Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

dRAEMtYGER · 2010-09-04 21:51:49

I get an error when startx is run. Error messages from Xorg.0.log:

(EE) NVIDIA(0): Unable to allocate DMA memory
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Notifier DMA allocation failed
(EE) NVIDIA(0): *** Aborting ***
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to allocate EVO DMA push buffer
(EE) NVIDIA(0): *** Aborting ***
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration

I have also found messages like this in kernel.log:

localhost kernel: NVRM: nv_kern_mmap: invalid offset: 0x00001000 @ 0xf88013ae5fd80000

This morning I ran pacman -Syu. Among the packages updated were

nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1)
nvidia-utils (256.44-1 -> 256.53-1)
lib32-nvidia-utils (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1)
kernel26 (2.6.35.3-1 -> 2.6.35.4-1)
kernel26-headers (2.6.35.3-1 -> 2.6.35.4-1)
udev (161-1 -> 161-2)

I have rebooted. I've tried to reinstall the packages listed above. Found the nvidia 256.44-1, nvidia-utils 256.44-1 and lib32-nvidia-utils 256.44-1 packages in the Arch Rollback Machine but get a message that dependency "kernel26<2.6.35" cannot be resolved. Searching Google I found mention that rebuilding the NVIDIA module can fix this but I don't know how to do that (yet) and I would prefer to resolved this without getting too complicated.

Any help would be appreciated.

Edit: added a post at the bottom explaining how I fixed my issue. Marked subject as [SOLVED]

Last edited by dRAEMtYGER (2010-12-01 19:25:26)

karol · 2010-09-04 22:47:42

How about using your package cache? Did you purge it? If not, all previous versions of the packages you use should be there. Pick the right kernel and reinstall it + rebuild the kernel image (it should happen automatically).

ARM had an unfortunate "outage" from 16th Aug to 2nd Sept meaning some packages got lost (because they weren't mirrored in time and got replaced by newer versions), like e.g. nvidia-256.44-2.

Last edited by karol (2010-09-04 22:52:45)

dRAEMtYGER · 2010-09-05 01:49:00

Thank you karol. I found the previous nvidia packages in /var/cache/pacman/pkg. Goes to show that you should read and re-read wiki articles. I'd skipped over that part in the Downgrading Packages wiki article and didn't know to look for it until you mentioned it.

I was able to get X running again by installing

nvidia 256.44-2
nvidia-utils 256.44-1
lib32-nvidia-utils

though this incident makes me nervous to update my nvidia drivers in the future. Would be nice to know why nvidia 256.53 behaved this way.

karol · 2010-09-05 02:08:22

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=102202
This thread mentions system freezes and you just can't startx, so it seems an unrelated bunch of problems.

starfry · 2010-09-05 20:16:07

Hi, just wanted to add that I also experienced this problem after upgrading last night. Thanks to this thread I have downgraded and it's working again.
What concerns me now is that it'll just break again the next time that I update.

karol · 2010-09-05 20:20:09

Downgrading doesn't really fix anything so it would be nice if some of you would investigate it further, file a bug report if there's none yet etc.
Without users' feedback things won't improve.

starfry · 2010-09-07 20:21:01

I'd love to help fix this but I haven't enough knowledge to do so. I have only just come on to Arch for an evaluation.

On 4th September I did an update which replaced the kernel and the nvidia driver. After that update two things ceased to function: Xorg and Alsa. Xorg was fixed by rolling back the nvidia drivers and Alsa was fixed by rolling back the kernel.

Without debugging those packages I am not sure how I can investigate it further. I can provide output of logs, etc, if that would help.

I'd like to undersand more because this makes Arch seem quite fragile and I'd like to help in any way I can but my time is limited - this isn't my day job, much as I'd like it to be

The Xorg log is here: http://starfry.pastebin.com/6FPkwBPC

gondsman · 2010-09-07 23:36:18

I have the exact same problem, but it doesn't come from an update, as I tried installing Arch on a brand new PC. X will not start with the same error as OP. I created the initial Xorg.conf with the ususal nvidia-xconfig, which has always worked on my other machine with nvidia GPU (I don't have access to that box right now, so I cannot test the new driver with it).
If it can be useful, I have a GTX460 1GB.
Any help is appreciated, as without a cache it's difficult for me to roll back to a previous version...

karol · 2010-09-07 23:48:24

gondsman wrote:

I have the exact same problem, but it doesn't come from an update, as I tried installing Arch on a brand new PC. X will not start with the same error as OP. I created the initial Xorg.conf with the ususal nvidia-xconfig, which has always worked on my other machine with nvidia GPU (I don't have access to that box right now, so I cannot test the new driver with it).
If it can be useful, I have a GTX460 1GB.
Any help is appreciated, as without a cache it's difficult for me to roll back to a previous version...

You can still use http://arm.kh.nu/search/ to get some older version of the apps you need.

stefanwilkens · 2010-09-08 07:48:31

gondsman wrote:

I have the exact same problem, but it doesn't come from an update, as I tried installing Arch on a brand new PC. X will not start with the same error as OP. I created the initial Xorg.conf with the ususal nvidia-xconfig, which has always worked on my other machine with nvidia GPU (I don't have access to that box right now, so I cannot test the new driver with it).
If it can be useful, I have a GTX460 1GB.
Any help is appreciated, as without a cache it's difficult for me to roll back to a previous version...

you're not required to create xorg.conf and the likes anymore, udev does a great job on nvidia cards

gondsman · 2010-09-09 18:47:47

Thanks everyone, actually today I turned the box on, ran a pacman -Syu and it updated my kernel from 2.6.35.3 to 2.6.35.4. Now everything is working with the latest drivers, I am writing from KDE with desktop effects without any problems! :-)

dRAEMtYGER · 2010-12-01 19:24:19

Just realized I hadn't posted an update.

I figured out that my install had created a boot partition that was not being mounted to /boot. I know that when I figured this out I had to remove the files from /boot directory on my main partition and add my boot partition into fstab. Once my boot partition was mounted correctly, I updated my system and GRUB booted with the correct kernel image.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-09-04 21:51:49

Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#2 2010-09-04 22:47:42

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#3 2010-09-05 01:49:00

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#4 2010-09-05 02:08:22

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#5 2010-09-05 20:16:07

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#6 2010-09-05 20:20:09

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#7 2010-09-07 20:21:01

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#8 2010-09-07 23:36:18

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#9 2010-09-07 23:48:24

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#10 2010-09-08 07:48:31

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#11 2010-09-09 18:47:47

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

#12 2010-12-01 19:24:19

Re: Errors after update, nvidia (256.44-2 -> 256.53-1) [SOLVED]

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