NVIDIA Linux Display Driver 1.0-8178

[ghaefb]

Again a new NVIDIA proprietary linux display driver has been released.
more info & download (http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_ia32_1.0-8178.html)

Featuring a lot of bug fixes:
* Fixed some kernel problems
* Improved stability with the Composite X extension
* Fixed problems with RenderAccel and the Composite X extension when using wide desktops
* Fixed a problem validating HDTV modes on GeForce 6200
* Fixed detection of certain older TV encoders
* Added support for NVIDIA SLI

[Captn]

Thanks for the info ghaefb

[ghaefb]

No problem captn :)
And I thank Rusty for informing me. Thanks

[hiberphoptik]

Fixed problems with RenderAccel and the Composite X extension when using wide desktops?

do you think this means we can have eye candy (transparency and drop shadows) with xinerama now?

[linux_paul]

Now I wait for the rpm :)

[hiberphoptik]

Now I wait for the rpm :)

rpm? why wait? just install the drivers man!!!!

chmod +x NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run ; ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run

or nvidia-installer --up

[Spoon!]

rpm? why wait? just install the drivers man!!!!
Well, some people prefer the RPMs because they are easier to update, maintain, or remove; and they automatically configure things for you when you install; and they are specifically compiled for Fedora Core. Plus if Livna hasn't released the RPMs yet (it's been in livna-testing since early today), it's probably because they're testing and fixing bugs, which I would like rather than having to worry about any issues myself.

Edit: Speaking of which, the Livna RPM is out.

[Theradoor]

follow the guide ;) in nvidia's site and that soo Easy, To install nvidia takes me 30sec's :).

[hotdog]

Yeah, the livna and ATrpms rpms may make things marginally easier, but it's not a huge gain. I personally just use the NVIDIA packages.

The 8xxx NVIDIA driver packages now include nvidia-xconfig, which seems to do a decent job of automatically modifiying your xorg.conf for you. Probably better for that than the rpms actually, as nvidia-xconfig can be used to (re)configure X in various ways, rather than just minimally modifying the pre-existing settings. As for updating and maintaining the rpms have the slight edge with updating via yum but nvidia-installer can be used to check for available updates too, and download them, it's just that this won't happen during your normal yum update. As far as removal is concerned, there's nothing to chose between the two, both have clean uninstall commands.

On a slightly pendantic technical front, the idea that livna packages are specifically compiled for Fedora Core is a little misleading, the only part of the driver with available source code is the thin layer of interface code that goes between the kernel and the generic binary only core. The NVIDIA package includes precompiled interfaces 'specifically compiled' for a bunch of kernel versions from various distros, but if it doesn't find one to match the running kernel at install time it just compiles one itself there and then (takes seconds). The rpms are basically the binary core, plus one precompiled interface to match a particular Fedora kernel version, plus an installation script that does largely the same things the NVIDIA package but in a more 'Fedora' way.

I understand that some people will just feel more comfortable installing everything on their system via yum, particularly beginners, but the NVIDIA driver packages are about as easy to deal with as anything non-yum could possibly be. And offiicial driver packages make things simpler if you need to get support from NVIDIA and/or their linux forum.

[hiberphoptik]

easier to install the rpm? i would say thats opinion :)

rpm -Uvh foo.rpm?

or

nvidia-installer --update?

both are one command, both do everything for you, and with both you can use tab completion so you arent typeing very much..... meh...

[hotdog]

For a first time install there's a noticeable difference in the amount of typing between the two methods...

yum install nvidia (or something like that)
reboot (or restart X with ctrl-alt-backspace)

vs

wget http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/1.0-8178/NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-8178-pkg2.run (or download with a browser)
telinit 3
sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-8178-pkg2.run
telinit 5

4 lines/actions vs 2 ;)

Of course, this comparison assumes livna is already set up as a yum repo, if it's not then it's roughly equal again...

Basically both ways are pretty simple unless you're unlucky enough to have an awkward hardware setup or unusual requirements, in which case you'll have to modify xorg.conf by hand and neither nvidia-installer or rpm will help.