8.04 System Update hammered Nvidia restricted drivers

[OneEye]

Binary package hint: linux-headers-2.6.24-24-386

Hardy: Ran update-manager last night (9/15), and after rebooting, my Nvidia restricted drivers were no longer functional. I had been successfully using this install for over a month with the Nvidia restricted drivers behaving as they should, including using features like TwinView and hardware acceleration.

Now, an attempt to use the "nvidia" driver causes a failure in the X server with the error:

    (II) NVIDIA(0): Support for GLX with the Damage and Composite X extensions is
    (II) NVIDIA(0): enabled.
    (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module!
    (EE) NVIDIA(0): *** Aborting ***
    (II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"

Obviously, something in the update broke the restricted drivers.

Here is the apt log entry for the update that did the damage:

Log started: 2009-09-15 19:44:26
(Reading database ... 171066 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace linux-image-2.6.24-24-rt 2.6.24-24.59 (using .../linux-image-2.6.24-24-rt_2.6.24-24.60_i386.deb) ...
Done.
Unpacking replacement linux-image-2.6.24-24-rt ...
Running postrm hook script /sbin/update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-24-rt
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-rt
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

Preparing to replace tzdata 2009l-0ubuntu0.8.04 (using .../tzdata_2009m-0ubuntu0.8.04_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement tzdata ...
Setting up tzdata (2009m-0ubuntu0.8.04) ...

Current default timezone: 'America/Chicago'
Local time is now: Tue Sep 15 19:45:21 CDT 2009.
Universal Time is now: Wed Sep 16 00:45:21 UTC 2009.
Run 'dpkg-reconfigure tzdata' if you wish to change it.

(Reading database ... 171066 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libssl-dev 0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.7 (using .../libssl-dev_0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.8_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libssl-dev ...
Preparing to replace libssl0.9.8 0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.7 (using .../libssl0.9.8_0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.8_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libssl0.9.8 ...
Preparing to replace libopenexr-dev 1.2.2-4.4ubuntu1 (using .../libopenexr-dev_1.2.2-4.4ubuntu1.1_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libopenexr-dev ...
Preparing to replace libopenexr2ldbl 1.2.2-4.4ubuntu1 (using .../libopenexr2ldbl_1.2.2-4.4ubuntu1.1_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libopenexr2ldbl ...
Preparing to replace linux-headers-2.6.24-24 2.6.24-24.59 (using .../linux-headers-2.6.24-24_2.6.24-24.60_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-headers-2.6.24-24 ...
Preparing to replace linux-headers-2.6.24-24-generic 2.6.24-24.59 (using .../linux-headers-2.6.24-24-generic_2.6.24-24.60_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-headers-2.6.24-24-generic ...
Preparing to replace linux-libc-dev 2.6.24-24.59 (using .../linux-libc-dev_2.6.24-24.60_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-libc-dev ...
Preparing to replace linux-source-2.6.24 2.6.24-24.59 (using .../linux-source-2.6.24_2.6.24-24.60_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-source-2.6.24 ...
Preparing to replace openssl 0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.7 (using .../openssl_0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.8_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement openssl ...
Setting up linux-image-2.6.24-24-rt (2.6.24-24.60) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-24-rt
Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
(2.6.24-24.59 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
(2.6.24-24.59 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Running postinst hook script /sbin/update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-24-rt
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-rt
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

Setting up libssl0.9.8 (0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.8) ...

Setting up libssl-dev (0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.8) ...
Setting up libopenexr2ldbl (1.2.2-4.4ubuntu1.1) ...

Setting up libopenexr-dev (1.2.2-4.4ubuntu1.1) ...

Setting up linux-headers-2.6.24-24 (2.6.24-24.60) ...
Setting up linux-headers-2.6.24-24-generic (2.6.24-24.60) ...

Setting up linux-libc-dev (2.6.24-24.60) ...
Setting up linux-source-2.6.24 (2.6.24-24.60) ...
Setting up openssl (0.9.8g-4ubuntu3.8) ...

Processing triggers for libc6 ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Log ended: 2009-09-15 19:47:17

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Sep 16 20:00:34 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.04
Package: nvidia-glx-new 169.12+2.6.24.18-24.1
PackageArchitecture: i386
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: linux-restricted-modules-2.6.24
Uname: Linux 2.6.24-24-rt i686

[OneEye (theshuberts)]

After a number of mystical reinstalls, I finally got the Nvidia driver working again. Along the way, I reinstalled nvidia-glx-new and nvidia-kernel-common, which did not seem to help the problem. I also let some nitwit talk me into "m-a a-i nvidia", which installs obsolete drivers in the kernel, but I managed to back that out after hours of painful hair-pulling.

In the end, I think it was the reinstall of linux-restricted-modules that made it work, but I had thrashed the machine so much that I seriously doubt I could come close to duplicating the process. Anyway, if your Nvidia drivers are hammered like mine were, try reinstalling linux-restricted-modules, then nvidia-glx-new, then nvidia-kernel-common. Maybe the elves will make shoes for you.

[Jaguar_fr (toolinux-ubuntu)]

Hi, I had the same problem (Hardy with Nvidia legacy drivers for a GeForce)
and reinstalling linux-restricted-modules & nvidia-kernel-common solved the problem.