[SOLVED] Beta 2 nVIDIA driver issue

[bertaerts]

First the long first boot.

Then a non-functional rpmdrake (with workaround as described in this forum).

Then a non-functional wireless connection. 3945 firmware from non-free is ok.
Wifi access points are shown, but can not connect.

Then the nVIDIA driver, installed via the Mageia Control Panel.
But my laptop keeps on rebooting (tried twice).
Now I don't have KDE any more, only CTRL-ALT-F2 login...
Which commands can help me?

Beta 2 seems of alpha quality

[doktor5000]

Boot into runlevel 3 and apply all updates? There have been many updated packages and fixes since beta2 was released 2 weeks ago.

[bertaerts]

Before I tried wireless and nVIDIA, I was connected with ethernet cable and updated more than 250 packages. So that can not be the reason. nVIDIA proprietary driver selection installed many packages like gcc, kernel-devel, ... So all needed packages seem to be there...

[doktor5000]

Without any logs or error messages it's hard to help ...

[bertaerts]

What terminal commands can I use to setup a wireless network connection?
In the GUI's no error message is shown...

For the nVIDIA driver, when I do CTRL-ALT-F2 and "startx" I get an error message telling no device found.
But in Mageia 1 my GeForce 8600M GT is working perfectly with latest driver 295.33.

[doktor5000]

Maybe https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless_Setup can help you.
But at least provide basic information, like what driver, encryption or stuff like that, or at least iwconfig output.

For the x problem, IIRC startx is not supported correctly anymore, but i may be wrong. What happens if you just boot to graphical.target?
Also when did you last setup the graphics driver via drakx11?

[bertaerts]

First the wireless issue... Shame on me, I mistyped the WPA key so that wireless access point was found but connection failed. With the correct WPA key I did get connection. Issue solved.

Then the nVIDIA problem... there I still have 2 issues.

The complete error message after installation and reboot and CTRL-ALT-F2 "startx" was
FATAL: Error inserting nvidia-current (/lib/modules/3.3.0-desktop-2.mga2/dkms-binary/drivers/char/drm/nvidia-current.ko.xz): no such device
FATAL: Error running install command for nvidia
I conclude that for some reason the nouveau driver is already loaded leaving no place for nVIDIA...

I found via Google that boot parameter "nokmsboot" migth solve it.
So I added this parameter in /boot/grub/menu.lst and YES I got nVIDIA splash screen and all was fine.
Is this the final solution?

But this was driver 295.20 and nVIDIA already released 295.33. So I wanted to update.

So I used the script on http://onse.fi/nvidia-mgabuild/
This generates:
dkms-nvidia-current-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2.x86_64.rpm
nvidia-current-cuda-opencl-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2.x86_64.rpm
nvidia-current-devel-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2.x86_64.rpm
nvidia-current-doc-html-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2.x86_64.rpm
x11-driver-video-nvidia-current-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2.x86_64.rpm

But when upgrading to these nVIDIA packages I have to CTRL-ALT-F2 again with "startx" to read:
Error: API mismatch: the NVIDIA kernel module has version 295.20,
but this NVIDIA driver component has version 295.33. Please make
sure that the kernel module and all NVIDIA driver components
have the same version.

I don't have an 295.33 update for package nvidia-current-kernel-3.3.0-desktop-2.mga2 of version 295.20.
Such a module does not exist in Mageia 1. There the kernel module is compiled on first reboot with new driver.
Should I remove this module or how to proceed?

[doktor5000]

Why are mentioning Mageia 1 at the end of your post, when the problem is with a cauldron system?
Please show the output of

Code: Select all

rpm -qa | grep nvidia

[bertaerts]

I refer to Mageia 1 as I never had problems in updating nVIDIA drivers with the script on http://onse.fi/nvidia-mgabuild/ in Mageia 1.
As a difference I mentioned that Mageia 1 does not have following package
nvidia-current-kernel-3.3.0-desktop-2.mga2 of version 295.20

It is exactly this package in Cauldron that contains the "nvidia-current.ko.xz" kernel module, which in Mageia 1 is compiled at first reboot after nVIDIA driver update.

So my question is how do I upgrade nVIDIA on Cauldron?
Remove nvidia-current-kernel-3.3.0-desktop-2.mga2 of version 295.20 ?

[bertaerts]

I udpated 295.20 to 295.33 with following rpm's

nvidia-current-cuda-opencl-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2
dkms-nvidia-current-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2
x11-driver-video-nvidia-current-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2
nvidia-current-doc-html-295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2

I removed 2 rpm's:
nvidia-current-kernel-3.3.1-desktop-1.mga2
nvidia-current-kernel-desktop-latest

Rebooted and read the message
nvidia-current (295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2): Already installed on this kernel.

nVIDIA splash came and I am indeed running 295.33.
Hooray!

[isadora]

[bertaerts]

With the new kernel 3.3.1-2 I got the usual "installing module" and "......" like in Mageia 1

nvidia-current (295.33-1custom.nvidia.mga2): Installing module.
......Started Cleanup of /var/run and /var/lock [ OK ]
Starting Recreate Volatile Files and Directories...
Started Recreate Volatile Files and Directories [ OK ]
Starting Console System Startup Logging...
Starting Restore Sound Card State...
Started Console System Startup Logging [ OK ]
Started Restore Sound Card State [ OK ]
.......................
.........

nVIDIA works fine!