# cannot load nvidia module after update [finally SOLVED]

## brazzmonkey

hi there,

my nvidia drivers have been updated to the latest version, and now i can't load nvidia module anymore. i switched back to the previous version, but the same thing happens.

when i modprobe nvidia :

```
FATAL: Error inserting nvidia (/lib/modules/2.6.15-gentoo-r1/video/nvidia.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

```

so i check dmesg :

```
nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.

nvidia: Unknown symbol capable
```

what's wrong ? i'm using kernel 2.6.15-gentoo-r1Last edited by brazzmonkey on Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:15 pm; edited 2 times in total

----------

## adaptr

Was the previous module still loaded ?

Note that "switching back to the previous version" may not be that simple.

----------

## brazzmonkey

well, the previous module was loaded while emerging (i was in kde). problems happened on next reboot.

by "switching back" i meant unmerge the newest nvidia-kernel and nvidia-glx, and re-emerge the previous ones. what else could i do ?

so atm i'm using nv driver...

----------

## yfh2

are you sure you did not emerge a new udev version at the same time ?

udev-087 failed to create /dev/nvidia, so I reverted to udev-079-r1

There were several complaints about udev upgrade around.

----------

## brazzmonkey

aahhh, i think you pointed out something interesting...

i don't remember having updated udev, though it must have been updated in a emerge -u world, becaus indeed i have the 087 version

in addition i think i saw some udev error last time i booted

i'll try to go back to 079 immediately

thanks for that tip

----------

## peka

Check if you have /dev/ nodes for nvidia.

Try running NVmakedevices.sh.

----------

## peka

One more thing. Sorry if I'm maiking na obvious note, but you didn't say anything about it:

Did you run modules-update after nvidia-kernel upgrade/downgrade?

----------

## brazzmonkey

so i realised udev was updated last tuesday, this means everything worked fine til saturday evening (this is when nvidia drivers got updated).

i switched back to former udev and former nvidia drivers, same results... udev warning at boot time disappeared, though.

what am i supposed to find in /dev ??

i don't have any /sbin/NVmakedevices.sh...

----------

## peka

You are supposed to vahe nvidia* nodes in /dev. If you have them it's not the case. If not - NVmakedevices.shpopulates /dev/ with them, but as far as I am aware it is only with stabe 6629 version. The later versions ware supposed to take care of it on their own.

----------

## brazzmonkey

well i don't seem to have any nvidia* node...

a while back i tried to install older (6629) drivers, but they wouldn't work that's why i had to go with the unstable drivers...

----------

## brazzmonkey

ok, i now installed 6629 driver and run NVakedevices.sh

same problem remains...

some nvidia stuff has been created in /dev but i'm not able to modprobe nvidia...

----------

## peka

check if you have some nvidia stuff compiled into kernel

----------

## brazzmonkey

what kind of nvidia stuff? i only have fb support (vesa-tng) that's used for gensplash.

no nvidia stuff in graphics support or character devices...

btw, thanks for trying to help peka !

----------

## brazzmonkey

so the same problem occurs whatever the driver. what else could i try ??

----------

## uname

[quote="brazzmonkey"]so the same problem occurs whatever the driver. what else could i try ??[/quote]

I had similar problem yesterday, stable nvidia drivers will not load. Unmasking and emerging nvidia-kernel 1.0.8756 and glx fixed the problem for me.

Then to get device nodes (no ptty's) back after emerging latest UDEV, I followed advice in a thread here and added '/sbin/devfsd  /dev;' at the beginning of start() function in /etc/init.d/checkroot 

HTH.

----------

## brazzmonkey

i tried that but to no avail...

i also tried with a non-fb kernel, but the module wouldn't load either... the same error showed up.

weirdo...

----------

## brazzmonkey

is there a way to completely wipe out nvidia stuff from my gentoo, so i can start over using a sane basis ?

i mean, emerge -C seems to leave files and configurations that may be the reasons of all my troubles, so i'd need a deeper cleaning...

----------

## kueitao

 *brazzmonkey wrote:*   

> is there a way to completely wipe out nvidia stuff from my gentoo, so i can start over using a sane basis ?
> 
> i mean, emerge -C seems to leave files and configurations that may be the reasons of all my troubles, so i'd need a deeper cleaning...

