Problem Installing NVIDIA Driver

[Member antixjim]

I messed up big time. I tried installing a NVIDIA driver for Linux that I obtained from NVIDIA’s website (NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.39.pkg1.run).
The first couple times I tried to run file (sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.39.pkg1.run) I got an error that system x was running. I figured out that I had to use sudo system slim stop to get system x to stop to run the file. I then got another error and that the installer could try to fix it. I said yes and got another error and had to give up. When I rebooted, the screen text did not change size part way through before getting to the login screen like is had always done before.

I got slim restarted and logged back into antiX. I reran Install NVIDIA Driver from Control Centre. The Desktop was not right so I changed to another desktop then back to IceWM. I then discovered that by doing so, I lost all my desktop icons and the toolbar at the bottom of the desktop.

I have attached a copy of the NVIDIA Installer Log file.

Is there a way to repair this or do I have to reinstall antiX from scratch.

(lesson learned – do not try to install the NVIDIA driver)

[Member antixjim]

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The Log File would not attach. I have copied it below:

nvidia-installer log file ‘/var/log/nvidia-installer.log’
creation time: Sun Oct 17 13:57:34 2021
installer version: 1.0.7

PATH: /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin

option status:
license pre-accepted : false
update : false
force update : false
expert : false
uninstall : false
driver info : false
precompiled interfaces : true
no ncurses color : false
query latest version : false
OpenGL header files : true
no questions : false
silent : false
no recursion : false
no backup : false
kernel module only : false
sanity : false
add this kernel : false
no runlevel check : false
no network : false
no ABI note : false
no RPMs : false
no kernel module : false
force SELinux : default
no X server check : false
no cc version check : false
run distro scripts : true
no nouveau check : false
run nvidia-xconfig : false
sigwinch work around : true
force tls : (not specified)
X install prefix : (not specified)
X library install path : (not specified)
X module install path : (not specified)
OpenGL install prefix : (not specified)
OpenGL install libdir : (not specified)
utility install prefix : (not specified)
utility install libdir : (not specified)
installer prefix : (not specified)
doc install prefix : (not specified)
kernel name : (not specified)
kernel include path : (not specified)
kernel source path : (not specified)
kernel output path : (not specified)
kernel install path : (not specified)
precompiled kernel interfaces path : (not specified)
precompiled kernel interfaces url : (not specified)
proc mount point : /proc
ui : (not specified)
tmpdir : /tmp
ftp mirror : ftp://download.nvidia.com
RPM file list : (not specified)
selinux chcon type : (not specified)

Using: nvidia-installer ncurses user interface
-> License accepted.
-> Installing NVIDIA driver version 173.14.39.
WARNING: The path to the modprobe utility reported by
‘/proc/sys/kernel/modprobe’, /sbin/modprobe, differs from the path
determined by nvidia-installer, /usr/sbin/modprobe. Please verify
that /sbin/modprobe works correctly and correct the path in
‘/proc/sys/kernel/modprobe’ if it does not.
ERROR: You do not appear to have libc header files installed on your system.
Please install your distribution’s libc development package.
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 http://www.nvidia.com.

End of Log File

[Member Robin]

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Hello,
I have no idea whether you can save your system, since what you described never happened to me.
But the error messages sound strange.

Have you followed this path?

burrezo wrote:

Download de Nvidia official proprietary driver for your old nvidia GPU, in my case is a 7050, but I suppose this method will work with A LOT of old chipsets/cards

This worked for me with a the 304.137 driver, and I didn’t see any libc header files criticised as missing while following these instructions (there were some other pitfalls, but these could all get solved).

The quote above says it will probably also work work with other cards/chipsets, so I’d suggest: give this method a try. Original Nvidia driver still has some advantages above the nouveau driver. But in the upcoming antiX 21 the differences between them don’t carry that weight anymore than before.

antixjim wrote:

(lesson learned – do not try to install the NVIDIA driver)

No. Try it, maybe it is worth the trouble.
Hint: If you do these installation checks on a live-usb persistent-all system instead of your real installation beforehand, you can restart in no time as often as you like, just by replacing the image on your usb stick by a saved copy of it… So if you meet a dead end or another: who cares, just start over, modifying your proceedings this time slightly, until you succeed. And If you need your PC for other tasks again, just reboot to your normal installed system, and let the testing usb stick wait until you have time again for it.

Hope you are successfully with your gpu model, even if nvidia doesn’t care for their customers, letting us sit on the dry with their proprietary closed source drivers now. Note to self: Never again buy something where nvidia is written on.

Greetings

Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.

[Member antixjim]

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I think I will need to reinstall aniX to solve this. Since antiX 21 is due out soon, I am going to wait for that before reinstalling. In the meantime, I will either put up with things the way they are and possibly play with LMDE 4 or something else until antiX 21 is ready for installations.

Thank you for your comments. The comment regarding not installing NVIDIA drivers is directed towards me, not anyone else. When I get antiX working again, I do not plan to install the NVIDIA driver again. It seemed to work pretty well before I started to try the install.

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