Arch Linux

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

I have the 2.6.6 arch updated kernel, and nvidia geforce 2 mx400 video card. If I use the "nvidia" module, the system freezes while in X. This does not happen only in Arch but in fedora 2 too (I'm not usig it, I was just curious  :oops:  ).

with the "nv" module it works perfect(in fedora too  :oops: ).
With kernel 2.6.3 it worked perfect as well.

I've placed another topic not so long ago about this, entitled system crash. First I thought it was some buggy software, but now I'm sure it is the kernel.

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Forever newbie !!!

lanrat

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2003-10-28

Posts: 1,274

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

1. Do you have the latest nvidia driver installed? How did you install it?
2. What X do you have (x.org or xfree86)?
3. How did you configure nvidia in XFConfig?
4. Does it work with kernel 2.4.26 ?
5. Did you check your hardware (like some other nvidia card if it is possible, tring to unplug it and plug it again, checking memory with http://www.memtest86.com/)?
6. Did you try to search for a help or other people having the same troubles on nvidia linux driver forum? http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/forumdi … forumid=14
7. What does it mean "system freezes"? You can't even use shift_ctrl_backspace to kill X? Does it happen right after X starts? Always? Any errors in /var/logs? (especially X log).?

I have nvidia geforce4 and it works perfectly under arch and kernel 2.6.6 (and 2.4.26 too) with nvidia drivers.

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

1) installing
    Downloaded the nvidia driver from their site
    init 3
    sh driver_name.run
    change the XF86cinfig nv become nvidia
2) xfree86.org
3) change the XF86cinfig nv become nvidia
     load glx instead of dri
4) it works just fine with kerle 2.4 or 2.5.3
5) no errors found
6) someone has the same problem  using fedora (somebodyon the arch forum said he has it too)
    http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthr … ge=1&pp=15
7) no key combination works, I can't change to a texmode console (ctrl+alt+F1,...), (ctrl+alt+backspace does not kill my X sesion as it normally does). Nothing works.

that's it .
Tjanks four your prompt reply !!!

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Forever newbie !!!

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

1) installing
    Downloaded the nvidia driver from their site
    init 3
    sh driver_name.run
    change the XF86cinfig nv become nvidia
2) xfree86.org
3) change the XF86config nv become nvidia
     load glx instead of dri
4) it works just fine with kernel 2.4 or 2.5.3
5) no errors found
6) someone has the same problem  using fedora (somebody on the arch forum said he has it too)
    http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthr … ge=1&pp=15
7) no key combination works, I can't change to a texmode console (ctrl+alt+F1,...), (ctrl+alt+backspace does not kill my X sesion as it normally does). Nothing works.

that's it .
Tjanks four your prompt reply !!!

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Forever newbie !!!

lanrat

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2003-10-28

Posts: 1,274

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

Ok. Without any error messages it will be very difficult to find your problem source :-( Some blind shots then:

1. Try turning off acpi, apic and apm (add acpi=off apm=off noapic to kernel line in your grub/lilo).
2. How do you run nvidia module? In the text mode try modprobe -r nvidia and modprobe nvidia several times. Any effects or it just runs without any errors? (and normally you run nvidia module from MODULES in rc.conf right?).
3. Did you overlocked something in your bios?
4. Exactly what is your driver configuration in XF86Config? Mine is like this:

Section "Module"
        Load            "dbe"
        Load            "extmod"
        Load            "glx"
        Load            "bitmap"
        Load            "speedo"        
        Load            "type1"
        Load            "freetype"
        Load            "record"
        Load            "wacom"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "NvidiaGeForce4MX440"
        Driver          "nvidia"
        Option          "NoLogo"                        "true"
        Screen          0
        BusID           "PCI:01:00:0"
EndSection

5. Anything useful here http://linuxiso.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=95137#95137 (but I guess compilation is not an issue in your case)?
That's all I can think of now. Let us know if you find any solution.

Mr Green

Forum Fellow

From: U.K.

Registered: 2003-12-21

Posts: 5,896

Website

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

We need to know what drivers you are trying to use....

You could pacman -S nvidia (more info in Wiki)

Look in /var/log/nvidia-installer.log for any errors....

HTH

Mr Green

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Mr Green

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

I've tried earlier using the package containing the nvidia driver, but this does not work either.
I will look into it, try all that you've told me, and i will let you know what happens.

Thank you very much!!!

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Forever newbie !!!

lanrat

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2003-10-28

Posts: 1,274

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

You can remove wacom - sorry I forgot about it :-) It's only for tablets. My nvidia module compiles and runs fine with 2.6.7 (at least with stock arch kernel26 package). I experienced 1 or 2 freezes within last few months which is not that bad for uptodate software :-)

pablored

Member

Registered: 2004-06-26

Posts: 25

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

Have you guys got the kernel hacking/debugging options in the 2.6.* kernel selected?

Sleep inside spinlock checking
Use 4kb for kernel stack instead of 8kb

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

(of this topic)One last exam on saturday and I am free to go !!!!(/of this topic)

Sorry!!!
I have another geforce 2 card (older than the one with crashes)  and runs fine. in XF86config I've placed the options that were writen on this post and runs perfect. But I still don't think it was the card . On windows runs fine and this bothers me. Now I'm sorry I don't have that card anymore to solve the mistery. No crashes with the nv driver though.