 

Don't worry about removing old stuff, it isn't needed to make your box start anew on a sane basis. Just do that:

1) Remove nvidia-kernel and nvidia-glx with "emerge -C".

2) Check what kernel release is running by "uname -r".

3) Check that your /usr/src/linux is a symlink to your current working kernel.

4) Check that you compiled your kernel with the same compiler version you want to use for nvidia module ("uname -a" can again help you by providing kernel compilation date). If not sure, compile your kernel again before doing next step.

5) "emerge =media-video/nvidia-glx-version_that_used_to_work" (nvdia-kernel is automatically installed as a dependence if I am not wrong, othrwise install that manually).

6) Restart X.

If you still have problems, please post the latest 10 lines from /var/log/messages + the whole /var/log/Xorg.0.log. While examining your reports, please don't unmerge/merge those modules again.

Please note that "Nvidia module taints kernel" is not a problem. It is related to the licence with which Nvidia modules are distributed.

fabio

----------

## brazzmonkey

ok, i'll go again through the whole process tonight. but i'm afraid this won't help because i've already done everything you mentioned, though not in a single, entire process.

(i'm at work right now, but i'm sure about the following)

1) done that already

2) i'm running kernel-2.6.15-gentoo-r1

3) symlink is ok

4) gcc-3.4.5 is the one used - i'll recompile the kernel anyhow

5) you're right, and i used to have a working 1.0.8176

6) well here i surely need to run modules-update beforehand, modify xorg.conf, modprobe nvidia and restart X. problem is, modprobing nvidia usually fails.

but i'm probably too chatty ; i'll try tonight and will let you know...

----------

## kueitao

 *brazzmonkey wrote:*   

> ok, i'll go again through the whole process tonight. but i'm afraid this won't help because i've already done everything you mentioned, though not in a single, entire process.
> 
> (i'm at work right now, but i'm sure about the following)
> 
> 1) done that already
> ...

 

No need to modprobe nvidia yourself. Let X do it. Anyway it can be helpful just to insert the module and then remove it (before starting X) just in order to check anew if there are still unknown symbols. In that case you should find a different nvidia-kernel release that better matches your kernel release.  

Please, check also that you don't have any old nvidia.ko in "/lib/modules/`uname -r`/video" after emerging nvidia-kernel as I wrote before.

----------

## brazzmonkey

i'm gonna edit this post as i go through the process...

1) done

2)

```
# uname -r

2.6.15-gentoo-r1
```

3)

```
# ls -l /usr/src/linux

lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root 22 Apr  9 21:16 /usr/src/linux -> linux-2.6.15-gentoo-r1
```

4)

```
# uname -a

Linux hal 2.6.15-gentoo-r1 #3 PREEMPT Mon Apr 3 20:45:17 CEST 2006 i686 AMD Duron(tm) processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
```

on april 3rd i was already using gcc-3.4.5. the kernel has been recompiled and i rebooted to be using it.

note: i noticed an nvidia.ko module was still in /lib/modules/2.6.15-gentoo-r1/video so i renamed it.

5)

```
# emerge -pv nvidia-glx

These are the packages that I would merge, in order:

Calculating dependencies ...done!

[ebuild  N    ] media-video/nvidia-kernel-1.0.8178-r3  0 kB

[ebuild  N    ] media-video/nvidia-glx-1.0.8178-r1  -dlloader 0 kB

```

```
# modprobe nvidia

FATAL: Error inserting nvidia (/lib/modules/2.6.15-gentoo-r1/video/nvidia.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)
```

 DAMN IT !!

rebooting...

while rebooting i saw (unusual) error messages, so i checked nvidia module configuration - looks ok...

modprobing once again, you never know... eh, it WORKS !   :Shocked: 

updating xorg.conf and restarting X...

great it seems to work now, except my refresh rate which is about 65 Hz - flickering like mad, but i suppose this is not what this thread is about...

i finally achieved to get nvidia almost properly working again... i wish i understood what happened... nevermind.

thank you all for your help, that was much appreciated !

----------

