Configure kernel source?

[lugoteehalt]

Sorry if this elementary but have been unable to find stuff.

Trying to install nvidia's own graphics drivers using their *.run file.

It won't work saying this is because version.h is not present in kernel source and the most likely reason for this is that the source has not been properly configured. Installed kernel-source and extracted the tar file. No idea how to 'configure' it.

Seem to recall typing something like dpkg-make configure or something on a previous occasion.

Thanks any help.

[mrrangerman43]

Here is a howto NVIDIA (http://linuxinside.blogspot.com/2008/03/debian-nvidia-drivers.html)

[trilarian]

Usually you only need the header files and not the full source. So download linux-headers-2.x.x (where x matches your kernel version) and rerun their script.

[ph34r]

You need the build-essentials package installed. After that, it should Just Work.

[je_fro]

assuming the usual /usr/src/linux symlink points to the source tree...

cd /usr/src/linux
gunzip -c /proc/config.gz > .config
make oldconfig
make bzImage modules modules_install

you should then be able to install the nvidia-drivers

[lugoteehalt]

Usually you only need the header files and not the full source. So download linux-headers-2.x.x (where x matches your kernel version) and rerun their script.Yes, all that was needed was the headers.

"The card is gforce 8400 GS, I think. It asked for the linux source to be put in, but what was really needed was: linux-headers-2.6.18-6-amd64. When this was installed the installer found it automatically, it needed no flags, and everything seemed to go well. linux-headers-2.6.18-6-amd64 is what is needed by nvidia driver installer"

ERROR: The kernel header file
'/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.18/include/linux/version.h' does not exist.
The most likely reason for this is that the kernel source files in
'/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.18' have not been configured.
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 www.nvidia.com.

Thanks. Problem solved.

je_fro; I'll try what you say for some nforce drivers, audio and net, that won't work in a simmilar way. See what happens.:)

[bwkaz]

ERROR: The kernel header file
'/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.18/include/linux/version.h' Um, why did you override the kernel source directory? It should never use /usr/src/anything; it should always use the /lib/modules/<kernel version>/{build,source} symlinks, the way it's defaulted to work.

Now, if you don't have those symlinks, then you need to fix that, not point the installer to somewhere else. ;) Those links are installed with the kernel modules; they're supposed to be part of the standard kernel module build interface.

je_fro; I'll try what you say for some nforce drivers, audio and net, that won't work in a simmilar way. See what happens.:) nforce audio and net both have open-source (reverse engineered) drivers that work way better than anything from nvidia. They're even in the kernel. You shouldn't need anything else, unless you're using some ancient kernel (in which case you need to upgrade that, not add bits from other vendors).