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This HowTo was written for users who don't know how to install NVidia and/or VMWare modules with the 2.6 Linux kernel [forum]
If you're currently running the 2.4 Linux kernel [forum] and are interested in upgrading to the new 2.6 Linux kernel then you might want to read KernelTrap's 'How To Upgrade To The 2.6 Kernel' [story].
When I wrote this guide I was using the 2.6.0-test11-wli-2 kernel [story] [howto].
This HOWTO comes with no guarantees, use at your own risk.
Note: I'm not fond of binary-only drivers myself, but some Linux users are forced to use binary drivers (myself included). This HowTo is here for users that are forced to use NVidia or VMWare, so please _don't_ start a flamewar about this.
Note: This HowTo was made with 4496 driver version, there is 4620 beta drivers aviable, they can be
found here
Important note!: "Review the NVIDIA Software License and documentation. You will need
to
accept this license prior to downloading any files." you can find the license here and the ReadMe for 4496 here
1. Make backups of important data!
Backup all your X configuration files and other important data
2. Download the drivers and the patches.
Download the package from NVidia
website and the patches from minion.de
# wget http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/1.0-4496/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1... ... # wget http://minion.de/files/NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4496-2.6.diff ... # wget http://minion.de/files/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg%23.tar.gz
3. Unpack the driver package.
Now, you can unpack the driver package, you probably need to do a chmod change first:
# chmod 755 NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2.run # ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2.run --extract-only
4. Apply patches.
Now you need to apply patches:
# cd NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2/usr/src/nv/ # cat ../../../../NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4496-2.6.diff | patch -p1
5. Select Makefile.
Now, you have two choises, you can select the NVidia Makefile or the kbuild Makefile. I selected the
kbuild Makefile:
# ln -s Makefile.kbuild Makefile
6. Install new nvidia-installer.
Now you need to untar NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg#.tar.gz in NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2/ :
# cd ../../../ # tar xzvf ../NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg#.tar.gz
7. It's still not too late..
It's still not too late to backup all your important data.
8. Install the driver.
Now you must become root to install the drivers.
You have two ways of installing the drivers:
With the nvidia installer
# su root ... # ./nvidia-installer
with 'make install':
# make install
Note: You need to close your X session if you are upgrading from older NVidia drivers.
I will not describe the installation process because it's pretty easy.
If you have never installed the driver before you can read installation help from the readme.
VMWare virtual machine:
Note: I don't know if this is the correct way. This works atleast with VMware Workstation 4.0.0
build-4460. You can check your version with:
# vmware -v
Another note: This HowTo assumes that you have VMWare Workstation already installed, I don't know
how it works if you don't have it installed before the kernel upgrade from 2.4 to 2.6.
1. Backup any important data.
Backup your important data.
2. Download the patch
You should check the patch site for new
releases.
The releases are named vmware-any-any-update*.tar.gz.
Now you can download the patch:
# wget http://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware/vmware-any-any-update43.tar.gz ...
3. Unpack the package.
Now you need to unpack the tar archive:
# tar xzvf vmware-any-any-update43.tar.gz # cd vmware-any-any-update43
4. Run the installation script.
Now you need to become root and run runme.pl:
# ./runme.pl
I will not describe the installation process this time either.
Note: If the installation fails for some reason, try to read the readme. The readme wont provide much
information about the errors, but the files of the site. If you have issues with some features with VMWare then you should read the documents at VMWare official homepage
Final note: Remember that I can't promise that this will work perfectly for you, and I can't provide any kind of warranty. Use this document at your own risk. All I can say is that it worked for me.
nvidia nforce2
I seems that the driver for the nvidia nforce2 chipset is very instable in 2.6. I wonder if someone know a workaround ?
re: nvidia nforce2
What driver? The network driver? the sound driver? the one from nvidia.com or the forcedeth network driver for NVnet? please explain.
--
Regards,
Markus Hästbacka
I hate when stuff is instable...
because then I have to walk through all that hay and manure to get to it.
hint: try a funky *real* word, like "unstable".
There, was that so hard? No? Good.
I hate it when stuff is instable...
If you can’t contribute something constructive then shut up. It’s not a crime to be ignorant but it is a crime to keep someone ignorant.
there are newer vmware updates
ftp://platan.vc.cvut.cz/pub/vmware/
There is a update45 version... because update43 stop working a couple of test kernels ago... at least for me
Gentoo
It should be noted that Gentoo's package manager, Portage, automatically detects the kernel and will patch the drivers accordingly.
Running 2.6.0_test10_mm1 with the nVidia drivers here.
Ah yes,
the OBLIGATORY Gentoo zealot post...
Is there not a forum on earth they have not infected.
Oh yes
Well, that comment helped me a lot ...
*lol*
*lol*
yeah this is old
old, but yet people are still directed here as a starting point for VMware issues with 2.6.x
I should point out that it is no more Portage detecting this than it would be Bash, KSH, or Python applying the correct patch if I wrote a script to apply patch A if it is 2.6 and just continue on otherwise.
Portage of course has the methods for doing things like checking what version of the kernel you have. No doubt about it, that rocks.
This is brought to you by a Gentoo user who is tired of fanboys of all types.
nvidia in general
I have been running nvidia binary video drivers on Linux for years, and a 2.5/2.6 series kernel all year, and I have had a nvidia nforce2 motherboard for several months. I have encountered no long term software or hardware problems that might make me want to switch away from them.
When using an nforce2 motherboard, you will probably need to disable APIC in your kernel, and you may need to run PCI without ACPI by adding "pci=noacpi" to your kernel args.
