# Cannot Install nVidia Drivers (6150SE)

## audioMan

Hi,

Today I decided to install gentoo to replace Arch. Everything seems to be working fine, followed the wiki, etc. Startx works. However, when trying to install xorg with the proprietary nVidia driver (apparently nouveau is working, but doesn't seem to work well enough to run fluxbox), I get a message saying that at least one masked package is required to install the package(s). Forgive my lack of gentoo wisdom, but I have been around in circles from wiki to wiki, forum to forum, trying to find what I am mis-understanding, but I have had no success. It seems to me that I possibly did something "wrong" in the initial install (which took virtually all day).

I am not sure what kind of info I should provide (logs, etc.), but will gladly post whatever is needed to sort this out. Any and all help is very much appreciated!

Regards,

- audioMan

----------

## saboya

You have to add an entry to the file /etc/portage/package.unmask. Portage probably gave you some sort of warning with maybe instructions to do so.

More info: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Knowledge_Base:Unmasking_a_package

----------

## audioMan

 *saboya wrote:*   

> You have to add an entry to the file /etc/portage/package.unmask. Portage probably gave you some sort of warning with maybe instructions to do so.
> 
> More info: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Knowledge_Base:Unmasking_a_package

 

Thanks for the reply. I will look over that and chime back in.

- audioMan

----------

## Hu

Nouveau does not match the performance of the proprietary driver for heavy workloads, but it ought to be sufficient to run a basic window manager.  What nVidia card are you using in this system?

----------

## audioMan

 *Hu wrote:*   

> Nouveau does not match the performance of the proprietary driver for heavy workloads, but it ought to be sufficient to run a basic window manager.  What nVidia card are you using in this system?

 

My system uses the Geforce 6150 SE card. But it doesn't surprise me that I am having problems with it, as I have had graphics problems with virtually every distro that I have tried to install on this system. Got it to work with Arch, but the only desktop environment that didn't show "static" was LXDE (which is what I wanted anyways). It is an older system, but not terribly old. 

I found this in another thread (https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-940982-start-0.html):

 *John R. Graham wrote:*   

> Installing packages that have X support before you install xorg-server generally creates this condition. I usually install my favorite editor with USE="-X" or else initially set a non-desktop profile until I'm ready to install xorg-server. This reduces the amount of circular dependency issues dramatically.
> 
> - John

 

So it seems that that I possibly installed packages that have X support before I installed xorg-server. Instead of backtracking and trying to find a needle in a haystack, I am reinstalling. I will post an update about how it goes.

Regards,

- audioMan

----------

## audioMan

So, I reinstalled Gentoo, following the Wiki exactly. After completing the installation/configuration guide, I installed xorg-server. I believe it installed the correct drivers for the nVidia card this time since I had the proper variables set to the right values. However, 

```
nvidia-xconfig
```

 doesn't seem to work because when I try to startx I get a "no screens found" error.

But after installing xorg, I ran into a bigger problem. When I boot, I now get the grub-rescue prompt. I can boot from Super Grub fine. So, I tried updating the grub configuration but it doesn't find any linux image/kernel. I unmerged grub and tried to emerge it again. Installed fine, but still not recognizing any kernel.

Also, 

```
modprobe nvidia
```

 gives an error: 

```
modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'nvidia': No such device
```

Not sure what to do. Thanks in advance for any help!

- audioMan

----------

## audioMan

I should also mention that none of the troubleshooting steps in the xorg wiki work.

----------

## xaviermiller

Hi,

This card is really old, you need to install version 304 or older. But you will run troubles with newer kernels.

I suggest you stay with nouveau or get a more recent old card (I replaced a 7600 by a Geforce 210 for about 40$, which is not recent, but supported by version N-1)

----------

## audioMan

 *xaviermiller wrote:*   

> Hi,
> 
> This card is really old, you need to install version 304 or older. But you will run troubles with newer kernels.
> 
> I suggest you stay with nouveau or get a more recent old card (I replaced a 7600 by a Geforce 210 for about 40$, which is not recent, but supported by version N-1)

 

Thanks for replying. The card is from around 2004-06. Nouveau will not function even in fluxbox. Do you know of a resource that details how to use an older kernel with gentoo?

audioMan

----------

## xaviermiller

I don't understand nouveau doesn't work with fluxbox. I used that 7900 for about 8 years, and a 6150 in the mother board for 3 years without any problems.

Can you describe the problems you have with fluxbox?

----------

## audioMan

 *xaviermiller wrote:*   

> I don't understand nouveau doesn't work with fluxbox. I used that 7900 for about 8 years, and a 6150 in the mother board for 3 years without any problems.
> 
> Can you describe the problems you have with fluxbox?

 

Sure. There are virtually no graphics,  and there is static. Right clicking trys to show a menu but just shows a blob of gray static; can't even see the menu items. Would post some images, but the system won't even boot (without Super Grub) properly and x will not start. The last 2 problems happened after reinstalling gentoo and building xorg with what was supposed to be the correct drivers.

----------

## xaviermiller

Unless the graphics chip is defective, it is well supported by nouveau. It is in the NV40 family, see https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix/

Can you check it with SystemRescueCD and see if you have the same problems in graphics mode (startx)?

EDIT: can you provide the output of "emerge --info" ?

