[Lunar-bugs] [Lunar Linux 0000208]: Kernel build: NVIDIA module removed before build

[Lunar bug reports list]

The following issue has been SUBMITTED. 
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http://bugs.lunar-linux.org/view.php?id=208 
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Reported By:                neognomic
Assigned To:                
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Project:                    Lunar Linux
Issue ID:                   208
Category:                   kernel
Reproducibility:            always
Severity:                   major
Priority:                   normal
Status:                     new
Moonbase Version:           20070315.21 
Core Tools:                 Lunar 
Core Tools Version:         20070307 
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Date Submitted:             03-16-2007 20:43 CET
Last Modified:              03-16-2007 20:43 CET
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Summary:                    Kernel build: NVIDIA module removed before build
Description: 
AT the end of a kernel build the NVIDIA module is supposed to be built for
the new kernel for users that have the NVIDIA Lunar module installed. 
This is a good thing but there are problems with the way it is currently
done.

(*) If user is using X this process fails. The Lunar NVIDIA module cannot
be built while an X server is active.

(*) The process first removes the current module. That breaks the current
system's ability to use the NVIDIA module and, hence, nvidia driver. That
is not a desired result. If user needs to boot to kernel <previous>.old,
there will be no nvidia video driver.

(*) One does not want to remove the current driver but rather only build a
kernel module for the new kernel. 

(*) While in init 5(or 3) a kernel module can be built for the non-running
kernel by using the -K & -k options(i.e., -Kk).  I have used that method
before when building the nVidia kernel-module manually from a downloaded
package.
I cannot check that on this Lunar system because the current driver was
removed but the nvidia-installer log indicates it is true.(in additional
info). 

----

Whether user is at init 3 or 5 the build of the NVIDIA module, when there
is already a current nvidia-kernel-module of the same version, only
requires a new nvidia-kernel-module for the newly built kernel.

Typically this is done with the NVIDIA-version_name.pkg program by
./NVIDIA* -aKk [non-running_kernel_version]
at a CLI.  
Here, in the directory where the NVIDIA package is located, that would be

./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-9755-pkg2.run -aKk 2.6.20.3

My memory is a little vague about whether the -K is required but am pretty
sure it is. (The -a auto accepts the nVidia proprietary license but may not
be desired for Lunar NVIDIA build.)
Also I cannot be certain that -Kk will work because the naming/versioning
scheme of Lunar replaces the current kernel with a kernel of the same
version. The nvidia installer might not like having the currently loaded
kernel(uname) being the same as the newly built kernel. ... Since the
current module/driver was removed the build with -Kk will not work and I
cannot verify.  I'll try to check here if/when I build another kernel.

The only other option I know about is to *force* user to init 3 before the
driver module NVIDIA build is attempted.

However, in any event, the current driver should not be removed because it
is needed to boot to X using the nvidia driver(in xorg.conf) with the
previous.old kernel.

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Issue History 
Date Modified   Username       Field                    Change               
====================================================================== 
03-16-07 20:43  neognomic      New Issue                                    
03-16-07 20:43  neognomic      Moonbase Version          => 20070315.21     
03-16-07 20:43  neognomic      Core Tools                => Lunar           
03-16-07 20:43  neognomic      Core Tools Version        => 20070307        
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