# NVidia drivers again [SOLVED]

## mounty1

Hello, I've searched for gentoo nvidia and variations, and studied the wiki, but still can't get NVidia hardware working.  The closest I got is this;  lightdm starts but I can't start a session because no /dev/fb0 is created.  Any ideas?

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## Jaglover

32-bit install makes me think the hardware is old. Is your nVidia card even supported any more by binary drivers?

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## mounty1

I don't think that's the problem since there's nothing in Xorg.0.log about 32 bitness problems.  It just says no /dev/fb0 without saying how that situation arose.

```
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK208B [GeForce GT 710] (rev a1)
```

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## Anon-E-moose

I don't run nvidia drivers on my card, but you might need to turn on the nvidia fb drivers, look under drivers, graphic cards, framebuffer devices.

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## drillsar

what is your use tags? 

According to Nvidia site your card can support 430.14. Most likely an issue with Kernel

Under Kernel make sure the following is set; important is to remove everything under graphics support like I mentioned except VGA arbitration and Bootup logo. Don't use Direct Rendering or AGP kernel we will use Nvidia one.

```
Kernel Configuration:

[*] Enable loadable module support --->

Processor type and features --->[*] MTRR (Memory Type Range Register) support

Bus options (PCI etc.) --->[*] Mark VGA/VBE/EFI FB as generic system framebuffer

Device Drivers --->

Character devices --->[*] IPMI top-level message handler

Device Drivers ---> (ONLY THINGS THAT SHOULD BE ENABLED UNLESS YOUR CARD IS AGP)

Graphics support --->

-*- VGA Arbitration

[*] Bootup logo

Frame buffer Devices ---> (ONLY THINGS THAT SHOULD BE ENABLED)

<*> Support for frame buffer devices --->

<*> Enable Video Mode Handling Helpers

<*> Enable Tile blitting support

<*> Simple frame buffer support

```

Of course after you build kernel you need to recompile nvidia-driver

```
emerge @module-rebuild
```

reboot and use pastebin for dmesg post results

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## dmpogo

 *Jaglover wrote:*   

> 32-bit install makes me think the hardware is old. Is your nVidia card even supported any more by binary drivers?

 

Well. if one downloads drivers from Nvidia site,  it surely is, they go back to 76 series.  Kernel support is another issue.

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## hhfeuer

32bit kernels are no longer supported by the latest nvidia drivers. Please use the 390 legacy release.

https://devtalk.nvidia.com/default/topic/1032650/linux/unix-graphics-feature-deprecation-schedule/

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## mounty1

Answering the question about use tags and version:

```
[ Legend : U - final flag setting for installation]

[        : I - package is installed with flag     ]

[ Colors : set, unset                             ]

 * Found these USE flags for x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-390.116-r2:

 U I

 + + X           : Install the X.org driver, OpenGL libraries, XvMC libraries, and VDPAU libraries

 + + acpi        : Add support for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface

 + + compat      : Install non-GLVND libGL for backwards compatibility

 + + driver      : Install the kernel driver module

 + + gtk3        : Install nvidia-settings with support for GTK+ 3

 + + kms         : Enable support for kernel mode setting (KMS)

 - - static-libs : Build static versions of dynamic libraries as well

 + + tools       : Install additional tools such as nvidia-settings

 + + wayland     : Enable dev-libs/wayland backend
```

So I do have the 390 series drivers.  I've updated my .config as per drillsar's recommendations and it is still here.  Dmesg otput here.  Just in case it's relevant:  Xorg.0.log.  Thanks for looking.

With the above configuration, I no longer get a lightdm login screen.

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## hhfeuer

The kernel module now loads fine but the xserver does not find the nvidia DDX. Please try this xorg.conf:

```

Section "Files"

  ModulePath  "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"

EndSection

Section "Device"

    Identifier     "nvidia"

    Driver         "nvidia"

    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"

    BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"

    Option         "AllowEmptyInitialConfiguration"

EndSection

```

and check if nvidia_drv.so is in the path /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers. If not, find it and change the ModulePath accordingly.

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## mounty1

Thanks to everyones help, it's now at the stage where there are no errors reported in /var/log/Xorg.0.log or /var/log/lightdm/* but when Cinnamon starts, it's to the dreaded Cinnamon is running in fallback mode dialog, and no mouse.  But that's a separate matter, it seems to me, so I'll open another thread.  Thanks to those who got me this far.

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## sleepingsun

Similiar problem with same graphic card cant start graphic mode and found this post and just need inforamation how you put in /etc/portage/make.conf think VIDEO_CARDS="" nvidia, nv or noveaou ? 

to do same and recompile kernel and install nvidia-drivers again

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## mounty1

 *sleepingsun wrote:*   

> Similiar problem with same graphic card cant start graphic mode and found this post and just need inforamation how you put in /etc/portage/make.conf think VIDEO_CARDS="" nvidia, nv or noveaou ?

 VIDEO_CARDS="nvidia".

Have a look at my other thread as well.

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## mimosinnet

 *mounty1 wrote:*   

> Answering the question about use tags and version:[code="$ equery u nvidia-drivers"][ Legend : U - final flag setting for installation]
> 
> [        : I - package is installed with flag     ]
> 
> [ Colors : set, unset                             ]
> ...

 

For further upgrades of the driver, consider bug 684324: you may need to disable the compat use flag.[/u]

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