[Solved] Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module

gnibbler · 2014-01-04 21:58:48

Hi all,

I've just made the jump to arch and have a fresh install. I'm having trouble getting the nvidia drivers to work. I am currently using the nouveau drivers without issue.

The method I am using - after much trial - is:
- uninstall nouveau and mesa lib
- install nvidia package
- remove nouveau module entry in mkinitcpio.conf
- run `mkinitcpio -p linux`
- edit .conf in xorg.conf.d with minimal required settings. Currently:

Section "Device"
           Identifier       "device0"
           Driver           "nvidia"
	   BusID	    "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

I have installed the linux-headers package and tried reinstalling nvidia again

Card:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF106 [GeForce GTS 450] (rev a1)

Kernel:
3.12.6-1-ARCH

My Xorg.0.log looks like:

[     3.979] 
X.Org X Server 1.14.5
Release Date: 2013-12-12
[     3.979] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[     3.979] Build Operating System: Linux 3.12.5-1-ARCH x86_64 
[     3.979] Current Operating System: Linux arch.tempera 3.12.6-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Dec 20 19:39:00 CET 2013 x86_64
[     3.979] Kernel command line: initrd=\initramfs-linux.img root=/dev/sda2 rw
[     3.979] Build Date: 13 December 2013  03:11:42PM
[     3.979]  
[     3.979] Current version of pixman: 0.32.4
[     3.979] 	Before reporting problems, check [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
[     3.979] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[     3.979] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Jan  4 21:29:46 2014
[     3.980] (==) Using config directory: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[     3.980] (==) No Layout section.  Using the first Screen section.
[     3.980] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[     3.980] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[     3.980] (**) |   |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[     3.981] (==) No device specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
	Using the first device section listed.
[     3.981] (**) |   |-->Device "device0"
[     3.981] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
	Using a default monitor configuration.
[     3.981] (==) Automatically adding devices
[     3.981] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[     3.981] (==) Automatically adding GPU devices
[     3.984] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/OTF/" does not exist.
[     3.984] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[     3.984] (WW) `fonts.dir' not found (or not valid) in "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/".
[     3.984] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[     3.984] 	(Run 'mkfontdir' on "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/").
[     3.984] (WW) `fonts.dir' not found (or not valid) in "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/".
[     3.984] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[     3.984] 	(Run 'mkfontdir' on "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/").
[     3.984] (==) FontPath set to:
	/usr/share/fonts/misc/,
	/usr/share/fonts/TTF/,
	/usr/share/fonts/Type1/
[     3.984] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[     3.984] (II) The server relies on udev to provide the list of input devices.
	If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable AutoAddDevices.
[     3.984] (II) Loader magic: 0x7fec20
[     3.984] (II) Module ABI versions:
[     3.984] 	X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[     3.984] 	X.Org Video Driver: 14.1
[     3.984] 	X.Org XInput driver : 19.1
[     3.984] 	X.Org Server Extension : 7.0
[     3.985] (--) PCI:*(0:1:0:0) 10de:0dc4:19da:1184 rev 161, Mem @ 0xf4000000/16777216, 0xe0000000/134217728, 0xe8000000/33554432, I/O @ 0x0000e000/128, BIOS @ 0x????????/524288
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension Generic Event Extension
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension SHAPE
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension MIT-SHM
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XInputExtension
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XTEST
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension BIG-REQUESTS
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension SYNC
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XKEYBOARD
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XC-MISC
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension SECURITY
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XINERAMA
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XFIXES
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension RENDER
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension RANDR
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension COMPOSITE
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension DAMAGE
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension RECORD
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension DPMS
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension X-Resource
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XVideo
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XVideo-MotionCompensation
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XFree86-VidModeExtension
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XFree86-DGA
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension XFree86-DRI
[     3.986] Initializing built-in extension DRI2
[     3.986] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[     3.989] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
[     4.075] (II) Module glx: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[     4.075] 	compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[     4.075] 	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[     4.075] (II) NVIDIA GLX Module  331.20  Wed Oct 30 17:36:48 PDT 2013
[     4.076] Loading extension GLX
[     4.076] (II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
[     4.076] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so
[     4.082] (II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[     4.082] 	compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[     4.082] 	Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[     4.083] (II) NVIDIA dlloader X Driver  331.20  Wed Oct 30 17:16:53 PDT 2013
[     4.083] (II) NVIDIA Unified Driver for all Supported NVIDIA GPUs
[     4.083] (++) using VT number 7

