Re: [gentoo-user] Re: invalid argument when trying to modprobe nvidia module

[Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>]

Apparently, though unproven, at 21:31 on Tuesday 25 January 2011, walt did 
opine thusly:

> On 01/15/2011 06:34 PM, covici@ccs.covici.com wrote:
> > Hi.  I am trying to use my unstable gentoo on kernel 2.6.36-gentoo-r6
> > and when I emerge nvidia-drivers, I get invalid argument when I try to
> > modprobe the module.
> 
> Forgive me if I'm repeating something already posted in this very long
> thread. I just had the same problem for no obvious reason. I finally
> recompiled the kernel and the problem disappeared (for no obvious reason).
> 
> Or, it might have been the chicken I sacrificed in front of the computer.

Nope, it was the three pirouettes you did in the pale moonlight. That beats 
dead chickens any day.

But most likely your problem was something like /usr/src/linux pointing to the 
wrong place last time you emerged the drivers, or something in a similar vein. 
Perhaps you even configured the kernel and forgot to build-install it, but 
were convinced you did.

The sure certain way to avoid these issues is to always when upgrading out-of-
tree drivers:

- make sure /usr/src/linux point to current running kernel, or the kernel you 
plan to use if different
- build & install that kernel
- build & install drivers

then the usual rmmod && modprobe. If that still doesn't work, reboot. You may 
need this if you rebuilt the kernel after making deep config changes.


-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com