I am currently running kernel 2.6.0-test11-wli-3 and nvidia video drivers 4496 on Gentoo Linux.
apic and acpi on an nforce2 mobo...
i was having lots of problems with 2.6.0-test11 with apic and acpi on... so i went to the acpi4linux page (acpi.sf.net) and downloaded the latest acpi fix... and it worked great! been running with acpi and apic on since the 6th of december on 2.6.0-test11 and it is great!
merge into official kernel ?
I don't like to patch my kernel with an unknown (untrustable???) third party patch ... I wonder if there is a plan to include acpi fix the official kernel ?
re: merge into official kernel ?
If you don't trust the patch, then you can always read the source.
And, I think this is not merged into the official kernel because it might cause problems with other hardware.
I might be wrong. (I don't use the ACPI, so I can't tell what's the problems.)
--
Regards,
Markus
NVidia drivers
The 4496 NVidia drivers unfortunately do not work on my Dual-Athlon AMD 760MPX machine which is running 2.6.0-test11. X crashes on startup, even with AGP disabled.
Maybe I'll try out these 4620 when I get home and see if that helps matters...
erf
I've got the same problem, on a Linux 2.6.0-test11 running on a AMD Athlon XP 2400+, AGP 8X, Geforce 4 Ti 4200 box. I've tried all given solutions (disabling agpgart, etc), compiled the drivers many times, following different ways to install them, and always got an X crash as only result since many kernel test-versions. I'm awaiting the official Nvidia driver... but I think Nvidia will release it only after the "stable" version of the kernel.
re: erf
Try disabling APIC and ACPI, run it for a week and see if you get any lockups.
- Antony Suter ("Exner")
i have the same problem, the
i have the same problem, the same pc the same lock up, when X start the computer stops, the x-free config file goes to pieces;AMD Athlon XP 2400+, AGP 8X, Geforce 4 Ti 4200 with 2.6.0 and debian unstable. Any tips? or shall we wait for the nvidia official drivers'
My solution
For me, the problem was in kernel configuration. in the AGP drivers page "NFORCE2 chipset support" may not be turned on, it crashed at X startup for me too.
Of course assuming that you have it enabled, APIC/APCI made no difference for me.
--
Regards,
Markus
Another VMware HOWTO
I wrote a VMware HOWTO recently too.
Using VMware Workstation 4.05 with kernel 2.6.0-test11
Re: Another VMware HOWTO
My HOWTO assumes you do not have VMware Workstation installed in the first place. So, it should be useful for those who want to try out VMware for the first time with Kernel 2.6.0-testX. Please feedback. Thanks.
vmware problems
I have followed your info to the T but vmware wont grab the cdrom for a windows 2000 installation. I think there is something a little more in depth that has to happen.
ritou
did you try the "emulate legacy" option?
VMware and official 2.6.0
Is this patch is needen for official 2.6.0 kernel?
Best regards.
Robert
bzip2 and Mandrake 9.2 pre-compiled kernel binaries
This is a great How-To. Here are a few hints that helped me get it working with the Mandrake 9.2 precompiled 2.6 kernel binaries.
The tar-ball from minion.de is now bziped instead of gziped, so the tar extract command could (should) be:
tar xjvf NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg#.tar.bz2.gz
And because I did not compile the kernel myself I had to set the following environment variable before running nvidia-installer .
export IGNORE_CC_MISMATCH=1
VMware for 2.6.3
get vmware-any-any-update50.tar.gz using the instructions above (or newer if released, i guess)
VMWare and 2.6.3
Just a quick comment to say that vmware-any-any-update51 worked perfectly for me with kernel 2.6.3 and VMWare Workstation 4.0.5 build 6030
vmware and 2.6.4
I have vmware 4.0.2 build 5592. I have previously had VMware working with kernel 2.6.0. The patch wouldn't work any more when I upgraded to 2.6.4, so I downloaded patch vmware-any-any-update54. Now I can compile and run VMware, but I get the following message when my virtual machine starts: "Failed to setup network driver notification for /dev/vmnet0: Device or resource busy. Device Ethernet0 will start disconnected." - I can no longer use any of the networking modes, I have tried bridged, host only and NAT and none work.
vmware - upgrade?
Is it possible to upgrade from 4.0.2 to a newer VMware? How does one do this, especially when running in a 2.6 environment? Will newer versions still recognise my vmware filesystems?
vmware and 2.6.4
I've 4.0.5 build-6030 and i've just compiled 2.6.4.
I've got the same error using vmware-any-any-update54, but if i use the vmware-any-any-update50 all work fine.
Seems a problem in the module patch package...
SMP
FYI,
I had the same problem after switching my kernel from 2.6.3-7mdk-i686-up-4GB to 2.6.3-4mdkenterprise. I had to switch after adding a second processor to my computer. The first kernel listed there is not compiled with SMP support enabled. VMWare worked with the first kernel, using the any-any script, but doesn't work the second kernel.
I ran vmware-any-any-update54 after changing the kernel..
Running VMWare 4.0.5 build 6030.
I second this
Hi,
I also see this problem. Anybody with a solution to this?
downgrade
Hi, I encountered the same problem. It can be solved by downgrading to patch version 61. download + install the patch
and it works.
apply patch
try patch vmware-any-any-update65. I have no problem.
URL:
http://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware/
Anybody know if running 2.6 k
Anybody know if running 2.6 kernels is possible with VMWare 3.2?
Try this, it worked for me.
I got some way towards making it work myself, but then I
found this, which works perfectly, and fixed a pernicious
network browsing bug I had with 3.2 under a 2.4 kernel:
ftp://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware/readme.txt
All kudos to the author!