Every time I try to install the driver the installation hangs and puts me to look into the Nvidia log file..

Where I read there is a error at the end of the file..

The aptosid people say please see the maintainer at smxi ..

Please I cannot get kde to start anymore :-/ elp
/usr/src/sgfxi-downloads/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-260.19.44/kernel/nv-linux.h:90:75:
fatal error: linux/smp_lock.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/sgfxi-downloads/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-260.19.44/kernel/nv.
o] Error 1
make[2]: *** [_module_/usr/src/sgfxi-downloads/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-260.19.44/ke
rnel] Error 2
NVIDIA: left KBUILD.
nvidia.ko failed to build!
make[1]: *** [module] Error 1
make: *** [module] Error 2
-> Error.
ERROR: Unable to build the NVIDIA kernel module.
ERROR: Installation has failed. Please see the file
'/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details. You may find suggestions
on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux idia.ko failed to build! driver download
page at www.nvidia.com.
make[1]: *** [module] Error 1
make: *** [module] Error 2 -> Error. ERROR: Unable to build the NVIDIA kernel module. ERROR: Installation has failed.
Please see the file
'/var/log/nvidia-installer.log' for details. You may find suggestions
on fixing installation problems in the README available on the Linux
driver download page at www.nvidia.com. (END)

(END)
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What kernel are you using? There are no known issues with standard kernels, though the slh ones were breaking nvidia install a while ago.

Did you ever use that dmakms package to install nvidia on your system that aptosid uses, against debian standard policies?
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2.6.38-2.slh.1-aptosid-686

dmakms is installed
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I know nothing about dmakms, sorry. It's possible that sgfxi is failing to remove part of it, since sgfxi is looking only for debian packages like dkms.

Did slh make his kernel work again with nvidia? Again, I can't follow what he does or doesn't do in terms of what his kernels break for nvidia or fglrx.

If someone at some point wants to provide me with a full nvidia dmakms remover by steps so I can double check that sgfxi is handling it, I can do that, but I'm not going to waste my own time installing something and debugging it when only one distro in the world that sgfxi supports, that I know of, uses that package and method.

The failure stuff you posted is directly caused by something breaking the nvidia installer, that could easily be dmakms, it could be the slh kernel, it could be lots of things. I get no reports of sgfxi failing on any other debian system, by the way.
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show me this:

dpkg -l | grep dmakms
dpkg -l | grep dkms

ls /var/lib

if it shows something like:
/var/lib/dmakms
show me: ls /var/lib/dmakms
if you see
/var/lib/dkms
show me: ls /var/lib/dkms

Also show this, if present:
cat /etc/default/dmakms

maybe there's something changed, or different paths, I don't know. In the old days I cared about small distros that deviate from debian standard methods, but I don't anymore.
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Apparently your kernel is compiled with the Big Kernel Lock (smp_lock.h) removed completely. Most 2.6.38 kernels still have this turned on in the config, though it does absolutely nothing. The NVidia driver still points to smp_lock.h and the build will fail if it can't find it.

This is going to have to be fixed pretty soon, as smp_lock.h is completely gone from 2.6.39.

For now, you'll either need to patch this file:
/usr/src/sgfxi-downloads/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-260.19.44/kernel/nv-linux.h
and remove the header reference to smp_lock.h (just delete the line.)
Then run ./nvidia-installer
(It's in /usr/src/sgfxi-downloads/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-260.19.44/ I believe, run it from that directory)

Or, I've read you can put a file or symlink for smp_lock.h in the proper place and that works too.

I've been playing with the rc's for 2.6.39 (for other reasons) and ran into this same issue with the NVidia drivers, using sgfxi. Removing the reference to smp_lock.h in nv-linux.h is required to get the module to build.

< Edited by trulan :: Apr 12, 11, 13:07 >
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trulan, thanks for the tech update, and for the information re 2.6.39.

The current solution is clearly to just use Debian Sid's or Liquorix and then wait for the new nvidia drivers to have this issue resolved.

There's nothing special about slh kernels in general, so there's not a lot of reason to use them if they break your existing hardware setup.

smxi allows for easy install of either debian or liquorix kernels.
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i also have been unable to install the nvidia module with the aptosid kernel for the last few weeks. now i know why. regular debian kernel works fine. dmakms is not installed.

btw, i also have been unable to install the liquorix kernel for the last couple of months. i posted about this in the grub forum. i don't know why, previous liquorix kernels worked fine.

so i use straight debian.
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And as of today, sgfxi now pulls the 270.14.03 NVidia driver, which fixes this issue. Nice!
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Thanks for the update!
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