NVIDIA Linux drivers version 1.0-8174 (nvidia-glx)

I consider this an essential backport, especially because:

Added support for NVIDIA SLI. Please see the README for details.

Added support for new GeForce 6100, GeForce 6150 and GeForce 7800 GTX 512.

Currently if you'd have a brand new system with one of these video cards, you'd have no 3D acceleration support because the drivers in Ubuntu's repo are lagging behind. You'd have to wait half a year for the next Ubuntu release or run the development branch before you can use 3D acceleration. IMO this is a serious problem. I have also filed a bug report on this issue a while ago - http://bugzilla.ubuntu.com/show_bug.cgi?id=20682 - but there has been no response. I hope the backports people could be more helpful.

Newer version of nvidia-glx is in Dapper: http://packages.ubuntu.com/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?keywords=nvidia-glx&searchon=names&subword=1&version=all&release=all this is version 1.0-8174, NVIDIA released 1.0-8178 on 22 December. See http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_archive.html for details.

Support for the latest video cards is such an essential feature which should justify a backport. Since the drivers are a kernel module, it could easily be compiled against the kernel available in Breezy, and thus be easily backported, am I correct?

You could also install the driver yourself. There are entries in the forums here on installing the latest ATI and Nvidia drivers in Breezy.

Sure I can, but using NVIDIA's installer is too difficult and user-unfriendly. We should be able to get the latest drivers from the repository, without having to study a complete HOWTO - http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=75074 - and having to edit config files.

Kernel module backports are not done; I've addressed this a few times before, also.

I think this is pretty important, as it is now I cant use my card out the box I have to install the drivers manually which kind of sucks, and I agree the install is unusable to novice users.

What may fix your card will break many other people's, until the hardware specific compatibility issues with the 8174 series are fixed. I cannot afford to let that happen.

Sure I can, but using NVIDIA's installer is too difficult and user-unfriendly.

Not really. You would think so, but its not that bad. Just follow the guide:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=75074

You are going to have to do it yourself- Jdong can't mess with anything that deals with the kernel. Its up to you!

Sure I can, but using NVIDIA's installer is too difficult and user-unfriendly. We should be able to get the latest drivers from the repository, without having to study a complete HOWTO - http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=75074 - and having to edit config files.

I agree with this opinion - I've installed a breezy on offline box recently and it was a horror because

• no backported drivers were available
• not everything necessary to build it myself is included (AFAIK)
• nVidia isn't able/doesn't want to make VESA-compliant chip and CRT screen run in 60 Hz only.

Isn't possible to make a separate package for new drivers as is nvidia-*-legacy for old?

Kernel module backports are not done; I've addressed this a few times before, also. Jdong I have a question for you: Where can I find the documentation about how to make kernel modules from the Nvidia installer (in the way Ubuntu developers do it)?

I'm asking this because I would like to learn how to do that and maybe I could make a repository with the latest drivers.

Thanks

Jdong I have a question for you: Where can I find the documentation about how to make kernel modules from the Nvidia installer (in the way Ubuntu developers do it)?

I'm asking this because I would like to learn how to do that and maybe I could make a repository with the latest drivers.

Thanks

That would be cool!

First, be familiar with how Debian packages are made (dpkg-buildpackage, apt-get build-dep, etc).

Next, look at the linux-restricted-modules-2.6.12 source package. Also look at the nvidia-kernel-common source package. Both have to be updated with the latest NVidia driver. Work off Dapper's l-r-m-2.6.15 and nvidia-kernel-common packages as examples, but straight backporting would not work due to kernel module infrastructure changes.

IMPORTANT: Remember that upon any security updates released for the kernel, you must IMMEDIATELY recompile your nvidia packages against the new kernel headers, else you'll have hundreds (thousands, maybe even more) users with broken X configurations and a group of developers going after you!