Re: [tlug] Lost my Nvidia driver somehow

["emiddleton@example.com" <emiddleton@example.com>]

Just a guess but, when you installed the nvidia drivers /usr/src/linux
was linked to your 2.6.19.1 kernel sources (probably in
/usr/src/linux-2.6.19.1) so that the driver was compiled (or at least
installed) for the 2.6.19.1 somewhere in /lib/modules/2.6.19.1/  ( on
Gentoo it would be /lib/modules/2.6.19.1/video/nvidia.ko ).  The
2.6.17.1 kernel only looks for modules in /lib/modules/2.6.17.7
directory so it won't find the /lib/modules/2.6.19.1/video/nvidia.ko module.

What you need to do to fix this problem is make the link /usr/src/linux
point to the 2.6.17.7 kernel sources then configure the sources and then
reinstall the nvidia driver.

1. configuring the kernel should be something like

to fix the symbolic link do something like the following but check that
your 2.6.17.7 source is in the /usr/src/linux-2.6.17.7

# cd /usr/src
# rm linux
# ln -s /usr/src/linux-2.6.17.7 linux

configure the kernel based on the settings from the current running
kernel i.e. 2.6.17.7
don't do this from the 2.6.19.1 kernel.

# cd linux
# zcat /proc/config.gz > .config
# make oldconfig
# make modules_prepare

2. then install the nvidia driver.

Edward