sgfxi: can't install nvidia 96.43.23 driver in Testing
John Harrington
Status: New User - Welcome
Joined: 05 May 2013
Posts: 1
Location: Warner, N.H., U.S.A.
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Running Sparky Linux (Debian testing).
Kernel: 3.2.0-4-486
Xorg 1.12.4
SGFXI ver. 4.20.4. 2 last updated May 2 2013
Graphics card: NV18 [GeForce4 MX 4000] (rev 1)

When running sgfxi script, instructions state that I should choose option 3) "legacy-nvidia" in order to install nvidia driver 96.43.23. This driver is in the testing repositories.

When I select option 3, the script prints:

Installing nVidia driver 96.43.23 now.

Then it prints information about the graphics card, and then:

The graphics installer will be installing the free Xorg driver: nouveau

If allow it to continue, it reinstalls the nouveau driver. I have tried this three or four times, and the same thing happens each time. The last time, I stopped the script before it reinstalled the nouveau driver.

My two most recent log files are linked below. I think the first reflects a complete run of the script, which reinstalled the nouveau driver, and the second reflect my terminating the script after getting the message that it would install the nouveau driver.

I would appreciate any help in getting the 96.43.23 driver installed. Thanks.

paste.debian.net/2328
paste.debian.net/2329/
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techAdmin
Status: Site Admin
Joined: 26 Sep 2003
Posts: 4126
Location: East Coast, West Coast? I know it's one of them.
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that looks like a bug in smxi

just run sgfxi with no options and see what it says about your card. ie, skip smxi and run sgfxi directly, no options.

it will tell you what it is going to do.

according to the sgfxi detections, that driver is supported up to about 3.5 kernel, nvidia has dropped support however so you won't be able to run newer xorg or kernels in the future.

if sgfxi offers to install the 96 series driver with no arguments, then just let it do it.

smxi is passing the option -n, which is install xorg driver, that looks like either a bug in the instructions it offers you for that card or in the options it sends, my guess is the instructions.
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techAdmin
Status: Site Admin
Joined: 26 Sep 2003
Posts: 4126
Location: East Coast, West Coast? I know it's one of them.
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This was an smxi bug, thank you for the report, the now renamed 'antique-driver' was accidentally set to send -n to sgfxi, which sgfxi then used, that's the native xorg driver command.

Also, there was another bug where the beta driver for 96 option showed, but that option will actually never be used because there will be no new 96 series driver released, so I should probably remove that.

smxi will now correctly install the 96 series onto your card, but be aware, the second that jessie/testing updates to current testing pool, xorg will update to 1.13 and the driver will not work. At that point your only option will be to use nouveau xorg driver.

I've also removed the option to install 96 series driver for any newer card as well since it won't do anyone any good to use it.

I will also update the smxi alerts to notify for wheezy stable release.
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