Installing nVidia for AMD64/EM64T cards

[Michael Velez]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Stevens" <rstevens at vitalstream.com>
To: "Getting started with Red Hat Linux" <redhat-install-list at redhat.com>
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2004 1:36 PM
Subject: Re: Installing nVidia for AMD64/EM64T cards


> 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.                   -
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>

Rick,

I replaced the card with a new card of the exact same model and it works 
beautifully now.

Thanks for your help.  It was good to have some support through this.

Thanks again,
Michael