Nvidia driver installation woes

[zippo]

Hi all, I'm requesting help with the installation of NVidia drivers for my Linux
Mandrake 9.0 setup (kernel 2.4.19-16mdk). I have tried installation with the tar
files of both the 3123 and 4191 versions, ie
NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191.tar.gz
NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-4191.tar.gz
NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-3123.tar.gz
NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-3123.tar.gz
I have the kernel source installed on my machine. My machine is an AMD Duron 1G, Nvidia GeForce2MX400

After I install everything login again and restart X, I get the NVidia splash
screen and then a black screen with the black X.....permanently. The X can move
with the mouse, but she aint going to do anything else. I have to restart the
comp with the restart button and reinstall Mandrake with a fresh reinstall. To
install the drivers I do as follows:

tar -xvzf NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191/3123.tar.gz
tar -xvzf NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-4191/3123.tar.gz
cd NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191/3123
make install
cd ../NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-4191/3123
make install

all this done as root and without having X operating ie text input.

I then use vi to edit /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and change Driver "nv" to Driver
"nvidia" as per Nvidia instructions. Load "glx" is already present, Load "dri"
and Load "GLcore" are not present. (Nvidia instruct to remove these if they are
present).

The result of doing all this is a black screen with a black X. The black X can
move pretty fast when I move the mouse fast...I wonder if that is the benefit of
OpenGL

I have also tried the following that I gleaned off some forums:

add
alias char-major-10-175 agpgart
alias char-major-195
to /etc/modules.conf
cd /lib/modules/2.4.19-16md (my kernel)
depmod -ae
Restart X


Guess what?? The mouse still moves the black X pretty fast.

Oh yeah, I have also tried the following:

#cd /usr/X11R6/lib
#ln -s /usr/lib/libGL.so libGL.so.1.2 && ln -s libGL.so.1.2 libGL.so
# /sbin/ldconfig
#reboot

Even the mouse failed to perform.

Any help will be appreciated. I am a Linux newbie like you wouldn't believe.
John

[Dolda2000]

That's not the problem. From what you're describing, the drivers and X are working perfectly. It's just that no applications are started on the display. What you're describing is exactly as if you just started X by running "X". Is that what you've done?
Anyway, you need not reinstall your entire system. Whenever you're in X, just press CTRL+ALT+F1 to get back to your first text terminal.
Anyway, do you really get this empty display even when rebooting your computer?

[zippo]

Yep, that might be my problem then. I do simply type in X.....doh!! I'll give it another shot. Thx Dolda.
What do I type in to start KDE? I'm kinda suspecting the answer to that will be .....kde, but I thought I'd better ask
John

[Dolda2000]

The best way is to put your system in runlevel 5, so that it will start automatically upon boot. Check your /etc/inittab and look for the line beginning with "id:". The number between the first and second colon specifies what runlevel to enter at boot time. If it isn't already 5, replace the current number with five, then run "telinit 5". If it was already 5, just reboot your system.