NVIDIA

From openSUSE

The NVIDIA drivers cannot be integrated directly into openSUSE because of their license. Fortunately for new users, NVIDIA and openSUSE provide a very easy way to install NVIDIA drivers: NVIDIA makes RPMs for openSUSE and provides them in a repository.

Contents 1 The easy way to get NVIDIA 1.1 openSUSE 11.1 and 11.0 1.1.1 Installation 1.2 openSUSE 10.3 1.2.1 Installation 1.2.2 Compositing (3D-effects) with NVIDIA 1.3 SUSE Linux 10.1 and SLED 10 2 The repository way 2.1 Prerequisites 2.2 Add NVIDIA Repository 2.3 Installation 3 The hard way 4 Troubleshooting 5 Problems with 1-click install 6 See also 7 External links

openSUSE 11.1 and 11.0

Installation

NOTE: For 64-bit users wishing to use nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-default, the nVidia kernel against which the driver is built (9 Sep 09) is not a kernel available from the repositories. The so called "Hard Way" will mostly take you the time to download the packages. The steps themselves are easy.

Use 1-Click-Install:

• For all new NVIDIA cards (Geforce 6 and newer), click here:

• For Geforce FX cards (5xxx) click here:

• For all NVIDIA Legacy cards (Geforce 4 and older, TNT), click here:

If SaX2 doesn't detect the newly installed X-server run as root user:

sax2 -r

and SaX2 will start detection again, ignoring previous attempts. That will detect the NVIDIA graphic adapter and allow you to set up your desired resolution. To do this go to: Computer > More Applications > System > X Term program. Then type su - at the prompt, type in your root password, and then type sax2 -r. This should automatically run the SAX2 program and detect the NVIDIA card.

If you have problems with 1-Click install please see Troubleshooting section of this article.

openSUSE 10.3

Installation

Use 1-Click-Install:

• For all new NVIDIA cards (Geforce FX, Geforce 6 and newer), click here:

• For all NVIDIA Legacy cards (Geforce 4 and older, TNT), click here:

If SaX2 doesn't detect the newly installed X-server run as root user:

sax2 -r

and SaX2 will start detection again, ignoring previous attempts. That will detect the NVIDIA graphic adapter and allow you to set up your desired resolution. To do this go to: Computer > More Applications > System > X Term program. Then type su - at the prompt, type in your root password, and then type sax2 -r. This should automatically run the SAX2 program and detect the NVIDIA card.

If you have problems with 1-Click install please see Troubleshooting section of this article.

Compositing (3D-effects) with NVIDIA

NOTE: For openSUSE 11.0 please skip the following, just install the drivers and enable effects from simple-ccsm.

To use NVIDIA driver directly to run Compiz, Compiz Fusion or KDE4 compositing effects, run the following commands and restart X (Logout and press <ctrl>-<alt>-<Backspace>). For KDE4, there exists a second HOWTO.

su -
nvidia-xconfig --composite
nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals -d 24

SUSE Linux 10.1 and SLED 10

• Add the YUM repository ftp://download.nvidia.com/novell/sle10sp1/ to the package manager (YAST or ZEN).
• Install the packages x11-video-nvidia and nvidia-gfx-kmp-default
• Restart X (Logout and press CTRL-ALT-Backspace).
• Done.

You will also get updated packages when NVIDIA publishes them on this site.

This is for people who prefer not using 1-click install can do it the direct way and actually see a bit of what is happening.

Prerequisites

• Being able to use yast-package manager or zypper
• Know the nvidia card you are using, use lspci | grep VGA in a console
• Know which kernel you use (default, pae, ...), use uname -r in a console

Add NVIDIA Repository

Choose the one corresponding to your openSUSE version: repository of NVIDIA drivers and add it to your system.

Installation

KERNEL is {pae, default, trace}, the one corresponding to your running kernel

• For all new NVIDIA cards (Geforce 6 and newer), install: x11-video-nvidiaG02, nvidia-gfxG02-kmp-KERNEL

• For Geforce FX cards (5xxx), install: x11-video-nvidiaG01, nvidia-gfxG01-kmp-KERNEL

• For all NVIDIA Legacy cards (Geforce 4 and older, TNT), install: x11-video-nvidia, nvidia-gfx-kmp-KERNEL

Restart and run sax2 -r or whatever you like to setup the new driver configuration

See: NVIDIA/The hard way.

See NVIDIA/Troubleshooting.

See: NVIDIA/Problems with 1-click install

• Laptops and external VGA
• NVidia Suspend HOWTO
• NVidia framebuffer console HOWTO
• Use Nvidia driver with Xen
• Beryl with nVidia drivers

• Nvidia Installer HOWTO