked here: Linux x64 (AMD64/EM64T)

That’s what I would do.

Just be be sure to install the dependencies first though. To do this insert install DVD and go to YAST / Software Management / Filter / Patterns. Check the box next to “Linux Kernel Development”. A bunch of other stuff will be automatically selected. Rather than trying to figure out what is and isn’t needed just install all of it (approx 400 mb’s worth of stuff).

Also exit the x-server while you run the installer (init 3 when logged in as super user). The command to run the installer is sh ./NVIDIA (rest of file name) -q

Also say “yes” to the option at the end when it asks if you want the Nvidia configuration loaded the next time you start up.

I ran the sax2 -r -m 0=nvidia command after running the installer, but it said I was using the framebuffer device. So I assumed the installation had failed.

However, when I rebooted I got the Nvidia splash screen and the driver was installed perfectly. So I’m guessing with this latest driver, you don’t have to run the sax2 command any more.

Good luck and let me know if it works.

caf4926 · September 28, 2008, 6:13am

Section “Device”
BoardName “GeForce 8800 GTS 512”
BusID “1:0:0”
Driver “nv”
Identifier “Device[0]”
VendorName “NVidia”
EndSection

shouldn’t it be:
Driver “nvidia”

superandy · September 28, 2008, 11:41am

yea, it was when it was failing. that is the edited version to get x to start.

sorry about that. Im going to have a bash at what you said now. wish me luck!

superandy · September 28, 2008, 3:27pm

Right, the plot thickens…

I installed all those pre-requisites, and also made sure I had the kernel sources package installed. I went out into init3, and then tried the installer. However, it complained that it couldn’t find the kernel sources.

I think there is something very weird going on here. I went into the kernel sources directory:

/lib/modules/2.6.25.16-0.1-default

the source link in there was marked red, so I tried to go to the linked location, /usr/src/linux-2.6.25.16-0.1, but only /usr/src/linux-2.6.25.16-0.1-obj exists. In that directory i can go deeper down untill i get here:

/usr/src/linux-2.6.25.16-0.1-obj/x86_64/default>

I have no idea if this is correct or not.

Weirdly this morning, grub refused to boot, telling me it couldn’t find the vmlinux or initrd locations. I had to change these manually to the specific file names, instead of relying on the link. I am guessing this is related, and I am guessing the kernel or something has got messed up.

foresthill · September 28, 2008, 3:36pm

So you are running the updated kernel. Have you tried going into YAST and seeing if there are updated kernel source packages available online?

Because what I did on my system was update my kernel first, then install the kernel development stuff later on in preparation for running the installer (though this was for the ATI installer, but I don’t think this should matter).

When I installed kernel development packages, most everything came off my install disc, but there were several packages that had to be downloaded from the repos.

So I’m guessing that when your kernel is updated, it needs updated kernel development packages, and not just the ones off the install disc. HTH!

superandy · September 28, 2008, 3:39pm

Aye well, I didn’t bother using the DVD at all, I have a fast enough broadband connection that I just deactivated the DVD repo after install. Surely I shouldn’t have to worry about what version of the kernel and the source and the development packages I have installed, is this not yasts job?

caf4926 · September 28, 2008, 5:38pm

You must make sure your kernel and source packages match.

Use software management to do so