[mythtv-users] Rolling back Nvidia driver -- there has to be a better way

[Raphael]

Allen Edwards wrote:
> 
> 
> On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 3:29 PM, Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com 
> <mailto:nick.rout at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>     On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 12:08 PM, Allen Edwards
>     <allen.p.edwards at gmail.com <mailto:allen.p.edwards at gmail.com>> wrote:
>      >
>      >
>      > On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 2:55 PM, Paul Gardiner <lists at glidos.net
>     <mailto:lists at glidos.net>> wrote:
>      >>
>      >> Allen Edwards wrote:
>      >>>
>      >>> I noticed the other FE system I have, which has almost
>     identical hw, uses
>      >>> 169.12.  Googled and was sent to the nvidia site but that
>     driver was not
>      >>> there.
>      >>
>      >> Not completely understanding your problem, but is this any help?
>      >> http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_ia32_169.12.html
>      >>
>      >
>      > No, I got there and I found some drivers but I can't install them
>     because
>      > the nvidia install program complains about any setup of my system
>     that I
>      > know how to get into.  It wants a level 3 non X command line and
>     my system
>      > will go into X if I tell it to go to level 3 and the Nvidia
>     driver will not
>      > install from my level 1 command line that I get into from restore
>     mode.  I
>      > can't kill X because it just comes back.  Is that clearer?
>      > Allen
> 
>     If you want to kill X do
> 
>     sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop
> 
>     the gdm daemon, if running, will restart X and bring up a logon screen
>     (or autostart probably under mythbuntu), the key is to stop the gdm
>     daemon.
> 
>     once you have finished your commandline work run
> 
>     sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start
> 
>      >
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>      >
>      >
> 
> 
> 
> This is what worked (but in the big picture didn't work):
> 
>  From inside a terminal window I ran the above command which gave me a 
> non functioning screen.
> I hit CRTL-ALT-F1 gave me a command line and I could log in and install 
> the driver. 
> 
> I picked a more recient driver which is the one I was using before my 
> "upgrade" 96.43.05
> 
> I got the prompt about having the program create a kernel build or 
> whatever it said and went ahead.  What harm could it do I said.
> 
> It crashed my system and so it would only run in low res mode, 
> nvidia-settings would not run and damn....
> 
> I ran Envyng and reinstalled 174.14.12 so I am back where I started.
> 
> Any ideas???
> 
> Allen
> 
> 

I just went through this process with my FE a week or so ago, with the 
same problems as you.

You are probably having these problems because you have restricted 
modules installed and you're trying to install the binary release over 
it. You need to start from scratch. Remove nvidia-glx, and the 
restricted modules package. Just search for "nvidia" in synaptic and 
it'll show you what's installed. You'll need to remove envy now as well.

Next, kill X. If you are having real difficulties killing X (which 
should work with just "sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop") then try "sudo 
killall xinit" from a command line. Hit cntrl+alt+F2 to get to a 
terminal outside of X where you do all this.

After that run the Nvidia installer script. It'll tell you you have an 
old driver, tell it yes to uninstall. Then when it asks you to compile a 
kernel driver, answer yes. You have to do this step. You can't tell it 
"no" and hope a kernel module will appear and work.

If you did everything right, everything should now work as it did before 
with the nvidia binary driver.
HTH
raphael