Nvidia Driver Installation
From Zenwalk Wiki
| Desktops | Laptops | Graphic Devices |Networking Devices | Peripherals | Printers |
To install the NVidia driver to Zenwalk Linux please complete the following steps:
- Edit the file /etc/netpkg.conf with a text editor, in the section "Black_list" remove everything except aaa_base. No one should ever update aaa_base. This will ensure you use the new kernel and sources.
- First update your system: netpkg upgrade
- Restart your computer, to be running with the new kernel.
- Without needing to login, shutdown the X-Server. Change to a textmode console with "CTRL+ALT+F2", login as root and stop the X-Server by running "init 3".
- We need the kernelsource to build the NVidia driver kernel module: netpkg kernelsource
- The driver should be fetched at the official NVIDIA homepage.
- Execute the downloaded file: # sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-*VERSION*-pkg1.run -s .
- The driver will be build now and installs the kernel module to the Zenwalk system. Then you have to modify the etc/X11/xorg.conf for your needs. (The easiest way is to change Driver "nameOfTheDriver" to Driver "nvidia" in the Device section).
- Now restart the X-Server by typing init 4 .
If the X-Server come up you should see the NVidia logo. Error messages can be found in var/log/Xorg.0.log .
Remember if you change either your kernel or your version of Xorg, you will need to recompile the nvida driver.
To compile just the kernel module, do the following:
- boot into your new kernel (init 3)
- extract driverpackage: sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-*VERSION*-pkg1.run -x
- change into directory: cd NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-*VERSION*-pkg1
- install kernel module: ./nvidia-installer --kernel-module-only
- init 4
Thanks to Christian Schmidt for parts of this tutorial.
If you have problems with this, check the version. 1.0.7xxx, 1.0.96xx and 1.0.97xx have an overlap of cards supported, but some may support your card and some may not.
[edit] 3D Support for Beryl/Compiz Fusion/other eye candies
In order to use the 3D effectively, xorg.conf file must be modified.
- Log in to an XFCE session and in a root termimal :
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak
to back your xorg settings in case something goes wrong, then
mousepad /etc/X11/xorg.conf
and add this to the Section "Device"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true" Option "TripleBuffer" "true"
add this to the bottom of the file too
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection
then save and quit

