Installing nVidia for AMD64/EM64T cards

[Rick Stevens]

Michael Velez wrote:
> Hello all,

Hi, yourself!

> I just installed RHEL 3 WS on a Dell Precision 370n Workstation with 
> EM64T architecture.

Okey doke.  Never used that particular combo, but OK.

> I am now trying to install an nvidia NVS800 graphics card using the 
> Linux drivers nvidia offers on their download page.
> 
> I have updated my XF86Config file with driver nvidia and have verified 
> the appropriate modules are being loaded.
> 
> However, X hangs when I try to start by initing to Level 5.

Uh, what's the last thing in the /var/log/XFree86.log file?

> Does anybody know what’s going on?  This is my first Linux distro after 
> being on the business side of things.  The last time I administered a 
> UNIX box was over 10 years ago.
> 
> I would appreciate any help you could offer.
> 
> I started looking at the Xconfig file and log.  The Xconfig file is 
> loading ‘fbdevhw’.  Is that the same as rivafb, which I’m told should 
> not be loaded when the nvidia driver is used.

No, the "fbdevhw" is the hardware frame buffer.  It's fairly generic.
I don't think it conflicts with the nvidia driver.  Understand that
anything I suggest is also generic as I generally use ATI cards myself
(although _this_ machine has an old Nvidia RIVA TNT2 in it).

> The Xconfig log said there was a failure reading EDID parameters for 
> display device CRT-0.  Is that a problem?

It could be.  If the message is prefixed by "(EE)", yes it's an error
and could be fatal.  If it has "(WW)", it's a warning and shouldn't
be fatal.  The meaning of these flags is in the top of the log file,
prefixed by the word "Markers:".

If you look through the log file, can you see the spot where it says
that the "nvidia" driver is loaded?  Just after that, you should see
something to the effect:

	"(--) Chipset (name-of-your-chipset) found"

This simply verifies that your video card was indeed found.  I'm just
trying to make sure that the driver you have is compatible with your
board (sometimes they aren't).
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
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- ...Had this been an actual emergency, we would have fled in terror -
-                      and you'd be on your own, pal!                -
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