Nouveau

tony5429 · 2008-11-05 03:07:25

I have an NVIDIA 8800 GT and get terrible performance on KDE 4 with the binary nvidia driver. I am thinking about giving nouveau a shot since everything I do is 2D anyway. Should I install this:

http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=11889

or this:

http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=11891

And what is the difference exactly?

One other question, after installing one of those, I presume I'll need to remove the nvidia package. And then, is there a nouveau equivalent to nvidia-xconfig so that X is configured to use nouveau?

skottish · 2008-11-05 03:12:55

I can't tell you much, but I can tell you that one is a dependency of the other.

tony5429 · 2008-11-05 03:15:16

Ah, okay. Then I will install both. Thanks. Does anyone know how to configure X for nouveau?

schischa · 2008-11-05 10:01:00

look in the wiki how to configure X, but generally using nouveau as the driver in the device section should do the trick if you had Xorg already working with another driver

tony5429 · 2008-11-09 22:25:14

Okay. I started over with a fresh install of Arch64, but this time I didn't install NVIDIA. I installed hwd and used hwd -xa to configure X. Then I went into the xorg.conf file and changed the device driver to nouveau. Next, I used wget to pick up the PKGBUILDs (and nv50 patch) for nouveau-drm-git and xf86-video-nouveau-git. I installed both (along with the necessary dependencies). Then I edited the /usr/src/LINUX.../.config file and commented out every CONFIG_DRM line. Then I ran 'rmmod drm' and 'insmod /lib/modules/2.6.27-ARCH/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/drm.ko'

The only other thing left to do is to load the actual nouveau module, but I am getting this error when I try:

[root@boris ~]# insmod /lib/modules/2.6.27-ARCH/kernel/drivers/video/nouveau.ko
insmod: error inserting '/lib/modules/2.6.27-ARCH/kernel/drivers/video/nouveau.ko': -1 Unknown symbol in module

Does anyone have any ideas?

Last edited by tony5429 (2008-11-10 01:40:46)

tony5429 · 2008-11-11 04:50:22

Bueller?

tony5429 · 2008-11-12 18:54:52

Anyone? Surely someone on arch has used nouveau...

tony5429 · 2008-11-16 07:10:16

I'm surprised not to hear from anyone about this. How about this as a first question: by commenting out every "CONFIG_DRM" line in /usr/src/linux-2.6.27-ARCH/.config, have I ensured that "CONFIG_DRM is not set in the kernel configuration?" (as per http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/InstallNouveau)

fwojciec · 2008-11-16 07:17:51

I got it to work a while ago -- I don't remember the details though. I think all I needed to do, apart from installing the nouveau packages from aur and editing xorg.conf, was to uninstall nvidia drivers and install libgl. The performance was much worse than the proprietary driver, though, and compiz wouldn't work, so I quickly reverted back to nvidia drivers.

AndyRTR · 2008-11-16 11:22:00

I'm running Nouveau with our stock kernel in a dualhead config. Works well in 2D.

tony5429 · 2008-11-21 06:10:15

Thanks for the info. I have tried both installing nouveau with a fresh install of Arch64, and installing nouveau on a system which has the nvidia driver by simply removing the nvidia driver. In both cases, the screen goes black and it looks like kde4 is going to start up but then I get sent back to the console. Is there a way I can try to start xorg manually so I can find out what error I'm getting?

AndyRTR · 2008-11-21 07:18:32

check the /var/log/Xorg.0.log and xsession errors file in ~/

autonymous · 2008-12-03 15:18:03

For tony5429:

I found this: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p= … ostcount=7

the problem was that there are 2 drm modules installed
/lib/modules/2.6.22-9-generic/kernel/drivers/char/drm/drm.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.22-9-generic/extra/drm.ko
its the second one that is needed.
sudo modprobe -r drm
sudo insmod/lib/modules/2.6.22-9-generic/extra/drm.ko
fixed that (note it would probably have to be done on every boot)

Fixed it for me...YYMV

Last edited by autonymous (2008-12-03 15:19:06)

slumslayer · 2008-12-03 18:01:22

I've tried the driver too but all I got is a blank screen and I need to reboot.

