REMOVING the proprietary NVIDIA driver

Torswin · #1 26th February 2009, 07:29 PM

I have seen the light!

I would like some help to REMOVE the proprietary nvidia driver completely. I thought it would be as easy as just turning off desktop effects etc and remove the nvidia driver meta package which then would uninstall the kernel modules and all that other stuff but no.

I now can't log in (

) because something called ksmserver need the file libGLcore.so.1 and I tried to install it by saying yum install libGLcore.so.1 but it wanted to install the whole nvidia madness!

I then disabled the rpmfusion repos and tried again thinking that maybe there's free versions available but no.

I have configured xorg.conf to use the nv driver but that doesn't help. I have also tried to remove the whole xorg.conf file and start up without, with no luck.

I don't want to reinstall my OS, as it's too much work.

sidebrnz · #2 26th February 2009, 10:33 PM

Try this: boot to runlevel 3 and log in as root. Run setup, and have it set up your GUI. Reboot normally, and you should (operative word here) be able to get running. Once that's working go to Dangermouse's site: http://dnmouse.org/ where you can either follow the instructions for installing the nVidia drivers in a sane way (i.e., not requiring you to reinstall them every time the kernel updates) or, simply install autoten, which will not only install the drivers, but quite a few other neat things as well. Once you're done, one reboot and Bjorn Stronginthearm is your uncle!

marko · #3 26th February 2009, 10:58 PM

Which proprietary driver, do you mean the NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.29.pkg1.run file or the rpmfusion one? The former one like you found out causes lots of problems, I've not had too much trouble with the rpmfusion one because it uses the package manager and doesn't put stuff in non-standard places like the Nvidia pkg1.run script does.
Also make sure the 'nvidia' service is off if you uninstall the proprietary driver to go to 'nouveau' or 'nv' drivers

chkconfig nvidia off

I'd bet you can also do something like:

Quote:

NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.29.pkg1.run --uninstall

or something similar. Try running

Quote:

NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.29.pkg1.run --help

to get it to show all the option flags to find one for removing the Nvidia driver. But I seem to remember the pkg1.run installer clobbers some library files so that might not totally help.

**AdamW** · #4 26th February 2009, 10:59 PM

He's trying to *remove* the NVIDIA drivers, not install them.

Torswin, how did you install the drivers in the first place? that's quite important.

registroid · #5 27th February 2009, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torswin

I have seen the light!
II have configured xorg.conf to use the nv driver but that doesn't help. I have also tried to remove the whole xorg.conf file and start up without, with no luck.

I don't want to reinstall my OS, as it's too much work.

You need xorg.conf, as you already know.
This is a workaround, not a fix. I gave up on nVidia.
The following edit of xorg.conf works for me and gives 1024x768 resolution.
All other methods I have found so far failed.
This is simply a switch to "Vesa" driver in the Device section.
--------------------------------------------
# Xorg configuration created by system-config-display
# Keyboard sections deleted for clarity
# If you use these sections don't include any of my notes.

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
ModelName "LCD Panel 1024x768" #(changed by system-config-display
HorizSync 31.5 - 48.0 # from "generic")
VertRefresh 56.0 - 90.0
Option "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "vesa" #(changed from "nv")
Option "GWCursor" "off" #(added to keep the mouse
Option "SWCursor" "on" #pointer from disappearing)
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600"
EndSubSection
EndSection
-----------------------------------
Note: I'm using Fedora 8 fully upgraded on a 2006 Gateway desktop
with nVidia and AMD64. This workaround may or may not work on
other archs.

Hope this helps.

JohnVV · #6 27th February 2009, 07:13 AM

to uninstall that "NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.29.pkg1.run " if that is the one is for the next time or for someone else
1) make sure that rpmfusion repo is installed ( you WILL need it )
2)

Code:

telinit 3 
( relogin as root )
cd /to /where/the/*.run/is ( i keep it on / ) 
cd /
sh ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.29.pkg1.run --uninstall 
----- or ----
sh ./*.run --uninstall 
-- when done and before rebooting 
-- you will need to install the kmod and mesa to fix the system 
yum install kmod-nvidia
-- or --
yum install akmod-nvidia
yum reinstall mesa-libGL mesa-libGLU mesa-libGL-devel mesa-libGLU-devel 
( will install the corect libgl's )
reboot

but if you were using the rpmfusion kmod-nvidia then the uninstall is

Code:

yum erase kmod-nvidia

but seeing as for ?? some reason ?? libGLcore.so is missing then just reinstall the mesa from above

Torswin · #7 2nd March 2009, 11:52 AM

Sorry for slow reply. What I did, just to test, was to install gnome and try to log in. I thought it might be something wrong with the start up script to KDE or something. Anyway, that worked! However, I can't really get used to GNOME.

I'm back to running with the propritetary nvidia drivers on KDE because I had to have a functional computer for some days but I'm still interested to purge my system for nvidia madness.

I installed the proprietary drivers from rpmfusion, and I don't think I've ever installed them from nvidia's script on this machine. I might be mistaken.

I tried to reinstall the mesa libGLcore packages as the last post described, but it did not help. Somehow it still wanted that library and if i searched on yum for what provided libGLcore the only thing listed was the proprietary nvidia drivers.

Do the Fedora 10 nouveau drivers work decently? I don't need 3D graphics as i find them more annoying than useful (3d effects on desktop that is). Was just thinking that using nouveau might be better than the nv ones. As for vesa, how is the performance? Is it better than nv's or?

JohnVV · #8 2nd March 2009, 03:59 PM

i am just wondering HOW libGLcore was removed/ broken when you removed the kmod-nvidia .that is a core gl lib .
are you running the 32 bit or 64 bit version of fedora 10 ?

libGLcore.so.1 is a link to a different lib so look in /usr/lib to find libGLcore.so.**** something
then link it to libGLcore.so.1

Code:

cd /usr/lib
su
ln -s libGLcore.so.??? libGLcore.so.1

you could use the " nv" driver and list it in the xorg.conf ( if you made one )
but that is 2d ONLY you will have NO 3d , and not be able to run any 3d program .
if so you might as well remove your 3d card from the computer and save a bit of $ on the electricty needed to have it run ,if you are not going to use it .

just off hand why do you not want a driver for your 3d card installed , that makes your card useless, a paper weight.

Torswin · #9 3rd March 2009, 03:20 PM

Because I'm tired of running their proprietary buggy driver which crashes my X fairly regulary. I'd rather run something not that good but working than their fancy bloated bugware.

I'm very pleased with Red Hat hiring the Nouveau developer. I'm looking forward to Fedora 11 where nouveau will be on by default.

Anyone know if the nouveau driver works well enough to use for basic desktop with no 3D stuff activated?

I'm running 64 bit fedora 10 with KDE4.2.

Edit: I forgot to say that I couldn't find libGLcore in neither /usr/lib nor /usr/lib64. I'm known to not find stuff right under my nose though.

JohnVV · #10 3rd March 2009, 05:40 PM

it that case use the 2d driver and set ther xorg.conf ( if you have one ) to use the "nv" generic driver

**AdamW** · #11 3rd March 2009, 10:36 PM

torswin: nouveau will indeed work well enough for regular 2D stuff on some cards - it varies from chip to chip. It's quite easy to try, just install the package and use system-config-display to select the nouveau driver.