Nouveau - Jun 2010 - Need help getting nouveau drivers working on Fedora 13

My desktop computer uses a GeForce FX 5200 card and, when I was using 
Fedora 11, the kmod-nvidia drivers (a Fedora-specific repackaging of the 
binary blob) worked Just Fine.  Now, even though I've followed all of 
the instructions for them, they don't.  In fact, my system won't even 
complete booting if they're active.  (I'm posting from a laptop, while 
I'm trying to get my desktop up again.)  I've removed all of the nvidia 
packages and reinstalled Xorg; no mesa packages installed.  When I try 
to log in under X, I can see the desktop, briefly, long enough to see 
that my screenlets are loading in the wrong place, then, it's the 
infamous White Screen Of Death.  The desktop doesn't just turn white, 
it's more like a curtain being drawn down over it, that never comes back 
up.  Going to an alternate console and checking .xsession-errors, the 
last message that I can understand is from compiz, saying that it can't 
find some 8 bit pixmaps.

I'd greatly appreciate any pointers as to what I need to do, other than 
replace the video card (Not a pleasant option, because I've no reason to 
believe that it's gone bad.) to get my desktop back under control.  If 
there's any other info that you need, just ask.

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 6:47 PM, Joe Zeff <joe at zeff.us>
wrote:
> My desktop computer uses a GeForce FX 5200 card and, when I was using
Fedora
> 11, the kmod-nvidia drivers (a Fedora-specific repackaging of the binary
> blob) worked Just Fine. ?Now, even though I've followed all of the
> instructions for them, they don't. ?In fact, my system won't even
complete
> booting if they're active. ?(I'm posting from a laptop, while
I'm trying to
> get my desktop up again.) ?I've removed all of the nvidia packages and
> reinstalled Xorg; no mesa packages installed. ?When I try to log in under
X,
> I can see the desktop, briefly, long enough to see that my screenlets are
> loading in the wrong place, then, it's the infamous White Screen Of
Death.
> ?The desktop doesn't just turn white, it's more like a curtain
being drawn
> down over it, that never comes back up. ?Going to an alternate console and
> checking .xsession-errors, the last message that I can understand is from
> compiz, saying that it can't find some 8 bit pixmaps.
>
> I'd greatly appreciate any pointers as to what I need to do, other than
> replace the video card (Not a pleasant option, because I've no reason
to
> believe that it's gone bad.) to get my desktop back under control. ?If
> there's any other info that you need, just ask.
Hi. When you say you reinstalled Xorg without mesa packages, I'm
assuming you mean that you didn't install the nouveau mesa driver? If
so it sounds like you're trying to run compiz with the software
rasterizer. Not sure if/how that works, last I heard it didn't. Either
way, can you try without compiz? If you still have problems please
attach a kernel log (the output of dmesg) and an Xorg log.

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 8:27 PM, Joe Zeff <joe at zeff.us>
wrote:
> On 06/11/2010 05:10 PM, Younes Manton wrote:
>>
>> Hi. When you say you reinstalled Xorg without mesa packages, I'm
>> assuming you mean that you didn't install the nouveau mesa driver?
If
>> so it sounds like you're trying to run compiz with the software
>> rasterizer. Not sure if/how that works, last I heard it didn't.
Either
>> way, can you try without compiz? If you still have problems please
>> attach a kernel log (the output of dmesg) and an Xorg log.
>
> I did try installing the mesa experimental drivers, but they just gave me a
> broken screen that wasn't usable.  What packages should I install? 
Also,
> how do I deactivate compiz?
>
That depends on your desktop environment. On Gnome it's something like
System -> Preferences -> Appearance -> Visual Effects.

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 8:31 PM, Joe Zeff <joe at zeff.us>
wrote:
> On 06/11/2010 05:10 PM, Younes Manton wrote:
>>
>> Hi. When you say you reinstalled Xorg without mesa packages, I'm
>> assuming you mean that you didn't install the nouveau mesa driver?
>
> A little update: checking, I have mesa-dri-drivers.i686 installed,but not
> the experimental.
>
I don't use Fedora but I think that means you don't have the nouveau
mesa drivers. I suggest you disable compiz first anyway. If it works
at least you know the non-mesa part of the driver works. If it doesn't
work it will be easier to debug if the mesa driver is out of the
picture.