Xorg.0.log

(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_crtc_dpms is called with mode 3 for CRTC0.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_crtc_dpms is called with mode 3 for CRTC1.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_output_prepare is called.
drmOpenDevice: open result is 11, (OK)
drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
drmOpenDevice: open result is 11, (OK)
drmOpenByBusid: Searching for BusID pci:0000:01:00.0
drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
drmOpenDevice: open result is 11, (OK)
drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns 11
drmOpenByBusid: drmGetBusid reports pci:0000:01:00.0
(II) [drm] DRM interface version 1.3
(II) [drm] DRM open master succeeded.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): [drm] Using the DRM lock SAREA also for drawables.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): [drm] framebuffer handle = 0xe0000000
(II) NOUVEAU(0): [drm] added 1 reserved context for kernel
(II) NOUVEAU(0): X context handle = 0x1
(II) NOUVEAU(0): [drm] installed DRM signal handler
(II) NOUVEAU(0): Allocated 128MiB VRAM for framebuffer + offscreen pixmaps, at o
ffset 0x20000000
(II) NOUVEAU(0): AGPGART: 32MiB available
(II) NOUVEAU(0): GART: Allocated 16MiB as a scratch buffer
(II) NOUVEAU(0): Opened GPU channel 2
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50DispInit is called.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_output_dpms is called with mode 3.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50DacSetPowerMode is called with mode 3.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50SorSetPowerMode is called with mode 3.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_output_dpms is called with mode 3.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50DacSetPowerMode is called with mode 3.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50SorSetPowerMode is called with mode 3.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_crtc_dpms is called with mode 3 for CRTC0.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_crtc_dpms is called with mode 3 for CRTC1.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_output_prepare is called.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_crtc_prepare is called for CRTC0.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50DacModeSet is called.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): Disconnecting DAC.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50DacModeSet is called.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): Disconnecting DAC.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50SorModeSet is called.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): Disconnecting SOR.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): nv50_crtc_mode_set is called for CRTC0.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): NV50CrtcModeSet is called for CRTC0.
(WW) NOUVEAU(0): NV50CheckWriteVClk() timed out.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): A reboot is probably required now.
(WW) NOUVEAU(0): NV50CheckWriteVClk() timed out.
(II) NOUVEAU(0): A reboot is probably required now.
...(same msg)

My card is a 8800gt .
Guess I'll keep using the binary driver.

autonymous · 2008-12-05 20:10:48

Yeah, NV50 isn't quite ready for primetime...I'm on a NV41 here.

stream303 · 2009-04-28 03:31:13

fwojciec wrote:

I got it to work a while ago -- I don't remember the details though. I think all I needed to do, apart from installing the nouveau packages from aur and editing xorg.conf, was to uninstall nvidia drivers and install libgl.

Thank you! Having those packages in extra now made it even easier. I did it backwards, uninstalled the nvidia driver and nvidia utilities, installed libgl and installed BOTH nouveau packages from extra. Edited my xorg.conf to point to "nouveau" and now I'm a happy camper.

Score another one for ArchLinux simplicity!

Arch Linux

#1 2008-11-05 03:07:25

Nouveau

#2 2008-11-05 03:12:55

Re: Nouveau

#3 2008-11-05 03:15:16

Re: Nouveau

#4 2008-11-05 10:01:00

Re: Nouveau

#5 2008-11-09 22:25:14

Re: Nouveau

#6 2008-11-11 04:50:22

Re: Nouveau

#7 2008-11-12 18:54:52

Re: Nouveau

#8 2008-11-16 07:10:16

Re: Nouveau

#9 2008-11-16 07:17:51

Re: Nouveau

#10 2008-11-16 11:22:00

Re: Nouveau

#11 2008-11-21 06:10:15

Re: Nouveau

#12 2008-11-21 07:18:32

Re: Nouveau

#13 2008-12-03 15:18:03

Re: Nouveau

#14 2008-12-03 18:01:22

Re: Nouveau

#15 2008-12-05 20:10:48

Re: Nouveau

#16 2009-04-28 03:31:13

Re: Nouveau

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