Nvidia Installation problem

[tenderfootlinux]

I know this is far from a unique problem as others have sought advice on the same topic...

I want to be able to install Nvidia drivers appropriate to my new Dell Notebook XPS 15.

I have read enough to realize two main installation methods exist. (1) install the “Debian” way or (2) install using the nvidia-installer. I would prefer #1, but am starting to think about #2. Nevertheless, the nvidia-installer procedure for someone with my limited Linux knowledge would, no doubt, be a challenge as well.

Here are the facts. I have a Dell XPS 15 which I have arranged to dual boot Windows 7 and Debian Squeeze. My video card is an Nvidia Geforce GT M435. It is 1080p and looks great when booted up in Windows. I would love that capability for my Debian Squeeze OS too!

Uname -a provides the following:

Linux debianXPS15 2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Fri Dec 10 15:35:08 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux

reed9 provided the following suggestion on March 7 1010.
I tried this but did not meet with any success. I realize the suggestion below is for a standard (non-custom) kernel which is what I imagine I have.

su -
apt-get install module-assistant nvidia-kernel-common
m-a auto-install nvidia-kernel${VERSION}-source
apt-get install nvidia-glx${VERSION}
apt-get install nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-xconfig

This procedure succeeds in generating a xorg.conf file which leads to a blinking cursor on my screen and no more. Any suggestions? I need help. Any thoughts would be appreciated...

[markcole]

Have you installed a window manager already? If so, just type initx at the prompt.

[tenderfootlinux]

Thank you for taking the time to think about my problem.

I am embarrassed to say I am not quite sure what a "windows manager" is. Is "X" considered a "windows manager"? How would I determine whether I have a "windows manager" installed or not?

As to using the command initx, do I do that with X running or not?

Thank you.

[markcole]

No problem. When you boot up initally and log in, are you looking at a black screen with a command prompt, or do you see a windows type look?

I had assumed command prompt, but now we need to make sure.

[tenderfootlinux]

Upon bootup I am most definitely placed in a windows environment. That is the problem - without access to the nvidia drivers I only have 600 x 800 pixel resolution. The laptop is capable of 1080 p resolution - at least in Windows 7.

[reed9]

su -
apt-get install module-assistant nvidia-kernel-common
m-a auto-install nvidia-kernel${VERSION}-source
apt-get install nvidia-glx${VERSION}
apt-get install nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-xconfig

Where there any errors with this?

Please post the contents of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

[tenderfootlinux]

Thank you for taking your time to look at this...

I run into problems at step 2: m-a auto-install nvidia-kernel${VERSION}-source

I get the following error:
Bad luck, the kernel headers for the target kernel version could
│ not be found
│ and you did not specify other valid kernel headers to use.

I am doing all this in a windows environment in case that makes any difference. I think I have to stop X at some point don't I?


Here is my xorg.conf:

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildd@barber) Sun Jun 13 12:08:56 UTC 2010


Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
EndSection




#Section "Device"
# Identifier "Device0"
# Driver "nvidia"
# VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
#EndSection

[reed9]

Please use code tags when posting snippets like the above. Makes it easier to read.

There is a handy script which can help out with this stuff.

Press CTRL+ALT+F1 to drop to the console. Then

su -
cd /usr/local/bin && wget -Nc smxi.org/sgfxi && chmod +x sgfxi && sgfxi -d

This will download a script called sgfxi to /usr/local/bin and run it. You can rerun it in the future simply by typing the name

sgfxi -d

The -d flag tells it to use the distribution packages for the driver. If that continues to fail, run it without the d flag to install straight from nvidia.

sgfxi

It should also configure xorg.conf.

sgfxi manual page :: Debian/Ubuntu/Arch install script for nvidia, fglrx, and xorg drivers

[tenderfootlinux]

That is a quite an interesting series of commands...

The main upshot is the:

ERROR: (194) m-a build failed for package: debian-nvidia

It generated a log file which I have (hopefully) attached.

As an aside: I can drop down to the console by CNTRL+ALT+F4. Unfortunately, I can not get back. I thought CNTRL+ALT+F7 or CNTRL+ALT+F8 was supposed to return me to a windows environment.

I don't think I was able to successfully upload the sgfxi.log file so I will append it below attempting to use the code tags feature:

[code]
================================================== =======
START sgfxi LOGGING:
================================================== =======
Script started: 2010-12-23-11:54:24
Video Card Information: nVidia Corporation Device 0df2 (rev a1)
Video Card Type: 10de
Video Card Number: 0df2
Xorg Version: 1.7
Installing driver to kernel: 2.6.32-5-amd64
sgfxi script version: 4.15.27
sgfxi start options: -d
SYSTEM_BASE: debian
SYSTEM_CODENAME: testing
DISTRIB_CODENAME: testing
DISTRIB_ID: debian
DISTRIB_RELEASE:
FG_DISTRIB_CODENAME: sid
FG_DISTRIB_ID: Debian
APT_TYPE: aptitude
================================================== =======
INSTALL_TO_KERNEL:
KERNEL_VERSION: 2.6.32-5-amd64
KERNEL_BASE: 2.6
KERNEL_THREE: 2.6.32
KERNEL_THIRD: 32
B_IS_XEN: true
Function: create_x_conf - Primary: Start
xorg is present with xorg.conf file
Function: create_x_conf - Primary: End
Function: check_package_manager_updated - Utility: Start
sizeWorking: 15
Function: check_package_manager_updated - Utility: End
Function: set_driver_install_version - Primary: Start
Function: print_information_continue - Utility: Start
Args: info You are using the following options:
-d - Install distro packaged driver.

