ATI fglrx-driver install script

[namida12]

Originally Posted by bfdream

I did not generate deb packages, and just execute the ati installer.
I think it is convenient, the script in /usr/share/ati can be used to uninstall them.

bfdream,

This is the second time I have installed a video card driver, and reading your statement I am trying to understand. There might also be others unfamiliar with how to execute the ATI installer, I haven't a clue.

You downloaded the appropriate ATI drivers and place it into the home folder?

How do you open the "ati-driver-installer-8-3-x86.x86_64.run" file that was downloaded. Do you use kpackage, a terminal window, super user Konqueror window, or the mepis xwindow assistant?

If you could take a few minutes and provide a few more instruction I would certainly appreciate gaining the additional knowledge.

JR

[Flashback]

The .run file itself is a program that will install the drivers, but as far as I can tell will get you mesa for 3d, instead of ATi's actual openGL driver, which the script does.

[benny_fletch]

I have just used this script to update my ati drivers (I know I know, what took me so long) and I must say it work beautifully. Thank you Yamal! That was a wonderful script you wrote. I already had the ati driver installed via the Mepis X Windows Assistant then upgraded to 8.44 via Yamal's .debs. So all I had to do was cut & paste the script, followed Flashback's instructions in post #5 (mainly for clarification purposes), and rebooted - voilla, the latest drivers!

Is there anyway to get a script like this for the offical nvidia drivers?

Thanks again for this great script!

[Saist]

Originally Posted by benny_fletch

I have just used this script to update my ati drivers (I know I know, what took me so long) and I must say it work beautifully. Thank you Yamal! That was a wonderful script you wrote. I already had the ati driver installed via the Mepis X Windows Assistant then upgraded to 8.44 via Yamal's .debs. So all I had to do was cut & paste the script, followed Flashback's instructions in post #5 (mainly for clarification purposes), and rebooted - voilla, the latest drivers!

Is there anyway to get a script like this for the offical nvidia drivers?

Thanks again for this great script!

don't need them with the Nvidia drivers.

to install the Nvidia drivers, simply download the *.run package from their page.

Remove any existing Nvidia drivers and kernel modules from synaptic.

Reboot to the Grub screen. Stop Grub by hitting any key.

Put a 3 at the end of the grub boot line.

Then hit enter to continue booting. This will put you in runlevel 3, a text prompt.

At the text prompt, enter root mode and navigate to where you saved the nvidia file.

Run the nvidia package with :: sh nvidia-(name-of-package).run

Reboot... *pray*

[Acesabe]

A tad simplified, more detail on how is (as ever) in the wiki:
http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.p...The_Nvidia_Way

I haven't looked into it, but isn't the Ati driver installer from the official site pretty much the same as the Nvidia installer, the difference in this case being that 'Yamal's' script uses the installer to make .deb Debian packages and installs them, whereas Nvidia installs the drivers 'outside' the Debian packaging system?

[Saist]

Originally Posted by Acesabe

A tad simplified, more detail on how is (as ever) in the wiki:
http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.p...The_Nvidia_Way

I haven't looked into it, but isn't the Ati driver installer from the official site pretty much the same as the Nvidia installer, the difference in this case being that 'Yamal's' script uses the installer to make .deb Debian packages and installs them, whereas Nvidia installs the drivers 'outside' the Debian packaging system?

I... think so. It annoys me that the Nvidia installer doesn't make easily trackable or changeable deb files.

[yamal]

Originally Posted by benny_fletch

Is there anyway to get a script like this for the official nvidia drivers?

Not for the official drivers, but I have a (test) script to pull the latest driver from debian unstable.
What it does is to get the source and then build the driver and kernel-source and then goes on building the kernel with the module-assistant.
You will end up with everything installed and the debs in your home folder.

First I want to say that there is probable no need to use the latest nvidia driver, unlike the ATI driver that comes with Mepis that has flaws and really needed to be updated, hence the original script.
Also if you use the run file, there is a build in update command like:
NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-7167-pkg1.run --update

Having said that the nvidia script might be handy for packagers or when Mepis get better maintained with the Lenny release and you want to use debs so they will be flushed out by updated debs coming from Warren.

For testing purposes:

#!/bin/sh

# todo mkdir to prevent evt binning worthy nvidia-graphics-drivers- folder
if [ `whoami` != "root" ]; then
echo "You should run this as root"
exit
fi

cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.bakup
# get headers and build packages
m-a prepare
# add src-repo and comment out mepis
echo deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ unstable main contrib non-free >> /etc/apt/sources.list & sed -i '4s/^/#/' /etc/apt/sources.list
apt-get update
apt-get source -t sid nvidia-glx
apt-get build-dep nvidia-glx
# restore sources.list
mv /etc/apt/sources.list.bakup /etc/apt/sources.list
apt-get update
# build sid drivers
cd nvidia-graphics-drivers-* || exit 
dpkg-buildpackage
cd -
dpkg -i nvidia-kernel-source_*.deb
apt-get -f install || exit
cd /usr/src
tar xjvf nvidia-kernel.tar.bz2
module-assistant auto-install nvidia
rm -r /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel
mv nvidia-kernel-*.deb $OLDPWD
echo "kernel deb(s) moved to"
cd -
dpkg -i nvidia-glx_*.deb
# apt-get -f install
# remove crap in home
rm -r nvidia-graphics-drivers-*
rm nvidia-graphics-drivers_*
echo "REBOOT for the new driver to take effect, best check first with your package-manager that nvidia-glx and nvidia-kernel-*-mepis-smp are installed.
Be prepared to do a: nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf to change nvidia to nv."

Download:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~beukrode/yamal/nvidia-sid.sh

Make executable by: right click>properties>permissions>check executable

EDIT: Noticed that on a clean install the build package dpatch is missing.
Changed: dpkg -i nvidia-kernel-source_*.deb || exit
to
dpkg -i nvidia-kernel-source_*.deb
apt-get -f install || exit

[yamal]

Changed the script do to changes in ATI's installer ( 8.8 ) which broke it .
Added a distro chooser.

Ok...my turn for a stupid question. What has to be done to Yamal's script every time a new driver version comes out? Is this something I can do myself? Not to be too picky but we're on 8.9 now . Anyway thanks for making this so easy. I used these instructions with the script and it worked like a charm....oh yeah one more stupid question: do I select "use flgrx" in the Mepis X-Windows User Assistant after running the script or can I leave that alone? Thanks everybody. And- Yamal you rock.

[Acesabe]

Looking at the Ati instructions for using the installer, it shows that making distro specific packages is possible - for Red Hat or Suse only...
Of course if you grab the newest Nvidia-kernel-source Debian package, using module-assistant to install the drivers is a snap:
http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.p...The_Debian_Way

I guess the same is true for the Ati drivers - however there appears to be a version for all occasions, whereas for Nvidia it pretty much boils down to three versions...