[     4.090] (II) Loading sub module "fb"
[     4.090] (II) LoadModule: "fb"
[     4.090] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfb.so
[     4.091] (II) Module fb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[     4.091] 	compiled for 1.14.5, module version = 1.0.0
[     4.091] 	ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[     4.091] (WW) Unresolved symbol: fbGetGCPrivateKey
[     4.091] (II) Loading sub module "wfb"
[     4.091] (II) LoadModule: "wfb"
[     4.091] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libwfb.so
[     4.092] (II) Module wfb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[     4.092] 	compiled for 1.14.5, module version = 1.0.0
[     4.092] 	ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[     4.092] (II) Loading sub module "ramdac"
[     4.092] (II) LoadModule: "ramdac"
[     4.092] (II) Module "ramdac" already built-in
[     4.093] (II) NVIDIA(0): Creating default Display subsection in Screen section
	"Default Screen Section" for depth/fbbpp 24/32
[     4.093] (==) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (==) framebuffer bpp 32
[     4.093] (==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888
[     4.093] (==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[     4.093] (==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
[     4.094] (**) NVIDIA(0): Enabling 2D acceleration
[     4.095] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module. Please see the
[     4.095] (EE) NVIDIA(0):     system's kernel log for additional error messages and
[     4.095] (EE) NVIDIA(0):     consult the NVIDIA README for details.
[     4.095] (EE) NVIDIA(0):  *** Aborting ***
[     4.095] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failing initialization of X screen 0
[     4.095] (II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
[     4.095] (II) UnloadSubModule: "wfb"
[     4.095] (II) UnloadSubModule: "fb"
[     4.095] (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
[     4.095] (EE) 
Fatal server error:
[     4.095] (EE) no screens found(EE) 
[     4.095] (EE) 
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
	 at [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
 for help. 
[     4.095] (EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[     4.095] (EE) 
[     4.107] (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.

The only entry I found in `dmesg | grep nvidia` related to nvidia-drm, and seemed to say it was loaded successfully. I didn't save the exact entry and i've reinstalled nouveau now so that I could post this.
Any help much appriciated. I've been at this for a while. Learning a lot in the process!

Last edited by gnibbler (2014-01-04 22:31:49)

graysky · 2014-01-04 22:23:46

Assuming the 'nvidia' package is what that card needs, not the 'nivida-304xx' package, you may need to reboot if the nouveau driver is loaded; you should not need any modification to /etc/X11/* nor to /etc/mkinitcpio.conf at all. The nvidia website has been wrong in the past advising which package is needed for which card. If you have 'nivida' installed remove the module part in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf, regen your images, then reboot.

Try to manually load the nvidia module by `sudo modprobe nvidia` and check dmesg or `lsmod | grep nvidia` to see if the kernel likes it. If not, bring down the 'nvidia-304xx' package and try to modprobe nvidia again after it installs.

Last edited by graysky (2014-01-04 22:25:18)

gnibbler · 2014-01-04 22:31:18

Success! Several days of trying various things and I finally give in and make a post to this forum. One more attempt - which was only really so that I could add modprobe info to this post - and it works.

I had at some stage installed the driver xf86-video-nv, and this may have been causing the clash. I un-installed it, and followed the procedure above to reinstall nvidia.

I think the main hang up I'd had is that I had not been rebuilding my kernel image with mkinitcpio after installing nvidia during my previous attempts.

I hope some info in here helps some other stuck archer.

Edit: Thanks graysky. I had found the right nvidia driver using the arch wiki and followed this advice to remove the nouveau hook. Much appriciated.

Last edited by gnibbler (2014-01-04 22:35:00)

Arch Linux

#1 2014-01-04 21:58:48

[Solved] Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module

#2 2014-01-04 22:23:46

Re: [Solved] Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module

#3 2014-01-04 22:31:18

Re: [Solved] Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module

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