Installing nVidia for AMD64/EM64T cards

Fri Nov 19 18:36:53 UTC 2004

Michael Velez wrote:
> Rick,
> 
> The log file I sent out was starting X from level 3.  I tested the monitor
> modes as you suggested.  That didn't do it.  It has to be an issue between
> the card and the monitor since X sees my card perfectly, but the nvidia
> driver cannot get the EDID parameters from the monitor.
> 
> I'll go down that path.  If all else fails, I'll go back to the shop I
> bought the card from and replace it.
> 
> I'll look at it this weekend and give you an update on Monday.
> 
> Thanks a lot for your help and pointers,

Sorry we weren't more successful.  I think I mentioned that I mostly
use ATI.  One reason is that ATI releases data to the open source
community--which nVidia doesn't.  I've almost never had an issue with
ATI, while I've heard lots of horror stories with nVidia.  I also tend
to support hardware companies that embrace open source.

Granted, sometimes the nVidia stuff is faster than ATI, but I don't play
games or do huge 3D rendering jobs. I'm primarily a software developer
and engineer.  If it runs X reasonably well and my GUI development
stuff (source navigator/insight, etc.) work, I'm happy.  My ATI
85xx/87xx/89xx and Radeon Mobile stuff on my laptop is plenty fast for
me.  I guess I'm a "power user", but not as far as graphics go.

This is just my opinion.  I'm sure there are people that will swear _by_
nVidia as much as I swear _at_ it.  You use what feels comfortable to
you.  With my job, I have enough problems without having to shoehorn
proprietary drivers into an open source platform (right now, I'm trying
to graft GFS onto a non-NPTL 2.4 kernel a'la RH7.3...ugh!)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com
> [mailto:redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Rick Stevens
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 6:34 PM
> To: Getting started with Red Hat Linux
> Subject: Re: Installing nVidia for AMD64/EM64T cards
> 
> Michael Velez wrote:
> 
>>Rick,
>>
>>I have checked the nvidia README file, which gave me leads on AGP and 
>>searches for different monitors (which is the stuff I put in my last 
>>e-mail, at the bottom).  I tried all that.  It didn't work.  I got rid 
>>of the EDID warnings by putting an option to ignore.  I do properly load 
>>"glx" and not "dri" nor"GLcore" as in the docs.  I've added the details 
>>in the config file for my monitor.
>>
>>The keyboard errors do occur when VESA is used and X starts properly.
> 
> 
> Ok, I was just curious.  Must be a mapping issue...not critical.
> 
> 
>>The logfile looks good.  I even tried it with the verbose option of 
>>startx. The graphics card is found.  There is a line specifying the card 
>>type NVS 280.  There is no error associated with the Nvidia card 
>>whatsoever.
>>
>>The only thing I found was a:
>>NVIDIA: failed to set MTRR 0xC0000000, 256M (write-combining).
>>
>>sent to standard OUTPUT (not log file) while in verbose mode.  I'll have 
>>to do some research on this.
> 
> 
> That could be it.  The MTRR is the memory management register on most
> CPUs.  It could be that the Nvidia driver has issues with the 64 bit
> address space.  That message looks familiar, however, and I'm not sure
> it's not common.
> 
> 
>>At this point, I've tried everything I have found in the nvidia doc and 
>>in internet forums.  I'll look some more.  If I don't find anything, 
>>I'll have to contact nvidia.
>>
>>Who knows?  Maybe if I correct the keyboard issues, X will work (even 
>>though the VESA driver has no problem with the errors being there).
> 
> 
> I don't think the keyboard is a problem.  I do have a question...if you
> fire up in run-level 3 and run "xinit", does it come up?  If not (if you
> just get a blank screen), try hoding down CTRL and ALT, then hit F12.
> That should kick you out of the X display.  Then "ALT-F1" should get
> you a console login screen.  Log in and see if there's anything weird
> in the X log at that point.
> 
> It may be simply that it's freaking out your monitor.  In that case, try
> changing the line:
> 
> 	Modes	"800x600" "640x480"
> 
> to
> 
> 	Modes	"640x480"
> 
> in your config file (in other words, force VGA mode) and try again.  If
> that works, you've got problems in your monitor description.  It's just
> a guess.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> - Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
> - VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
> -                                                                    -
> -   Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the   -
> -                     reader...who doesn't get it.                   -
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-        God is real...........unless declared integer or long       -
----------------------------------------------------------------------