SDB:NVIDIA Driver install howto

From openSUSE

Version: 10.1 10.2

Situation

You want to have 3D acceleration on your machine enabled but the nv driver doesn't support 3D? You have an NVIDIA card that is supported within the driver from the NVIDIA side? Than we can show you how to install this driver.

Solution

1. openSUSE 10.2-IA32

It is recommended to use YaST for installation of the NVIDIA driver. There are several reasons for this. First, it's simple. Second, and this is the most important one, you won't need to recompile the nvidia kernel module after a kernel update.

Update your Kernel via YOU (YaST Online Update). Use

 YaST -> Software -> Change installation Source -> Add

 Protocol: HTTP
 Server Name: : download.nvidia.com
 Directory on Server: /opensuse/10.2

to add the NVIDIA ftp server as additional installation source. Now use

 YaST -> Software -> Install and Delete Software

to install the NVIDIA driver. Select the following packages:

 x11-video-nvidia
 nvidia-gfx-kmp-"kernel-flavor"

"kernel-flavor" depends on your installed kernel. Check with "uname -r" for installed default/smp/bigsmp kernel. Use "sax2 -r" for X.Org configuration.

People who aren't afraid of recompiling the nvidia kernel module or even reinstalling the nvidia driver each time the kernel has been updated and want or need to use the latest and greatest nvidia driver can use the following steps 1-3. The others should use the instructions above using YaST and skip the steps below.

1) Kernel sources must be installed and configured. Usually this means installing the 'kernel-source', 'make' and 'gcc' packages with YaST2.

2) Use the nvidia installer for 1.0-9746.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9746-pkg1.run -q

3) Configure X.Org with

sax2 -r -m 0=nvidia (0 is a digit, not a letter!)

NOTE: There is no need to try to enable 3D support. It's already enabled, when the nvidia driver is running.

IMPORTANT: You need to recompile and install the nvidia kernel module after each kernel update.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9746-pkg1.run -K

2. openSUSE 10.2-AMD64

It is recommended to use YaST for installation of the NVIDIA driver. There are several reasons for this. First, it's simple. Second, and this is the most important one, you won't need to recompile the nvidia kernel module after a kernel update.

Update your Kernel via YOU (YaST Online Update). Use

 YaST -> Software -> Change installation Source -> Add

 Protocol: HTTP
 Server Name: : download.nvidia.com
 Directory on Server: /opensuse/10.2

to add the NVIDIA ftp server as additional installation source. Now use

 YaST -> Software -> Install and Delete Software

to install the NVIDIA driver. Select the following packages:

 x11-video-nvidia
 nvidia-gfx-kmp-"kernel-flavor"

"kernel-flavor" depends on your installed kernel. Check with "uname -r" for installed default/smp/bigsmp kernel. Use "sax2 -r" for X.Org configuration.

People who aren't afraid of recompiling the nvidia kernel module or even reinstalling the nvidia driver each time the kernel has been updated and want or need to use the latest and greatest nvidia driver can use the following steps 1-3. The others should use the instructions above using YaST and skip the steps below.

1) Kernel sources must be installed and configured. Usually this means installing the 'kernel-source', 'make' and 'gcc' packages with YaST2.

2) Use the nvidia installer for 1.0-9746.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-9746-pkg2.run -q

3) Configure X.Org with

sax2 -r -m 0=nvidia (0 is a digit, not a letter!)

NOTE: There is no need to try to enable 3D support. It's already enabled, when the nvidia driver is running.

IMPORTANT: You need to recompile and install the nvidia kernel module after each kernel update.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-9746-pkg2.run -K

for SUSE LINUX 10.1 - 32 Bit

It is recommended to use YaST for installation of the NVIDIA driver. There are several reasons for this. First, it's simple. Second, and this is the most important one, you won't need to recompile the nvidia kernel module after a kernel update.

Update your Kernel via YOU (YaST Online Update). Use

 YaST -> Software -> Change installation Source -> Add

 Protocol: FTP
 Server Name: : download.nvidia.com
 Directory on Server: novell

to add the NVIDIA ftp server as additional installation source. Now use

 YaST -> Software -> Install and Delete Software

to install the NVIDIA driver. Select the following packages:

 x11-video-nvidia
 nvidia-gfx-kmp-"kernel-flavor"

"kernel-flavor" depends on your installed kernel. Check with "uname -r" for installed default/smp/bigsmp kernel. Use "sax2 -r" for X.Org configuration.

People who aren't afraid of recompiling the nvidia kernel module or even reinstalling the nvidia driver each time the kernel has been updated and want or need to use the latest and greatest nvidia driver can use the following steps 1-3. The others should use the instructions above using YaST and skip the steps below.

1) Kernel sources must be installed and configured. Usually this means installing the 'kernel-source', 'make' and 'gcc' packages with YaST2.

2) Use the nvidia installer for 1.0-8774.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run -q

3) Configure X.Org with

sax2 -r -m 0=nvidia (0 is a digit, not a letter!)

NOTE: There is no need to try to enable 3D support. It's already enabled, when the nvidia driver is running.

IMPORTANT: You need to recompile and install the nvidia kernel module after each kernel update.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run -K

for SUSE LINUX 10.1 - AMD 64

It is recommended to use YaST for installation of the NVIDIA driver. There are several reasons for this. First, it's simple. Second, and this is the most important one, you won't need to recompile the nvidia kernel module after a kernel update.

Update your Kernel via YOU (YaST Online Update). Use

 YaST -> Software -> Change installation Source -> Add

 Protocol: FTP
 Server Name: : download.nvidia.com
 Directory on Server: novell

to add the NVIDIA ftp server as additional installation source. Now use

 YaST -> Software -> Install and Delete Software

to install the NVIDIA driver. Select the following packages:

 x11-video-nvidia
 nvidia-gfx-kmp-"kernel-flavor"

"kernel-flavor" depends on your installed kernel. Check with "uname -r" for installed default/smp/bigsmp kernel. Use "sax2 -r" for X.Org configuration.

People who aren't afraid of recompiling the nvidia kernel module or even reinstalling the nvidia driver each time the kernel has been updated and want or need to use the latest and greatest nvidia driver can use the following steps 1-3. The others should use the instructions above using YaST and skip the steps below.

1) Kernel sources must be installed and configured. Usually this means installing the 'kernel-source', 'make' and 'gcc' packages with YaST2.

2) Use the nvidia installer for 1.0-8774.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-8774-pkg2.run -q

3) Configure X.Org with

sax2 -r -m 0=nvidia (0 is a digit, not a letter!)

NOTE: There is no need to try to enable 3D support. It's already enabled, when the nvidia driver is running.

IMPORTANT: You need to recompile and install the nvidia kernel module after each kernel update.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-8774-pkg2.run -K

Please remember that this document is maybe out of date. Check for the latest version at http://www.suse.de/~sndirsch/nvidia-installer-HOWTO.html#3