Just for the record, here are my results from testing nvidia's drivers 260.19.06 and 260.19.12:
Version 260.19.06
===============
First I installed the 260.19.06 drivers via jockey, restarted my system and got the following kernel oops:
--------------
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 13.945646] hda_intel: Disable MSI for Nvidia chipset
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 13.945687] HDA Intel 0000:01:00.1: setting latency timer to 64
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 14.067035] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 14.067039] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 14.440161] Synaptics Touchpad, model: 1, fw: 7.2, id: 0x1c0b1, caps: 0xd04731/0xa40000/0xa0000
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 14.487866] input: SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad as /devices/platform/i8042/serio2/input/input7
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 14.847556] EXT4-fs (sda6): re-mounted. Opts: errors=remount-ro
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.081745] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.081760] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.081765] vgaarb: device changed decodes: PCI:0000:01:00.0,olddecodes=io+mem,decodes=none:owns=io+mem
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.081895] NVRM: loading NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 260.19.06 Mon Sep 13 06:35:06 PDT 2010
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.338211] type=1400 audit(1287392633.175:5): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" name="/sbin/dhclient3" pid=982 comm="apparmor_parser"
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.338269] type=1400 audit(1287392633.175:6): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf" pid=983 comm="apparmor_parser"
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.338895] type=1400 audit(1287392633.175:7): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" name="/usr/lib/NetworkManager/nm-dhcp-client.action" pid=982 comm="apparmor_parser"
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.339100] type=1400 audit(1287392633.175:8): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/sbin/cupsd" pid=983 comm="apparmor_parser"
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.339270] type=1400 audit(1287392633.175:9): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" name="/usr/lib/connman/scripts/dhclient-script" pid=982 comm="apparmor_parser"
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.340780] type=1400 audit(1287392633.179:10): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/sbin/mysqld-akonadi" pid=984 comm="apparmor_parser"
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.341385] type=1400 audit(1287392633.179:11): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/sbin/tcpdump" pid=985 comm="apparmor_parser"
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.776733] ppdev: user-space parallel port driver
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.791671] sky2 0000:02:00.0: eth0: enabling interface
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.792931] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
Oct 18 11:03:53 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 15.948584] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Oct 18 11:03:55 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 17.548325] sky2 0000:02:00.0: eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full duplex, flow control both
Oct 18 11:03:55 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 17.548507] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
Oct 18 11:04:06 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 28.216072] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.215978] BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at (null)
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.215983] IP: [<(null)>] (null)
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.215986] *pdpt = 0000000034cdb001 *pde = 0000000000000000
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.215989] Oops: 0010 [#1] SMP
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.215992] last sysfs file: /sys/bus/acpi/drivers/NVIDIA ACPI Video Driver/uevent
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.215995] Modules linked in: parport_pc ppdev nvidia(P) joydev snd_hda_codec_nvhdmi snd_hda_codec_realtek arc4 snd_hda_intel snd_hda_codec snd_hwdep snd_pcm iwlagn snd_seq_midi snd_rawmidi snd_seq_midi_event snd_seq snd_timer iwlcore snd_seq_device mac80211 btusb video sony_laptop snd output bluetooth cfg80211 intel_agp uvcvideo lp videodev psmouse soundcore v4l1_compat serio_raw snd_page_alloc agpgart parport ahci firewire_ohci libahci sky2 sdhci_pci firewire_core sdhci led_class crc_itu_t
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216019]
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216022] Pid: 1237, comm: Xorg Tainted: P 2.6.35-22-generic-pae #34-Ubuntu VAIO/VPCCW1S1E
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216025] EIP: 0060:[<00000000>] EFLAGS: 00013282 CPU: 1
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216027] EIP is at 0x0
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216029] EAX: f4c7c000 EBX: f4c7c000 ECX: 00000001 EDX: 00000004
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216031] ESI: f2b82000 EDI: 00000000 EBP: f5769f24 ESP: f560fc5c
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216033] DS: 007b ES: 007b FS: 00d8 GS: 00e0 SS: 0068
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216036] Process Xorg (pid: 1237, ti=f560e000 task=f4e14c20 task.ti=f560e000)
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 50.216037] Stack:
Oct 18 11:04:28 jakOct 18 11:05:30 jakob-vaio kernel: imklog 4.2.0, log source = /proc/kmsg started.
I uninstalled the 260.19.06 driver by doing an apt-get remove nvidia-* --purge.
Version 260.19.12
===============
Then I tried the newest drivers from Nvidia by downloading 260.19.12 from their site. I tried to start X and got the following error (Xorg.log,kern.log):
-------------
X.Org X Server 1.9.0
Release Date: 2010-08-20
[ 77.646] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[ 77.646] Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-27-server i686 Ubuntu
[ 77.646] Current Operating System: Linux jakob-vaio 2.6.35-22-generic-pae #34-Ubuntu SMP Sun Oct 10 11:03:48 UTC 2010 i686
[ 77.646] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic-pae root=UUID=188f1746-8006-4a08-95c2-771818fa5973 ro single
[ 77.646] Build Date: 16 September 2010 05:39:22PM
[ 77.646] xorg-server 2:1.9.0-0ubuntu7 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
[ 77.646] Current version of pixman: 0.18.4
[ 77.646] Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
[ 77.646] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[ 77.646] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Mon Oct 18 11:27:37 2010
[ 77.646] (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
[ 77.646] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[ 77.647] (==) ServerLayout "Layout0"
[ 77.647] (**) |-->Screen "Screen0" (0)
[ 77.647] (**) | |-->Monitor "Monitor0"
[ 77.647] (**) | |-->Device "Device0"
[ 77.647] (**) |-->Input Device "Keyboard0"
[ 77.647] (**) |-->Input Device "Mouse0"
[ 77.647] (==) Automatically adding devices
[ 77.647] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[ 77.647] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
[ 77.647] Entry deleted from font path.
