Pardus 2011 nvidia install

[neil]

Hi,
I would appreciate a step by step guide to using nvidia driver in Pardus 2011 beta.
My attempts so far have failed 

[atolboo]

It's only a Beta......   

[neil]

Do we have to wait until final release to use nvidia drivers?

[atolboo]

I don't know.
May be one of the Release Schedule or nightly builds.

[neil]

@atolboo-thanks for the info.
I will give a nightly build a try later today.
As far as I can tell the nvidia driver and modules are installed in 2011 beta.
I just need to be able to disable nouveau drivers and enable nvidia driver.
I think I am correct in saying that in the 2009 stable release there is a GUI to activate nvidia driver.

[atolboo]

As far as I can tell the nvidia driver and modules are installed in 2011 beta.

The right package names are there, but if they do the job remains to be seen.
And I am confident they will do in the future.

I think I am correct in saying that in the 2009 stable release there is a GUI to activate nvidia driver.

Yes, it's in System Settings > Display Manager of P2009.

[Lisa]

Do we have to wait until final release to use nvidia drivers?

As of today with Beta2, I am able to use nvidia drivers, even though I'm still a fan of nouveau and enjoy following its progress. 

Here is Fatih's reply at atolboo's bug report:

http://bugs.pardus.org.tr/show_bug.cgi?id=15600

Doing:
lsmod | grep nvidia
gives output:
nvidia              10212886  38
and doing same with nouveau shows nothing. 
Obviously, they are hard at work on bringing about a polished final release of 2011. 
Lisa Marie

[atolboo]

and doing same with nouveau shows nothing.  

Here is my result:
After adding

Code:

blacklist nouveau

to the file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and a restart of the computer, I get:

atolboo@pardus2011 ~ $ lsmod | grep nouveau
nouveau                      417837  3
ttm                              56128  1 nouveau
drm_kms_helper         28725  1 nouveau
drm                              191083  5 nouveau,ttm,drm_kms_helper
i2c_algo_bit                  4770  1 nouveau
video                             21041  1 nouveau
atolboo@pardus2011 ~ $

and nothing after a "lsmod | grep nvidia"!
What am I doing wrong

Oef.... I did see my BIG mistake...
After adding

Code:

blacklist=nouveau

to the line

kernel (hd0,8)/boot/kernel-2.6.36.1-147 root=UUID=abd6a7df-05db-45a8-be06-1e38986482cb resume=/dev/sda8 quiet splash

in /boot/grub/menu.lst + a restart, I get:

atolboo@pardus2011 ~ $ dmesg | grep nvidia
[   15.061035] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[   15.808752] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[   15.808761] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
atolboo@pardus2011 ~ $ lsmod | grep nvidia
nvidia              10212886  38
atolboo@pardus2011 ~ $

[Lisa]

I feel funny giving you advice, atolboo. 

I didn't mention that a couple of weeks ago I did this:
installed from Pisi Package Manager:
pkgconfig

login to safe mode then enter xserver or you can do cCtrl+Alt+F1 to get to tty1 console,
then in either console:
sudo nvidia-xconfig
this will create a X11/xconfig file, (this file isn't there as we are used to with previous Pardus versions until you run this command-obviously it is not needed for nouveau) 
restart
then add:
blacklist=nouveau
to kernel boot line and see if that does the trick.

[atolboo]

I feel funny giving you advice, atolboo. 

Thanks and sometimes I need advice from a very wise person, there is nothing wrong with that.....

And did you see

Oef.... I did see my BIG mistake...

in my previous post and why did you install pkgconfig?

[Lisa]

Blushing.  But, my advice might not work. 

When you run
sudo nvidia-xconfig
it brings up an error before it creates the xconfig /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, saying pkgconfig isn't installed.  But I could have this wrong, (maybe it said dpkg) but it does mention something like this. My poor memory for remembering details shows.  I don't know why, but I think it said that pkgconfig isn't installed, but it is available in the repositories.  Again, I can't remember the details.  I'll have to go over it again and see exactly what it says. 
Okay, it says:
"unable to locate/open x configuration file
sh: pkg-config: not found
New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'"

From reading this bug report, the person says nvidia-xconfig depends on pkg-config. 
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers/+bug/575306/+activity
Since I got that error, I went ahead and installed pkg-config
Lisa Marie

Edited:  Oh, I see you were able to install the driver without pkg-config.

I've been playing with reverting back to nouveau and back again to nvidia to see how I did it. 
Looking in /etc/X11/ there are the two new files:
xorg.conf and XvMCConfig.
To revert back to nouveau, I use Midnight Commander:
 At boot, I select F4 and boot select safe-mode and when it gets to greet login screen, switch to console (Ctrl+Alt+F1)
sudo mc
then I went ahead and deleted the two new files:
xorg.conf and XvMCConfig
as I want it back to how it was before I did the nvidia-xconfig command.
Then,
sudo reboot
and I'm back to using nouveau.  This way I can test the Display GUI, when it is available from team Pardus, the GUI that lets you select your preferred driver.
To go back to nvidia, I booted again in safe-mode, switched to console, and:
sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo reboot
then at boot screen I choose under F4, modprobe/probe again and then edit the kernel boot line, "blacklist=nouveau", though I don't know if the modprobing is needed.  But, it worked for me.  Now, time to switch back to nouveau.     I'll also remove pkgconfig via pisi.
Lisa Marie

[atolboo]

When you run
sudo nvidia-xconfig

I didn't run "sudo nvidia-xconfig" (in console). It's not necessary in order to activate the nvidia driver.

I've been playing with reverting back to nouveau and back again to nvidia to see how I did it. 

My manual is much shorter.
1. Open System Settings  > Boot Manager.
2. Select the Edit button @ Item "Pardus 2011 Beta2".
3. Add (or remove)

Code:

blacklist=nouveau

at the end of the "Boot Options" entry field + OK.
4. Restart the computer.
That's all...................
And to check do a "lsmod | grep nouveau" and "lsmod | grep nvidia" in console.

[Lisa]

 
Yes, embarrassed.   
I was just going to ask you that very question this morning, if you even ran 'nvidia-xconfig' command in console'?   I had a a feeling you didn't need to, as Fatih didn't mention any further instructions, either.  Yep, embarrassed. 

I probably would not have known about this command if I had not seen the GUI, nVidia-Settings,  that was in launcher when I first installed the Beta 1, which if you click on it, lets you know if you are not using the nVidia driver, and to run nvidia-xconfig in console.  After some updates the GUI was not there, but it is there now after doing 'blacklist=nouveau'.

Yes, I like your simple instructions much better.  Mine are always er, complicated. 
Thanks!
Lisa Marie