[TriLUG] Red Hat kernel challenge

[Ed Hill]

On Wed, 2003-02-26 at 15:21, Matt Matthews wrote:
> I'm testing out some different video hardware on an AMD SMP system running Red Hat 8.0.94 and part of my goal is to get NVIDIA's drivers installed for the testing. Unfortunately, there are conflicts between the released NVIDIA drivers and the kernel that comes with 8.0.94.
> 
> NVIDIA does have a kernel package designed for use with the previous two Red Hat kernels, 2.4.18-14 and 2.4.18-18.8.0. However, the SRPMs for these two kernels REFUSE to rebuild on a Red Hat 8.0.94 system, as far as I can tell. They both bomb out late in the process with:
> Processing files: kernel-debuginfo-2.4.18-14
> error: Could not open %files file /usr/src/redhat/BUILD/kernel-2.4.18/debugfiles.list: No such file or directory
> 
> Given that these are standard Red Hat kernel SRPMs, I was very surprised to find that neither would build on the newer system.
> 
> I've been told that this may have to do with the new RPM revision in the latest Red Hat beta. Anyone out there with similar problems or even solutions for getting these older SRPMs recompiled and installed?
> 
> The next step for me is a vanilla kernel, but I'd hoped to stay within the world of RPM so I didn't lose track of what's installed. (That is to say, I'd like to have a completely reproducible testing situation and I'd hoped that "stock" RPMs or simply RPMs from stock SRPMs would provide that.)


<sarcasm type="mean">

  Welcome to the wonderful world of binary-only kernel modules.

</sarcasm>

Seriously, I spent a few hours this past weekend helping someone get
nVidia's binary kernel RPM to install.  That individual had to move back
from the current kernel-2.4.18-24.8.0 to 2.4.18-18.8.0 because, as of
only a few days ago (and its still the case today):

  http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=linux_display_ia32_1.0-4191

that was the most recent rev that nVidia supported.  Yes, it sucks and
theres very little that you can do about it.  And yes, nVidia can be
somewhat slow in providing updates.

Then theres the "kernel rev dance" if you try to roll your own kernel. 
The internal kernel "APIs" are not graven in stone (quite the opposite
in fact--they are not really APIs at all since they are *meant* to be
flexible from version to version) and the things that the nVidia module
touches can change even from one minor rev to another.  So you have to
be careful.  Back when I was using a GeForce MX on a daily basis I
remember seeing new kernel revs (early 2.4.x) being incompatible with
the then-current nVidia module.  It sucked.

So maybe next time that you want to use newer kernels you should get an
ATi Radeon since they:

  http://mirror.ati.com/support/driver.html

don't require any binary-only kernel modules?

Ed

ps - I remember that theres an IRC channel somewhere where nVidia 
     insiders will give you newer builds of their drivers.  Isn't 
     *that* convenient?  [hint: no, it isn't]  Anyway, you can try 
     google-ing for it.


-- 
Edward H. Hill III, PhD 
Post-Doctoral Researcher   |  Email:  ed at eh3.com,  ehill at mines.edu
Division of ESE            |  URLs:   http://www.eh3.com
Colorado School of Mines   |    http://cesep.mines.edu/people/hill.htm
Golden, CO  80401          |  Phones:  303-384-2094, 303-273-3483
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