[ 77.647] (==) FontPath set to:
/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,
/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType,
built-ins
[ 77.647] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/extra-modules,/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[ 77.647] (WW) AllowEmptyInput is on, devices using drivers 'kbd', 'mouse' or 'vmmouse' will be disabled.
[ 77.647] (WW) Disabling Keyboard0
[ 77.647] (WW) Disabling Mouse0
[ 77.647] (II) Loader magic: 0x81f8e00
[ 77.647] (II) Module ABI versions:
[ 77.647] X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[ 77.647] X.Org Video Driver: 8.0
[ 77.647] X.Org XInput driver : 11.0
[ 77.647] X.Org Server Extension : 4.0
[ 77.649] (--) PCI:*(0:1:0:0) 10de:0a2a:104d:905e rev 162, Mem @ 0xd2000000/16777216, 0xc0000000/268435456, 0xd0000000/33554432, I/O @ 0x0000d000/128, BIOS @ 0x????????/524288
[ 77.649] (II) Open ACPI successful (/var/run/acpid.socket)
[ 77.649] (II) LoadModule: "extmod"
[ 77.649] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libextmod.so
[ 77.649] (II) Module extmod: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 77.649] compiled for 1.9.0, module version = 1.0.0
[ 77.649] Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[ 77.649] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 4.0
[ 77.649] (II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
[ 77.649] (II) Loading extension XFree86-VidModeExtension
[ 77.649] (II) Loading extension XFree86-DGA
[ 77.649] (II) Loading extension DPMS
[ 77.649] (II) Loading extension XVideo
[ 77.649] (II) Loading extension XVideo-MotionCompensation
[ 77.649] (II) Loading extension X-Resource
[ 77.649] (II) LoadModule: "dbe"
[ 77.649] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdbe.so
[ 77.650] (II) Module dbe: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 77.650] compiled for 1.9.0, module version = 1.0.0
[ 77.650] Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[ 77.650] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 4.0
[ 77.650] (II) Loading extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
[ 77.650] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[ 77.650] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
[ 77.671] (II) Module glx: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[ 77.671] compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[ 77.671] Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[ 77.671] (II) NVIDIA GLX Module 260.19.12 Fri Oct 8 13:49:01 PDT 2010
[ 77.671] (II) Loading extension GLX
[ 77.671] (II) LoadModule: "record"
[ 77.672] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/librecord.so
[ 77.672] (II) Module record: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 77.672] compiled for 1.9.0, module version = 1.13.0
[ 77.672] Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[ 77.672] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 4.0
[ 77.672] (II) Loading extension RECORD
[ 77.672] (II) LoadModule: "dri"
[ 77.672] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdri.so
[ 77.672] (II) Module dri: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 77.672] compiled for 1.9.0, module version = 1.0.0
[ 77.672] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 4.0
[ 77.672] (II) Loading extension XFree86-DRI
[ 77.672] (II) LoadModule: "dri2"
[ 77.672] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdri2.so
[ 77.672] (II) Module dri2: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 77.672] compiled for 1.9.0, module version = 1.2.0
[ 77.672] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 4.0
[ 77.672] (II) Loading extension DRI2
[ 77.672] (II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
[ 77.673] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so
[ 77.673] (II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[ 77.673] compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[ 77.673] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 77.673] (II) NVIDIA dlloader X Driver 260.19.12 Fri Oct 8 13:24:43 PDT 2010
[ 77.673] (II) NVIDIA Unified Driver for all Supported NVIDIA GPUs
[ 77.673] (++) using VT number 7
[ 77.701] (II) Loading sub module "fb"
[ 77.701] (II) LoadModule: "fb"
[ 77.702] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfb.so
[ 77.702] (II) Module fb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 77.702] compiled for 1.9.0, module version = 1.0.0
[ 77.702] ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[ 77.702] (II) Loading sub module "wfb"
[ 77.702] (II) LoadModule: "wfb"
[ 77.702] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libwfb.so
[ 77.703] (II) Module wfb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 77.703] compiled for 1.9.0, module version = 1.0.0
[ 77.703] ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[ 77.703] (II) Loading sub module "ramdac"
[ 77.703] (II) LoadModule: "ramdac"
[ 77.703] (II) Module "ramdac" already built-in
[ 77.703] (**) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
[ 77.703] (==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888
[ 77.703] (==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[ 77.703] (==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
[ 77.703] (**) NVIDIA(0): Enabling RENDER acceleration
[ 77.703] (II) NVIDIA(0): Support for GLX with the Damage and Composite X extensions is
[ 77.703] (II) NVIDIA(0): enabled.
[ 77.879] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device PCI:1:0:0.
[ 77.879] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Please check your system's kernel log for additional error
[ 77.879] (EE) NVIDIA(0): messages and refer to Chapter 8: Common Problems in the
[ 77.879] (EE) NVIDIA(0): README for additional information.
[ 77.879] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device!
[ 77.879] (II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
[ 77.879] (II) UnloadModule: "wfb"
[ 77.879] (II) UnloadModule: "fb"
[ 77.879] (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
[ 77.879]
Fatal server error:
[ 77.879] no screens found
[ 77.879]
-------------
Oct 18 11:27:37 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 77.875801] vmap allocation for size 16781312 failed: use vmalloc= to increase size.
Oct 18 11:27:37 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 77.879030] NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x26:0xffffffff:1028)
Oct 18 11:27:37 jakob-vaio kernel: [ 77.879037] NVRM: rm_init_adapter(0) failedOct 18 11:42:10
Best regards Jakob