Function: print_information_continue - Utility: End
Function: print_information_continue - Utility: Start
Args: standard The graphics installer will be installing the nvidia driver: debian-nvidia
Function: print_information_continue - Utility: End
Installing this driver: debian-nvidia
Function: set_driver_install_version - Primary: End
Function: driver_support_tests - Utility: Start
Args: supported-driver
Function: driver_support_tests - Utility: End
Function: check_kernel_headers - Utility: Start
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64 i
Package Version: 2.6.32-29
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64 c
Package Version: 2.6.32-29
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
headerName: linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64
headerInstalled: 2.6.32-29
headerAvailable: 2.6.32-29
headerFile:
Function: check_kernel_headers - Utility: End
Function: x_start_stop_master - Primary: Start
Args: stop
Function: start_stop_x - Utility: Start
Args: stop
default runlevel: 2
dmanCommand: service gdm3 stop
Function: x_is_running - Utility: Start
Function: x_is_running - Utility: End
Function: start_stop_x - Utility: End
Function: x_start_stop_master - Primary: End
Function: check_driver_install_tools - Primary: Start
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: module-assistant i
Package Version: 0.11.3
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: build-essential i
Package Version: 11.5
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: check_driver_install_tools - Primary: End
Function: prep_install - Primary: Start
Function: prep_install - Primary: End
Function: preinstall_cleanup - Primary: Start
nvidia.ko files:

Function: list_installed_packages - Utility: Start
Args: nvidia (modalias|libvdpau|nvidia-bl-dkms|nvidia-cg-toolkit)
packageList: nvidia-glx
nvidia-kernel-common
nvidia-kernel-source
Function: list_installed_packages - Utility: End
(Reading database ... 132272 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing nvidia-glx ...
Purging configuration files for nvidia-glx ...
Removing nvidia-kernel-common ...
Purging configuration files for nvidia-kernel-common ...
Removing nvidia-kernel-source ...
Function: remove_module - Primary: Start
Args: nvidia
operation outcome: unset
Function: remove_module - Primary: End
Function: remove_module - Primary: Start
Args: nouveau
operation outcome: unset
Function: set_modesetting_off - Primary: End
Function: add_grub_nomodeset_blacklist_item - Utility: Start
Args: nouveau
Function: get_active_grub_files - Utility: Start
grub files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/default/grub
Function: get_active_grub_files - Utility: End
file updated to add nouveau nomodeset: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/default/grub
file updated to add nouveau nomodeset: /etc/default/grub
Function: add_grub_nomodeset_blacklist_item - Utility: End
Function: add_modprobe_d_blacklist_item - Utility: Start
Args: nouveau
file updated to add nouveau blacklist: /etc/modprobe.d/kms-sg-blacklist.conf
Function: add_modprobe_d_blacklist_item - Utility: End
Function: update_initramfs - Primary: Start
Args: remove-nouveau
Function: update_initramfs - Primary: End
Function: set_modesetting_off - Primary: Start
Args: nouveau unset
Function: remove_module - Primary: End
Function: list_installed_packages - Utility: Start
Args: fglrx modalias
packageList:
Function: list_installed_packages - Utility: End
Function: remove_module - Primary: Start
Args: fglrx
operation outcome: unset
Function: remove_module - Primary: End
Function: clean_dkms - Primary: Start
Function: clean_dkms - Primary: End
Function: preinstall_cleanup - Primary: End
Function: update_to_nonfree_sources - Primary: Start
Function: update_to_nonfree_sources - Primary: End
Function: install_distro_drivers - Primary: Start
Function: clean_up_fglrx_junk - Utility: Start
Function: clean_up_fglrx_junk - Utility: End
Function: install_package - Utility: Start
Args: nvidia-kernel-common
Function: install_package - Utility: End
Function: install_package - Utility: Start
Args: nvidia-settings
Function: install_package - Utility: End
Function: install_package - Utility: Start
Args: nvidia-kernel-source
Function: install_package - Utility: End
[?25l[?1c























┌────────────────────┤ Updating cached package data ├─────────────────────┐│ Reading apt-cache output... │ │ │ │ │ │ 0% │ │ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────── ───────────────────────────┘   2  5 8 10 2 5 8 20 2 5 8 30 2 5 8 40 2  45 485025% 8% 60 2 5 8 70 2 5 8 80 2 5 8 90 2 5 8 100 [?25h[?0c


Updated infos about 40 packages
Getting source for kernel version: 2.6.32-5-amd64
apt-get install linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64 is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
apt-get install build-essential
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
build-essential is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Done!


Bad luck, the kernel headers for the target kernel version could not be found
and you did not specify other valid kernel headers to use.


However, you can install the header files for your kernel which are provided by
the linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64 package. For most modules packages, these
files are perfectly sufficient without having the original kernel source.

To install the package, run:

module-assistant prepare

or

apt-get install linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64

ERROR: (194) m-a build failed for package: debian-nvidia

[reed9]

You forgot the closing [/code]

However, you can install the header files for your kernel which are provided by
the linux-headers-2.6.32-5-amd64 package. For most modules packages, these
files are perfectly sufficient without having the original kernel source.

I would have thought it installed the necessary headers, but simple enough

sudo aptitude install linux-headers-$(uname -r)