Getting nVidia cards to work in Fedora Core

[Firewing1]

Note: This howto has been transferred to my blog here. (Instructions for Fedora 7+ can be found here)

First, I'd like to link to this article. The instructions below will make sure your system's normal libGL isn't replaced with the nVidia ones, preventing problems.

Important Reminders

• Reboot when you're done installing or updating a driver.
• Don't worry if yum cannot find the xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-libs-32bit package, it is only going to be installed for 64bit users.
• Please see the bottom of the page if you are troubles with getting an image to display properly on your screen.
• nVidia drivers supporting AIGLX or the desktop-effects (versions 1.0-9625 and greater) Are in the Livna repos - Meaning you can have your nVidia card work with AIGLX or Xgl! For FC6 both nvidia and nvidia-96xx support this, if you use FC5 please switch to the nvidia-96xx drivers to have AIGLX support.
• Don't worry about the kmod-nvidia-smp modules anymore if you use FC6 & up - All kernels for FC6 & up are now SMP-capable.
• For a configuration tool that allows you to switch between various configurations including AIGLX and Xgl, try livna-config-display:

  yum install livna-config-display

  It still is in beta, so if there's problems please report them to freeworld-graphics@livna.org. Thanks!

A note on legacy drivers
Please note any card below the GeForce FX series is no longer supported by the mainstream nvidia drivers.

If you have a Riva or TNT card, you are going to have to use the nvidia-legacy drivers. Simply follow the instructions like normal but replace:

• kmod-nvidia with kmod-nvidia-legacy
• xorg-x11-drv-nvidia with xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-legacy
• xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-libs-32bit with xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-legacy-libs-32bit
• service nvidia [action] with service nvidia-legacy [action]

A full product support list for legacy is available here.

If you are using a GeForce2, 3 or 4 (including MX), a you are going to have to use the nvidia-96xx drivers.
Simply follow the instructions like normal but replace:

• kmod-nvidia with kmod-nvidia-96xx
• xorg-x11-drv-nvidia with xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-96xx
• xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-libs-32bit with xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-96xx-libs-32bit
• service nvidia [action] with service nvidia-96xx [action]

A full product support list for 96xx is available here.

Rawhide (Fedora development)
Not officially supported, however it is very easy to build your own RPMs. Simply download the source RPMs for nvidia-kmod and xorg-x11-drv-nvidia here:
http://rpm.livna.org/fedora/development/SRPMS
and then see my RPM (re)building howto for how to rebuild these for the kernel version you have installed.

Alternatively, visit diffingo-repo where I upload binary kmods for about every 4th development kernel release. Just download your xorg-x11-drv-nvidia package manually from the livna server and then download the kmod, install them with

su -c 'rpm -Uhv xorg-x11-drv-nvidia* kmod-nvidia*'

Fedora Core 6:

su -
rpm -Uhv http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release-6.rpm
yum install kmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-libs-32bit
yum update kmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-libs-32bit
service nvidia restart

If you see errors like this:

Transaction Check Error: package kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 is already installed
file /boot/System.map-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 from install of kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 conflicts with file from package kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6
file /boot/config-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 from install of kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 conflicts with file from package kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6
file /boot/symvers-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6.gz from install of kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 conflicts with file from package kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6
file /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 from install of kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6 conflicts with file from package kernel-2.6.19-1.2911.6.5.fc6

Please see this post:
http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/sho...d.php?t=134287

Fedora Core 5:

su -
rpm -Uhv http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release5.rpm
yum install kmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-libs-32bit
yum update kmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-libs-32bit
setsebool -P allow_execstack=1
setsebool -P allow_execmod=1
service nvidia-glx restart

Fedora Core 4:
** No longer maintained at Livna

su -
rpm -Uhv http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release4.rpm
yum update kernel
yum install kmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia kernel-module-nvidia
yum update kmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia kernel-module-nvidia
service nvidia-glx restart

If you're having trouble...
As roundboy pointed out to me, if things aren't going well, then...

If after a reboot your nVidia card doesn't appear to work, disconnect your monitor's video cable from the adapter card's connector, and attach to the OTHER connector. It appears that my nVidia GeForce 7600 GT PCI-E adapter card has 2 DVI connectors, and I was connected to the wrong connector

...try using the second analog or DVI connector on your nVidia card if it has two.

Enjoy!
Firewing1

[spankaccount]

What about those of us using smp kernels? Is that a no-go?

[imdeemvp]

WOW....thing have change a little.....
Here is my glxgears:

[imdeemvp@localhost ~]$ uname -r 2.6.16-1.2064_FC5
[imdeemvp@localhost ~]$ glxgears
12872 frames in 5.0 seconds = 2574.385 FPS
27386 frames in 5.0 seconds = 5477.132 FPS
33897 frames in 5.0 seconds = 6779.382 FPS
33849 frames in 5.0 seconds = 6769.788 FPS
33872 frames in 5.0 seconds = 6774.392 FPS
33848 frames in 5.0 seconds = 6768.149 FPS
33883 frames in 5.0 seconds = 6776.489 FPS
24657 frames in 5.0 seconds = 4931.184 FPS
X connection to :0.0 broken (explicit kill or server shutdown).
[imdeemvp@localhost ~]$

BTW, I think the thread starter should give credit to whom it did the installation how. I came across a site the has exact same wording.

