NVIDIA driver *taints* kernel???

[Michael Fleming]

On Tue, 2005-01-18 at 14:53 -0500, Steven Pasternak wrote:
> I use fedora 3 on an athlon xp and an nvidia geforce fx 5200. I go to install
> the Nvidia driver version 1.0-6629 and during the installation at the end it
> says that the license 'Nvidia' taints the kernel, but it still continues and
> seems to work. 

The tainting refers to the module having a non-free license (normally
the case for binary / proprietary drivers). It helps developers / kernel
hackers know if they're dealing with pristine kernel modules (the known)
or some vendor's closed module (the Dark Unknown)  when dealing with
module issues or oopses.

> If I boot in runlevel 5, though, it gets to the part where it
> starts X (right at the beginning) and X doesn't start - It freezes. I
> uninstall the driver and use the 'nv' driver and it works. I have to compile
> the kernel module because it can't find one at the nvidia site.

That's generally the case  - FC kernel updates outstrip NVIDIA by a wide
margin.

>  When I'm in
> runlevel 3 I can run the accelerated graphics until I shut down, then I have
> to boot runlevel 3 and recompile the module again. Any advise?

You should only have to install the module once (run the package .run
file once booted into the new kernel, give it the option to recompile +
install, then add the relevant lines to /etc/modprobe.conf as needed if
you don't want to modprobe nvidia all the time...)

Are you using the rivafb module with a graphical boot process by any
chance? It seems odd that it works with runlevel 3 but not 5.

> -Steven

Michael.

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