How to upgrade fossa64 to use GeForce GTX1060 Gaming video card?

[peppyy]

Greetings all. A friend of mine is giving me 2 - GeForce GTX 1060 GAMING X 6G GPUs. I know my motherboard supports multiple gpu's however I am not sure if the current, (Stock) Radeon driver will support them. According to PSI the kernel is 5.4.53 and according to blender, sysinfo reports 'Linux-5.4.53-x86_64-with-glibc2.31'.
Here are my questions.
I believe that the opengl version would need to be upgraded to use one or both of these cards?
Would I need to upgrade the kernel to do that?
Here is my opengl info, (if that helps).
Do I need to compile a specific driver or is there already one out there for fossa64?

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OpenGL vendor string: X.Org
OpenGL renderer string: AMD RV630 (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.4.53, LLVM 10.0.0)
OpenGL core profile version string: 3.3 (Core Profile) Mesa 20.0.8
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 3.30
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 20.0.8
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.0 Mesa 20.0.8
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.00
OpenGL ES profile extensions:

I see that Blender 3.2 says it supports radeon pro cards as seen here. https://www.phoronix.com/review/blender-32-gpus.
Looks like this might be a bit out of my league and I am wondering if I should attempt it?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Jasper]

It looks like you need an updated Nvidia driver for the new card

https://www.nvidia.com/download/driverR ... 620/en-us/

You wil need to compile this yoursef if it is not available in the PPM.

[Jasper]

There is an older build which was built for your kernel 5.4.53

https://ftp.nluug.nl/ftp/pub/os/Linux/d ... x86_64.pet

My above link is for Nvidia 470.xx which does support your gfx card

[peppyy]

@Jasper looking here I see a bunch of them. https://archive.org/download/puppy_linux_-fossapup64. Do I need both the glx and the drivers are they one and the same? I am guessing that since they are all pet files listed under fossapup64 that they should be pre-configured? I don't know if they overwrite the current one or simply upgrade it? would like to be able to use my old AMD/ATI RV630 PRO until the new cards arrive.
Thanks.

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         nvidia-340.108_K5.4.53_x86_64.pet
          	25-Nov-2020 10:55
          	66.9M
          nvidia-440.82_K5.4.47_x86_64.pet
          	13-Jul-2020 19:22
          	135.0M
          nvidia-440.82_K5.4.53_x86_64.pet
          	25-Nov-2020 10:37
          	193.5M
          nvidia-450.57_K5.4.53_x86_64.pet
          	25-Nov-2020 10:42
          	133.3M
          nvidia-glx-470.94-k5.15.4-64.pet
          	01-Feb-2022 12:26
          	243.2M
          nvidia-glx-510.47.03-k5.15.19-64.pet
          	02-Feb-2022 18:34
          	332.8M
          nvidia-glx-510.47.03-k5.16.7-64.pet
          	07-Mar-2022 10:15
          	294.1M
          nvidia-glx-525.85.05-k6.1.8-64.pet
          	27-Jan-2023 12:55
          	351.9M
          nvidia-glx_DOC-470.94.pet
          	01-Feb-2022 12:26
          	562.2K
          nvidia-glx_DOC-510.47.03.pet

[Jasper]

@peppyy

Look at the names carefully, the do identify which kernel they were build and should be used for eg

nvidia-340.108K5.4.53x86_64.pet ( Kernel 5.4.53 ) your existing kernel .... no changes required

nvidia-440.82K5.4.47x86_64.pet ( Kernel 5.4.47 )

nvidia-glx-470.94-k5.15.4-64.pet ( Kernel 5.15.4 ) this might do the job, but you would need to swap your kernel over to 5.15.4.

It was built by @Grey and can be found here ........... please read his instructions on how to download as the site is in Russian.

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=5091

the DOC files are simply Documentation and may not be required.

the 470 drivers do support your card

[mikewalsh]

@peppyy :-

IF ya don't mind a slightly older driver, I'd go with the 450.57 driver. The .pet is in the Fossapup64 package repo at Ibiblio:-

https://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/p ... x86_64.pet

It's always worked perfectly for my basic GT710.....but the GTX1060 IS supported by it:-

https://www.nvidia.com/download/driverr ... 107/en-us/

.....and find it under the "Supported Products" tab. Just click to install, then re-boot; Phil scripted it so that the 'nouveau' kernel module is 'blacklisted' during the re-boot process, so it's all automatic. Voila! You're up-and-running....

One word of advice; do a back-up of your 'save' before you install it. This way, you can easily revert back to the AMD card if ya want to. Uninstalling the Nvidia .pet leaves you with certain items missing, which the driver overwrites.....and they're NOT replaced when un-installing. Which is a PITA.

Just my two-penn'orth, FWIW.

Mike.

[peppyy]

@mikewalsh I am wondering if that may be the one already included in Quickpet?

desktop(17).jpg (34.79 KiB) Viewed 518 times

I was trying to find out if it was added in an update or was original? All I could find in updates was "ndivia 340 driver in quickpet broke MPV ... fixed" .
I have downloaded 459.57_k5.4.53 but haven't installed it yet. My friend came last night with the cards and several boxes of other parts. Those cards are huge and 120w, however, he also brought me a Corsair gold 650w psu still shrink-wrapped in the box I also checked my case, it is only set up for single slot devices so I may have to get my good tin snips out.