[Sigrun]

I've installed everything as suggested above and when I run glxgears I get the following output:

Xlib:  extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Error: couldn't get an RGB, Double-buffered visual

I have confirmed that Load "dri" is not in my xorg.conf and that Load "glx" is present. Also, when I go to System Tools -> Nvidia Display Settings in Gnome and select OpenGL/GLX Information the following information is shown:

The OpenGL extension 'GLX' is not supported by
the X server or there was a problem retrieving
GLX information from the X server.

In my Xorg log file I also get the following message:

(II) LoadModule: "glx"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/nvidia/libglx.so
dlopen: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/nvidia/libglx.so: cannot restore segment prot after reloc: Permission denied
(EE) Failed to load /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/nvidia/libglx.so
(II) UnloadModule: "glx"
(EE) Failed to load module "glx" (loader failed, 7)
(II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so
(II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
        compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.8178
        Module class: XFree86 Video Driver

Any information/suggestions would be appreciated.

[red_dungeon]

Try to uncomment the GLX Module in your xorg.conf

[Sigrun]

The Load "glx" line in the modules section was already uncommented. Here is my xorg.conf file (with most of the comments removed):

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder3)  Wed Dec 14 16:39:22 PST 2005
# XFree86 4 configuration created by pyxf86config

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier     "Default Layout"
	Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
	InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
	InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
	ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/nvidia"
	ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
	FontPath     "unix/:7100"
EndSection

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

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Keyboard0"
	Driver      "kbd"
	Option	    "XkbModel" "pc105"
	Option	    "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Mouse0"
	Driver      "mouse"
	Option	    "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
	Option	    "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
	Option	    "Emulate3Buttons" "yes"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "Monitor0"
	VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
	ModelName    "NEC AccuSync 90"
	DisplaySize  370	270
	HorizSync    31.0 - 96.0
	VertRefresh  55.0 - 160.0
	Option	    "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "Videocard0"
	Driver      "nvidia"
	VendorName  "Videocard vendor"
	BoardName   "nVidia Corporation GeForce 6200"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Screen0"
	Device     "Videocard0"
	Monitor    "Monitor0"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     16
		Modes    "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     24
		Modes    "1600x1200" "1400x1050" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

[red_dungeon]

hrm ?

I see

Load "glx"

In your post ?


//edit
It has to be commented (sry bout that)

# Load "glx"

[red_dungeon]

btw... thats strange.

http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/L...ection-02.html

say's that it has to be uncommented...

but i thought that I had to comment it yesterday to get it working ?
Can't verifiy that, because I'm at work... at the moment.

[Sigrun]

I figured it out. It's an issue with SELinux. When I disable SELinux it works correctly and loads the GLX module without any problems. I guess tomorrow I'll try to take a look at the SELinux policies and try to figure out what is causing the problem. For now, it's time to finally get some sleep. Cheers.

[hene]

is there an eta when the rpms will get on livna so it will be easier to install ? not that your howto was that complicated its just that i still didnt manage to make it work

[Firewing1]

No. not yet that's why you have to build your own for now... But, I just edited the howto and (hopefully) made it a litle easier. Just try it out.
BTW, for those xorg problems follow the howto and run after installing the kmod-nvidia and xorg-x11-drv-nvidia RPMS:

nvidia-xconfig

Firewing1

[Alexandr K]

# rpm -Uvh kmod-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.*$(uname -r)*.rpm xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.lvn.5.i386.rpm
error: file not found : kmod-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.*2.6.16-1.2064_FC5*.rpm
kmod-nvidia >= 1.0.8178 xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.lvn.5.i386
#

# rpm -iv kmod-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.16_1.2064_FC5.x86_64.rpm
nvidia-kmod-common = 1.0.8178 kmod-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.lvn.3.2.6.16_1.2064_FC5.x86_64


nvidia-kmod-common ??

[hene]

should this howto work on x86_64 ?

[tphillip]

should this howto work on x86_64 ?

It looks like the kmod-nvidia-1.0.8178 does build the proper files for the x86_64 system. The one filee it generates are /lib/modules/2.6.16-1.2065_FC/extra/nvidia/nvidia.ko is a 64 bit module.

The problem looks like the xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.lvn.5.i386 does not contain the 64 bit libraries. Everything looks like it will work for a 32 bit system, but not a 64 bit system.

And unfortunately I don't know how to work around that. A linux geek I am not.

[Lorquas]

i get a the same problem that Alexandr K gets by following your instructions,

# rpm -Uvh kmod-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.*$(uname -r)*.rpm xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.lvn.5.i386.rpm
error: File not found by glob: kmod-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.*2.6.16-1.2064_FC5*.rpm
error: Failed dependencies:
        kmod-nvidia >= 1.0.8178 is needed by xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-1.0.8178-0.lvn.5.i386

everything else up to that worked fine..