How to install Nvidia driver with Fedora

sdat1333 · 11-24-2004, 10:32 PM

Hello everyone,
I am a linux newbie so pls dont be too hard on me. I would appreciate it if someone could post step by step instructions on installing the NVidia driver in language that I can understand. I have the GeForce 4 MX440. I just installed Fedora after trying out Mandrake. I installed the driver in Mandrake and then all I could get to was a command prompt so I'm kind of scared to try again without clear instructions. Thank you in advance, this forum has been a great help to me in the past.

reddazz · 11-25-2004, 05:58 AM

1) download the drivers (obviously

)
2) start a console (terminal) session
3) type ctrl-alt-f1
4) login as yourself and enter password
5) change to the directory you downloaded the driver e.g. "cd downloads/bin"
6) make the nvidia driver executable by doing "chmod +x NVIDIA*"
7) run su -c "./NVIDIA*" (including the double quotes)
8) enter root password and follow install instructions.
9) edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf and change the driver from "nv" to "nvidia"

Hope that was plain and simple. Hopefully it works fine for you.

reddazz · 11-25-2004, 06:03 AM

you may also need to do the following as well,

# modprobe nvidia
# cp -a /dev/nvidia* /etc/udev/devices
# chown root.root /etc/udev/devices/nvidia*

and reboot, if the nvidia driver does not load up after a reboot. The commands above will fix that problem if it occurs.

Oliv' · 11-25-2004, 06:59 AM

Hi,

I think you also need to kill your X server... cause during NVIDIA, it checks wether or not an X server is running... if yes, it doesn't want to go futher.

Oliv'

reddazz · 11-25-2004, 08:25 AM

you are right Oliv. Before doing step 4 above, you need to

login as root and run "init 3".

You can continue the install process as root, but I prefer to work as a normal user, so exit as root and then follow step 4 above. Also, if you don't want to reboot after the installation is complete and you have edited /etc/X11/xorg.config just run

su -c " init 5"

Your graphical login manager will appear.

sdat1333 · 11-25-2004, 08:42 AM

[root@localhost sean]# run init 3
bash: run: command not found
[root@localhost sean]# runinit 3
bash: runinit: command not found

runinit doesn't work for me

[root@localhost sean]# telinit 3
bash: telinit: command not found
[root@localhost sean]# tellinit 3
bash: tellinit: command not found
[root@localhost sean]# tell init 3
bash: tell: command not found

neither does telinit 3.

perfect_circle · 11-25-2004, 09:19 AM

there is no tellinit
telinit is the command or simply init

just do those steps.

1. Ctrl+Alt+F1
2. login as root
3.

Code:

[root@localhost root]# telinit 3

or simply

Code:

[root@localhost root]# init 3

4. go to where you have the driver.
5.

Code:

[root@localhost downloads]# sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6629-pkg1.run

(no need to change the permissions of the file)
6. edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf (with vi or pico)
and make sure you put in the modules section glx and dissable dri and GLcore if you have

Code:

Section "Module"
	Load  "dbe"
	Load  "extmod"
	Load  "fbdevhw"
	Load  "glx"
	Load  "record"
	Load  "freetype"
	Load  "type1"
#	Load  "dri"
EndSection

then change the driver in the same file, use nvidia instead of nv

Code:

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "Videocard0"
	Driver      "nvidia"
	Option	    "NoLogo" "true"
	VendorName  "Videocard vendor"
	BoardName   "NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX (generic)"
EndSection

if you don't want to see the nvidia logo every time you start X - windows
put there "Option "NoLogo" "true"", like i did, but better leave this step to see if the driver works.
You may do that latter

perfect_circle · 11-25-2004, 09:31 AM

to use vi do

Code:

[root@localhost root]# vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf

move with the arrows,
you delete something with Delete button,
place the pointer under the letter you want to delete and press Delete
to write something press i to enter to the insert modeand then write what you want
after you finish inserting
press Esc.
press

Code:

:wq

to save and exit
or

Code:

:q!

to exit without saving if something goes wrong.
if you want you might also backup your /etc/X11/corg.conf before you edit it

Code:

cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.old

so if you have problems you can restore the old

Code:

rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf
mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf.old /etc/X11/xorg.conf

and edit it again

sdat1333 · 11-25-2004, 10:04 AM

When I hit Ctl-Alt-F1, It shows the login prompt for a second, then starts giving me the same error over and over (something about SCSI I think, even tho I have no scsi drives on my system)

sdat1333 · 11-25-2004, 10:16 AM

OK, error message went away after I removed my thumb drive(Linux really doesnt like my thumb drive). Now when I login as root and do telinit 3, it says its starting different programs, then stops and gets stuck at "starting wine". I want to uninstall wine but I cant find it

perfect_circle · 11-25-2004, 10:41 AM

do u remember how toy installed wine?
from source, rpm...

sdat1333 · 11-25-2004, 11:17 AM

first off, what's toy(Sorry I'm a bit of a newbie)
When I installed wine, I downloaded the rpm for fedora core 1 and installed it. then I realized the mistake and downloaded the rpm for fedora core 2(they still havent released an rpm for FC3) and installed it. I can't find wine on any of my menus. The only hard drive files for wine I can find are png images and two *.svgz files that I cant open.

reddazz · 11-25-2004, 11:19 AM

sorry the command in my last post was supposed to be run "init 3". I am sure telinit exists on Fedora Core 2.

dubya · 11-25-2004, 03:13 PM

I've heard from a lot of people that telinit 3 or init 3 doesn't work for them on Fedora and what they have to do is manually change the default run level to 3 and reboot.

Edit the /etc/inittab file manually by replacing your default level from 5 to 3. Hope that helps.

sdat1333 · 11-25-2004, 05:37 PM

I changed the default runlevel, booted into Command prompt, logged in as root. then I ran NVIDIA instalation program. It didnt work because it said something about downloading kernel source. Then when it couldn't, It tried to make its own and said something about not having CC. before running instalation I ran some command that had CC=something(I forget what). Now I have tried to change the inittab file but it says I dont have permission, even tho I am logged in as root. I hope someone can help me cuz I'm at a brick wall here. Thanx in advance.