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nVIDIA driver install Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 (Sarge) PDF Print E-mail
Configure Debian Sarge - Hardware Configuration
Written by machiner   
Tuesday, 17 May 2005
[EDIT 2]  If you have an nVIDIA card in your computer than setting up the 3D driver for Linux for it is a piece of cake. This short tutorial is only one way to accomplish this task, it works for me on a home-made machine (common parts) and it'll probably work for you, too.

See this tutorial for installing the nvidia driver in Etch

After an initial Debian install you are left running the "nv" driver, which is fine for 2D. If that's all you need, then more power to you - this tutorial is not for you. Thanks for dropping by. However, when you want 3D - it's a simple process to get it.

Let's start with downloading the packages we need. Open Synaptic.

Search for the following and mark to install:

   
[search for] [mark-install]
kernel kernel-headers-2.6.8-2-k7
kernel-image-2.6.8-2-k7

You will notice that I am installing the K7 kernel (kernel-image). This is because I have an AthlonXP CPU. The default linux26 install of Debian leaves you with a i386 kernel. It's fine to stay with this. Some folks install a kernel-image that is (more) optimized for specific processors. In reality the only thing you must install at this point is the kernel-headers for your processor, so install kernel-headers-2.6.8-2 and you're good. If you do install an image for your proc just be sure to reboot into that kernel prior to installing the nvidia driver.

You'll need the driver from nVIDIA, download that for ia32.

Now you are ready to install the driver. You might want to print this page or have it open on a different box so you can just whip through this.

You will have to exit X in order to install the nVIDIA driver so let's do that. Hit the CTRL + ALT + F1 keys for a new teminal shell. Log in as root. To stop X issue this command:

# /etc/init.d/gdm stop

You may run a different Display Manager: KDM or XDM, etc. Amend the command to suit your needs.

Now you can install the nVIDIA driver.

# cd /path/to/driver
# sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-xxxx-pkg1.run

You need to accept their license and then go through the install, it only takes a second. If you get an error message, hit enter. I see errors reading that the installer cannot download a kernel, whatever, it's going to make a kernel module.

POST-INSTALL:

At the prompt following the successful driver install you must load the nVIDIA module:

# modprobe nvidia

The 8178 version of the nVIDIA driver will offer to modify your XF86Config-4 file for you. It's OK to let it. If you've installed another version of the nvidia binary driver, say 7676, then you must change your file to use the new driver. Type the following:

# nano /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

Find the "Device" section and change the "nv" (it may read "vesa" as well) driver to read "nvidia". See the example:


Section "Device"
	Identifier	"NVIDIA Corporation NV18 [GeForce4 MX - nForce GPU]"
	Driver		"nvidia"
EndSection

//******following is not always necessary*******//
As well, look at the "Modules" section make sure to comment out these lines:
Section "Module"
	
#	Load    "GLcore"
#	Load	  "dri"
	
EndSection

At the bottom of the file there may be another dri section, comment out all three lines so it reads like this:

#Section "DRI"
#	Mode	0666
#EndSection

Save and close nano. You are finished, so, at the prompt you may now restart the Gnome Display Manager:

# /etc/init.d/gdm start

You will now be at your regular login prompt (GUI). Don't login yet, though - go back to your other shell terminal (CTRL + ALT + F1) to log out, type exit (enter), then exit again (enter). Now get back to your regular shell by holding down CTRL + ALT + F7

I told you it was easy. Now, open xterm or gnome-terminal and run glxgears - how 'bout those framerates, ey?!

If you really feel like you must, it's ok to run:

# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

right after you install the nVIDIA driver and before you restart GDM. You don't have to, but if you heard from a friend or whatever...it's ok.

Here's a tip: To update your nVIDIA driver it's pretty easy. Exit X again by the above method. After stopping the Gnome Display Manager type the following command:

# nvidia-installer --update

NOTE:Should you install another kernel or customize your current one, you will need to uninstall the nVIDIA driver you already installed, boot to your new kernel and reinstall the nVIDIA driver.

machiner Tue 17 May 2005 07:13:20 PM EDT

Here is my very generic XF86Config-4 file, my monitor is: Syncmaster 930B, my video card is: EVGA GeForce 6600/GT AGP:

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Default Layout"
    Screen         "Default Screen" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"
    InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "Files"
			# local font server
	# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
    FontPath        "unix/:7100"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load           "bitmap"
    Load           "dbe"
    Load           "ddc"
    Load           "extmod"
    Load           "freetype"
    Load           "glx"
    Load           "int10"
    Load           "record"
    Load           "speedo"
    Load           "type1"
    Load           "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver         "keyboard"
    Option         "CoreKeyboard"
    Option         "XkbRules" "xfree86"
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc104"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Configured Mouse"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "CorePointer"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Generic Monitor"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 81.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Generic Video Card"
    Driver         "nvidia"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Default Screen"
    Device         "Generic Video Card"
    Monitor        "Generic Monitor"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       1
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       4
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       15
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
EndSection





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Comments (15)Add Comment
typo
written by Guest, June 07, 2005
tar -xvzf kernel-source-2.6.8.tar.bz2

should be

tar -xvjf kernel-source-2.6.8.tar.bz2

machiner
written by Guest, June 07, 2005
Thanks for the heads-up
...
written by Guest, June 12, 2005
:grin
...
written by Guest, July 17, 2005
So simpe and yet so easy :grin
Thanx; it helped me much. Just another note:
You may need to add some modelines to get higher screen resolutions. My default XF86Config4 contained lines like:

Modes \"800x600\" \"640x480\"

which should be extended to eg.

Modes \"1600x1200\" \"1280x1024\" \"1024x768\" \"800x600\" \"640x480\"

to give you a reasonable selection of screen resolutions.
machiner here...
written by Guest, July 30, 2005
If the above stopping of the Gnome Display Manager doesn\'t work for you, then you\'ll have to stop X another way. Simplest way is booting into your \"recovery\" kernel, well, you could also fix the problem. The boot process will stop 3/4 through allowing you to enter your root password -- do that; you\'ll be at a command prompt - run all the same comands as above in the article.

rock on in 3D. Computing sucks - go outside
Less Packages Required
written by Guest, August 02, 2005
You don\'t need to install those nvidia-kernel packages on the 2.6 kernel. Just download the kernel-source and headers that match your kernel-image.
Right...
written by Guest, August 03, 2005
Old nvidia-glx habits...Thanks for the heads-up, I\'ve removed the items.

--machiner
Additional Kernels
written by Guest, August 22, 2005
If you install another kernel or customize your current one by compiling a specialized version, you shouldn\'t need to uninstall the previous nVidia driver.

If you are booting into the new kernel:
# sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-xxxx-pkg1.run -K

For a kernel that is installed but not currently booted:
# sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-xxxx-pkg1.run -K --kernel-name=2.6.x-arch

All appropriate kernel headers must be installed.
thanks
written by Guest, August 22, 2005
Thanks for that heads up. There are even more ways but I want to keep this site very simple - quick one technique responses to help the Windows migrant.

I\'d love it if you wrote a tutorial or 5 for the site, though...contact me again.

-machiner
Swifty
written by Guest, January 05, 2006
There is a key step that is not included here that I had to do and no matter what I did before I discovered this step, the above wouldn\'t work.
After editing XF86Config-4 I had to run

#md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 >| /var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum

After I did this and did the
#dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 it all worked!

Try it, you won\'t be disappointed!
...ahhh
written by Guest, January 05, 2006
What? I wonder why you had to do that...That\'s interesting. It\'s sure unnecessary on any computer that I\'ve config\'d.

Hmmm.

--machiner
GeForce 256 DDR not suported!
written by Guest, May 16, 2006
But in the latest versions of the driver there is no support for the first generation of the GeForce Cards which means that you have to compile it yourself (nvidia-kernel-source package).

Greetings
Drizzt
carywinton
written by 'Guest', August 10, 2006
When I ran # dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 I was asked several questions I had no clue how to answer. The big probem was the BUSID for my XFX NVIDIA GForce2 MX 400 64MB PCI card. When I ran \"lspci\" I got a long string of zeros. 0000:00:0d.0 when I tried to enter this into the xfree setup screen, I was presented with an error, \"Improper Format\". So when I was presented with the previous screen where it showed some examples I notes PCI:1:0:0 or something similar. Should I be entering in \"PCI:0:0:0\"?
Thanks,
Cary
thanks
written by 'Guest', September 09, 2006
nice tutorial, helped me a lot

PiMP
spammer
written by Guest, April 21, 2007
Useful information. Good job.

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