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Forever newbie !!!

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

back again
same configuration:
matsonic motherboard, the nvidia geforce2 mx400 that made me troubles, the modules are the ones you've written above witout wacom,
and at the device section:
Section "Device"
      Identifier "card0"
       Driver     "nvidia"
EndSection

the nvidia module is loaded with rc.conf.

I installed arch last night, it worked fine half a day, and then a major crash, no key combination available, I could not even move the mouse cursor.  I couln't even change to a virtual console with ctrl+alt+Fx, the ctrl+alt+backspace did not work.
I was making a cd image with dd in /dev/tty1, the system was crashed, but the cd was spinning. (so I think that console applications may still run even if the X system was crashed).

I restarted, (a classical button reset), it started the same gnome with the same apps that were on in the moment of the crash (in the preferences->sessions the save session check button was on), it ran for 5 minutes and then another crash, this time I ciuld move the mouse, but still no key combination available.

Another classical reset, but now gnome doesn't start.

My problem(besides the nvidia one): tune2fs was not configured(root partition is ext3 so that's why gnome does not work, and neither does failsafe gnome- and this time with the nv module-but the nvidia module was loaded from rc.conf, i only changed it in XF86config).

If you have any spare time please tell me how you've configured tune2fs so after a button reset to autostart.

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Forever newbie !!!

Pierre

Developer

From: Bonn

Registered: 2004-07-05

Posts: 1,964

Website

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

What motherboard-chipset are you using?

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3E80 CA1A 8B89 F69C BA57  D98A 76A5 EF90 5444 9A5C

galen

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2003-07-02

Posts: 135

Website

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

same problem here. been a bug for a month

2.6.7
AMD duron 1000

nvidia 5336 modules builds without error
...
-> Running post-install sanity check:
-> done.
-> Sanity check passed.
-> Shared memory test passed.
-> Installation of the NVIDIA Accelerated Graphics Driver for Linux-x86
   (version: 1.0-5336) is now complete.  Please update your XF86Config file as
   appropriate; see the file /usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/README for details.

modprobe -r nvidia 
reports no error

startx fails
log reports
..
(EE) Failed to initialize GLX extension (NVIDIA XFree86 driver not found)
...

PS my lilo needs to include

   append="acpi=off"

in order for arch to run on the Duron CPU

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Off to using Peanut and Slackware, no hard feelings but I need my CD to burn, PDA and scanner to connect and arch won't do it.

[img]http://www.flightsimhq.org/images/war-is-bushit_s.jpg[/img]

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

kt333cf northbridge and vt8235 southbridge. This is from it's book If

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Forever newbie !!!

lanrat

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2003-10-28

Posts: 1,274

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

modprobe -r nvidia 
reports no error

startx fails
log reports
..
(EE) Failed to initialize GLX extension (NVIDIA XFree86 driver not found)
...

it's not strange since you unloaded the nvidia module with modprobe -r nvidia before running xfree :-) you shouldn't use -r option. you can load the module in rc.conf - check if it's running with lsmod | grep nvidia.

You can all try the new nvidia drivers first and see if it will help you to get rid of the errors. Don't forget to read nvidia forums to check for any solutions.

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

motherboard=matsonic ms8167c , via kt333cf chipset which consists of kt333cf northbridge and vt8235 southbridge

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Forever newbie !!!

lanrat

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2003-10-28

Posts: 1,274

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

Personally, I would suspect via chipset :-) But what about the newest drivers? Did you try them? Did you search nvidia forums for your motherboard/chipset model ?

galen

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2003-07-02

Posts: 135

Website

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

2.6.7 now works for me
edited
XF86Config
...

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "nv"
    VendorName    "GeForce"
    BoardName    "MX400"


#    Driver     "nv"
    Driver     "nvidia"

...

all I did was add a vendor name and a board name
and re-ran the nvidia 5336 install script. It now works.

to manually load nvidia driver
# modprobe nvidia

or add nvidia to the MODULES line in
/etc/rc.conf

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Off to using Peanut and Slackware, no hard feelings but I need my CD to burn, PDA and scanner to connect and arch won't do it.

[img]http://www.flightsimhq.org/images/war-is-bushit_s.jpg[/img]

onami

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2004-05-05

Posts: 197

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

I have a matsonic motherboard staring a geforce 2 mx400
:oops:
what shoul my XF86config contain ?

Could this be because of xfree86 ?
I don't think so, i hav eanother computer, with a noname motherboard and a geforce2 mx400, and arch runs like the wind, sometimes xfree86 crashes after days of running continuously, but it does not freeze

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Forever newbie !!!

lubot

Member

Registered: 2003-10-18

Posts: 14

Re: kernel 2.6 + nvidia geforce 2

I had this freezes on my ASUS A7V mainboard with nvidia drivers too.
But after setting the BIOS option "AGP Drive Strength" to "EC" it nerver froze again.

On my A7V i use setpci to modify the value to "EC" due to a bug in the BIOS that do not keep the settings for "AGP Drive Strength". It always remains at "D9".

Check AGP Drive Strength:

setpci -s 000:00.0 B1

Set AGP Drive Strength:

setpci -s 000:00.0 B1=EC