----------

## sao98021

try to build the driver either with +/- UVM or kms like 

```
$ USE="-UVM, -KMS" emerge =x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers
```

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## audioMan

 *xaviermiller wrote:*   

> Unless the graphics chip is defective, it is well supported by nouveau. It is in the NV40 family, see https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix/
> 
> Can you check it with SystemRescueCD and see if you have the same problems in graphics mode (startx)?
> 
> EDIT: can you provide the output of "emerge --info" ?

 

Sure, I'll try system rescue.  I had similar problems with Arch,  but it worked fine with lxde. Any other desktop environment froze and showed gray static. I'll post as soon as I try system rescue, and emerge --info.

audioMan

----------

## xaviermiller

One other idea: if I understand, this is an integrated video chip on the motherboard. If yes, did you reserve enough system memory for it?

----------

## NeddySeagoon

audioMan,

```
emerge wgetpaste
```

 so you can use it to tell us about your problem.

```
emerge pciutils
```

 if you don't have it too.

Run 

```
lspci | wgetpaste
```

and share the URL here.  That's your lspci so we can see your hardware.

Run 

```
wgetpaste /var/log/Xorg.0.log
```

and share the URL here.  That will show what Xorg did when it tried to start.

Your kernel .config file is also important.  

```
wgetpaste /usr/src/linux/.config
```

Its not possible to configure the kernel to support both nouveau and nvdia-drivers at the same time.

You need two different kernels for that and choose at boot time which you will use.

Which driver do you want to use?

----------

## audioMan

 *NeddySeagoon wrote:*   

> audioMan,
> 
> ```
> emerge wgetpaste
> ```
> ...

 

Hi guys, thanks for all the suggestions. I have been down with a bad sinus infection so haven't worked on the system until today. I would like to use the nVidia driver if possible. 

Anyways, here are the urls from wgetpaste:

lspci: https://paste.pound-python.org/show/HGoJCoAb0ybzIQ1nuOuc

Xorg log: https://paste.pound-python.org/show/C70oIKi9egi6hV5dJpMI

Kernel config: https://paste.pound-python.org/show/ZMnF0rTGvLbbh47BvSrQ

- audioMan

----------

## NeddySeagoon

audioMan,

You are trying to use too new an nvidia-drivers

```
[    94.828] (II) NVIDIA GLX Module  375.26  Thu Dec  8 17:59:51 PST 2016

...

[    94.993] (EE) No devices detected.
```

Support for your card has been dropped in that version.

You are also using 

```
[    94.036] Current Operating System: Linux localhost 4.9.6-gentoo-r1 
```

which probably does not support the version of nvida-drivers you need.  From a quick look at the nvidia site you need a version around 173.14.36. 

```
eix x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers

     Available versions:  [M]96.43.23-r1(0/96)^msd [M]173.14.39-r1(0/173)^msd [M](~)173.14.39-r2(0/173)
```

its still there but its masked.

Do you want to try it, its going te be a world of pain or do you want to try nouveau?

Neither nvidia-drivers nor nouveau at any version will work with your current kernel setup.

```
CONFIG_FB_NVIDIA=m

CONFIG_FB_RIVA=m
```

must both be off.  Those drivers are for nvidia cards older than your card.

However, they will prevent both nvidia-drivers and nouveau from working.

There are other things wrong with your kernel too, so don't change it yet.

Which driver do you want to try?

----------

## audioMan

 *NeddySeagoon wrote:*   

> audioMan,
> 
> You are trying to use too new an nvidia-drivers
> 
> ```
> ...

 

Thanks for the insight! To make life easier I will try the nouveau driver. And I did use genkernel all instead of configuring the kernel manually. Although, I am a bit more educated on that topic now, if it's necessary to configure the kernel manually.

audioMan

----------

## NeddySeagoon

audioMan,

You can still use genkernel.  You need to pass it it menuconfig option so you can fine tune the kernel before the build.

The main problem with your kernel is all the hardware framebuffer drivers.

In menuconfig, find the  Graphics support menu.

```
<*> Nouveau (NVIDIA) cards
```

built in means you get the framebuffer console earlier that with a module 

In the 

```
 Frame buffer Devices  --->
```

 menu, set only the following options on.

```
  │ │    -*- Support for frame buffer devices  --->   

  │ │    [*] Enable Video Mode Handling Helpers

  │ │    [*] Enable Tile Blitting Support   

  │ │    [*] VESA VGA graphics support
```

You either don't have the rest or they will interfere with nouveau.

Under the  

```
 Console display driver support  --->
```

Choose

```
  │ │    [*] VGA text console    

  │ │    [*]   Enable Scrollback Buffer in System RAM     

  │ │    (128)   Scrollback Buffer Size (in KB)             

  │ │    (80) Initial number of console screen columns    

  │ │    (25) Initial number of console screen rows      

  │ │    <*> Framebuffer Console support         

  │ │    -*-   Map the console to the primary display device 
```

You now have three console drivers enabled.

1) The old text only, VGA 80x25 console.

2) The VESA Framebuffer Console.

3) The nouveau framebuffer console.

The kernel will start with 1) then switch to 3) if all is well.

Rebuild and reinstall the kernel.

Remove nvida-drivers.

Check that

```
eselect opengl list
```

shows that Xorg is active.

Add nouveau to VIDEO_CARDS=, remove nvidia

```
emerge -1 xf86-video-nouveau
```

to get the Xorg part of nouveau.

Move your nvidia-drivers setup file out of /etc/X11/xorg.cond.d, so its not found.

Reboot to test - you need your new kernel to be running.

----------

