Arch Linux

chriseggroll

Member

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 64

problems with nvidia 7300 gs

i have a new system that i had put together and got the nvidia 7300 gs card.  it seems to work fairly well with the nv driver but when i try to use the proprietary driver it locks up randomly - usually while on a screensaver but also while in use.  when that happens i cant exit x windows and have to just hard reset the computer.  i thought this might be an issue with this card's "turbocache" feature, where it uses some of the system's memory for the card, but don't see a way to adjust this at all in the nvidia settings.  anyone else have this card or experiencing similar problems?

chicha

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-04-20

Posts: 271

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

There is a bug in the latest Nvidia drivers with this card :

See my comments and the link I give here
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=38896

The solution is to use an old version of the nvidia driver.
If you run kernel 2.6.23 you will have to patch it (see the links in my previous post).

Cheers,
Chicha

chriseggroll

Member

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 64

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

thanks for showing me that thread.  with arch, i've never had to use an older version of a package before, how do i go about installing the older nvidia driver?  i tried just installing it from the nvidia site but it says there is no kernel interface for the kernel i am using, and fails to compile one.

chicha

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-04-20

Posts: 271

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

Hello,

Here is a something which explains how to downgrade a package (install an old version)
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Downgrade_packages

As I am almost in the same situation I have already done the job :
http://cdadhemar.free.fr/projects/arch/pkg/

You will find in the link above the package to install (nvidia-100.14.09 and nvidia-utils-100.14.09).
There are compiled for kernel 2.6.23.

As you should never trust someone you do not know and who gives you an already compiled package (He might put a troyan or virus in the binaries) I also give you the PKGBUILD and the patch I found on the web (see my previous post on the subject) inside a tar archive.

You should make the pkg from the PKGBUILD (see the wiki about ABS, the Arch Build System). But if you really feel like you trust me then you can use my compiled packages, only if you use kernel 2.6.23.

Also you should put nvidia and nvidia-utils in the IgnorePkg variable in /etc/pacman.conf so that they will not be updated at your next pacman -Syu ...

Once the package is compiled and installed you will have to either shutdown X and depmod -a + modprobe -r + modprobe nvidia or, if you do not know what I am talking about then simply reboot your computer :-)

You will have to rebuild the package at every kernel update. This is the price to pay until Nvidia releases a working driver for our card.

I hope it helped !
Cheers,

Chicha

chriseggroll

Member

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 64

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

great thank you!hopefully this driver will work better

chriseggroll

Member

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 64

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

ok i compiled and installed the packages no problem, rebooted, and i keep getting a message saying that the xorg server ABI is newer than the driver version and so X will not open.  it mentions using an option of -ignoreABI but i don't know where that option would go.  i tried putting it in my xorg file but it just says that option is not supported.

chicha

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-04-20

Posts: 271

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

Which Xorg version do you use ?
The one from extra or the one from testing ?

Do you use composite stuffs ?

One solution would be to startx with the following command :
startx -- -ignoreABI

But before using this "hack" I would better understand why you have this error and why I haven't !

An other possibility is maybe to reconfigure your xorg using  nvidia-xconfig from the nvidia-utils package I also gave you.

You are very close to make it run ....

chriseggroll

Member

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 64

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

ok, i figured it out   i was using the xorg server in testing...i reinstalled with the one in extra and now the driver  loads!   thanks for your help, now i can try out the driver and hopefully no more lockups!

chicha

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-04-20

Posts: 271

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

Great ! I am very happy it worked for you too

Until Nvidia releases a new working driver (the 100.14.23 in beta will not solve our problems) you have to be care full with Nvidia, Kernel and Xorg updates.

You will probably need to use the  "-ignoreABI" hack when the Xorg from testing will be pushed into the extra repository.

I will post here some new tricks related to Nvidia/7300 GS cards and Archlinux packages as soon as new problems are raised, so keep subscribed to this topic

Cheers,
Chicha

chriseggroll

Member

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 64

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

cool, i will.  and btw, i tried startx -ignoreabi and that did not work

chicha

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-04-20

Posts: 271

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

Ok, thank you for the info.
I will look further on this issue when the new Xorg will get into extra.

chicha

Member

From: France

Registered: 2007-04-20

Posts: 271

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

Hello,

and here we are : the new Xorg has come into extra and it does not start with old nvidia drivers (at least 100.14.09) complaining about ABI changes.

Here is the solution :

You need to start xorg with the option "-ignoreABI".
If you usually use startx to start a X session then use :
startx -- -ignoreABI

If you use gdm then modify /usr/share/gdm/default.conf, find the line where Xorg is launched and add the -ignoreABI.

I hope it helped !
Cheers,

Chicha

chriseggroll

Member

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 64

Re: problems with nvidia 7300 gs

hmm, i recently updated to the latest kernel version 2.6.23 and noticed there were also newer versions of xorg and xorg-init.  so i rebuilt the nvidia packages and installed them, but i seem to run into a problem with the system locking up once xscreensaver kicks in, have you had this problem?