CentOS - Oct 2006 - CentOS 3.8 Kernel Update with NVIDIA Video Card

I need some advice. I updated the kernel but when I restarted my 
computer I got the following error message:

--
I cannot start the X server (your graphical interface). It is likely 
that it is not set up correctly. ... Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel 
module!
--

I've started my computer using the old kernel. I found out that there's 
a new nvidia driver so I will also update it. I've downloaded this driver.

I can think of two ways to solve this problem but I'd rather have some 
expert advice. What's the best way to boot with the new kernel, install 
the nvidia driver and of course update the NVIDIA kernel module?

Thanks in advance,
Corwin Burgess

On Oct 20, 2006, at 22:22, Corwin Burgess wrote:
> I can think of two ways to solve this problem but I'd rather have  
> some expert advice. What's the best way to boot with the new  
> kernel, install the nvidia driver and of course update the NVIDIA  
> kernel module?
The following worked for me:

   1. Download the latest driver packager from NVIDIA (e.g., NVIDIA- 
Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run)
   2. Boot the new kernel to run level 3 (or wait for it to fail to  
go to run level 5)
   3. Log in as root and run ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run and  
answer the prompts

Oh yeah, you will most likely need to have the kernel-devel RPM  
installed so that it can rebuild the kernel module for CentOS.

Alfred

> On Oct 20, 2006, at 22:22, Corwin Burgess wrote:
> 
> > I can think of two ways to solve this problem but I'd rather have
> > some expert advice. What's the best way to boot with the new  
> > kernel, install the nvidia driver and of course update the NVIDIA  
> > kernel module?
> 
> The following worked for me:
> 
>    1. Download the latest driver packager from NVIDIA (e.g., NVIDIA- 
> Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run)
===========
I wouldn't.
  
The following is extracted from "NVIDIA Binary Graphics Driver for Linux 
Buffer Overflow Vulnerability", Secunia Security Advisories:
> http://secunia.com/advisories/22419/
> 
> CRITICAL:
> Highly critical
> 
> IMPACT:
> Privilege escalation, DoS, System access
> 
> WHERE:
> >From remote
> 
> SOFTWARE:
> NVIDIA Graphics Drivers for Linux 1.x
> 
...
> Successful exploitation allows execution of arbitrary code with
> "root" privileges.
> 
> The vulnerability is reported in versions 8774 and 8762. Other
> versions may also be affected.
...
> SOLUTION:
> Disable accelerated rendering ("RenderAccel" option).
> 
> Use another graphics driver.
> 
> The vulnerability has reportedly been fixed in the 1.0-9625 beta
> driver.

The beta seems to have worked  for the Secunia guys. 
The nv driver should work but without 3D support.
NVidia is aware of the problem and should release a fixed "production"
driver soon. 

regards,

benm

> On Oct 20, 2006, at 22:22, Corwin Burgess wrote:
 >
 > 1. Download the latest driver packager from NVIDIA (e.g., NVIDIA-
 > Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run)

Nvidia issued a patched version 8776 as of 10-19-2006 that takes care of the
bug mentioned in this thread.

 > 3. Log in as root and run ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run and
 > answer the prompts

If you know the default answers are all acceptable, you can run this command
without having to answer questions:

./NVIDIA-Linuxxxxxxx.run -a -q -N --ui=none

Akemi

-----Original Message-----
From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On
Behalf Of Alfred von Campe
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 10:43 PM
To: CentOS mailing list
Subject: Re: [CentOS] CentOS 3.8 Kernel Update with NVIDIA Video Card

On Oct 20, 2006, at 22:22, Corwin Burgess wrote:
> I can think of two ways to solve this problem but I'd rather have some
> expert advice. What's the best way to boot with the new kernel, 
> install the nvidia driver and of course update the NVIDIA kernel 
> module?
The following worked for me:

   1. Download the latest driver packager from NVIDIA (e.g., NVIDIA-
Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run)
   2. Boot the new kernel to run level 3 (or wait for it to fail to go
to run level 5)
   3. Log in as root and run ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8774-pkg1.run and
answer the prompts

Oh yeah, you will most likely need to have the kernel-devel RPM
installed so that it can rebuild the kernel module for CentOS.

Alfred
_______________________________________________


You don't need to reinstall the lated NVIDIA driver every time you
update your kernel. In fact, this will cause problems if you need to
revert back to your old kernel. You just need to install a new kernel
module compiled for that version of your kernel. If you install the
entire driver package, you will be installing new versions of all the
related libraries, too. Then if you revert to the earlier kernel, that
kernel module be an earlier version that doesn't match the version of
the newer libraries, and you'll have a similar problem. Then to fix this
one, you'll have to install the earlier kernel sources to recompile the
kernel module for that kernel... And so on, and so on... 

If you know you'll never revert to the earlier kernel, it's okay to just
install the whole new driver package. If you might revert, it's better
to learn how to install just the kernel module. I forget the exact
syntax, but if you do 'man nvidia-installer', all the details are there.
Even better, HP supplies the nvidia drivers as RPMS. These RPMS are for
RHEL, and include a script /etc/init.d/nvconfig. At startup, this script
checks to make sure that the current kernel has an nvidia module. If it
doesn't find one, it installs just the kernel module, no fuss no muss.
The HP RPMS are just the nvidia drivers repackaged into RPM form. I
recommend either using those RPMs, or at least extracting the
/etc/init.d/nvconfig script from the RPM and be done with it. That's
what I did. 

Prentice



The contents of this communication, including any attachments, may be
confidential, privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure.  They are
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed.  If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use
or disclose the contents of this communication.  Please notify the sender
immediately and delete the communication in its entirety.