I have another copy of fossapup64 on a different partition which is still pretty bare, I will back that one up and try it on that installation first.
Thanks, I wasn't looking forward to compiling anything. I haven't done any of that since I ran "Libranet" around 18 years ago.
One of the things that hooked me on Puppy was the wonderful community and the people who are always several steps ahead of me when I need help!

[Clarity]

I THINK... the QuickPET version shown above ONLY apply to the original FossaPUP64 and its kernel. If any remasters are used, you might want to make sure 'they' have the same kernel.

As nice as that facility provided by @666philb is, namely QuickPET, I am unaware of a means to have those PETs to change should a mermber remaster with a different kernel.

nVidia support has been a traditional issue with PUPs/DOGs/KLs/EASYs. It is hoped that nvidia and linux kernel development gets resolved with some of the announcements in 2023-2024.

[mikewalsh]

@peppyy :-

Well, the button SAYS "450".... I would have hazarded a guess it was the 450.57 driver without looking, since that's the ONLY 450-series driver Phil ever built for Fossapup64. To make sure, though, checking the URL in the 'quickpet' script confirms it. That IS the one.

Mike.

[peppyy]

Imagine that, it was there all the time.

desktop(18).jpg (92.56 KiB) Viewed 478 times

Now on to adapters, or another monitor that can use DVI D2, hdmi or display port. Probably should just go for the adapter first.
I'll let you all know how it works out.

[peppyy]

Update! Waiting to find out if the 450 works or not. Tried the cards a couple times and my mother board had a VGA led lit up. I think it is because my monitor does not support the minimum resolution. The card lit up in all it's glory, logos etc. so I bought a monitor that should support it. Should arrive soon so I will let you all know.

[peppyy]

Bought a 2K monitor to go with the GPU. No way to know if it works since I can't see the bios screen, must be too high a resolution for it since I only get a message, (Out of range).

[mikewalsh]

@peppyy :-

Bought a 2K monitor to go with the GPU. No way to know if it works since I can't see the bios screen, must be too high a resolution for it since I only get a message, (Out of range).

Mm....okay. Let's see if we can figure this out.

What's the current set-up, as of this moment? Have you tried installing either of the GTX 1060s, or are you still running with the AMD card?

OOTB, the AMD card will default to the in-kernel "radeon" driver. The GTX 1060 will default to the in-kernel "nouveau" driver. By rights, you should get a picture on the monitor straight away. I'm assuming here that you'll be going with HDMI? Most modern monitors have an HDMI connector, and the GTX 1060 looks like it has several of those.

What's the actual resolution of this "2K" monitor? (Once ya get above "1080p" monitors, I lose track of resolutions, because it's beyond my experience!) EDIT:- OK; researching, it seems "2K" means 2048x1080. Basically, it's a 1080p (1920x1080), but with a slightly wider aspect ratio..?

(This might help:-

https://ihax.io/display-resolution-explained/ )

From what I can gather, there's a parameter you can add to your boot menu's kernel line.....but we need to find a common resolution supported by both your monitor AND the GTX 1060. The GTX 1060 supports '1080p'; does your monitor support 1080p (i.e., 1920x1080)? Because apparently, "2K" is NOT so commonly supported.....

(Trying to find a list of supported resolutions is nigh on impossible; all everybody seems interested in is a card's MAXIMUM resolution. And of course, almost all search queries about GPUs automatically assume you're a "gamer"! Go figure.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You COULD try adding

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set gfxmode=1920x1080

....to the kernel line in Fossapup's boot menu entry. This is supposed to be the way to "force" a specific resolution to be used, apparently:-

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1048905 ... on-monitor

Mike.

[bigpup]

Bought a 2K monitor to go with the GPU. No way to know if it works since I can't see the bios screen, must be too high a resolution for it since I only get a message, (Out of range).

If you want good help give us some information.

Make and model of the monitor?

Connected to the PC how?

Even if it does not show the bios screen does it eventually boot to a displayed working Puppy desktop?

If monitor has internal settings.

Look for any option in them that would seem to affect this issue.

[peppyy]

Had a big post with all the specs on everything, unfortunately it took me too long to write, (with distractions etc.) The monitor is a ASUS PB278Q 27" Widescreen HDMI DP WQHD PLS LED 2K Monitor 2560 x 1440. The cards are Card #1 rv 630 512mb

Two integrated dual-link DVI display outputs

Each supports 18-, 24-, and 30-bit digital displays at resolutions up to 2560x1600

Recommended Gaming Resolutions 640x480 1280x720 1366x768 1600x900 1920x1080 2560x1440 3840x2160. Graphics Processor (GPU)
_____________

Card #2 MSI GTX 1060 gaming 6gb.

1080p to 8k resolution.
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
Video Memory: 6GB GDDR5
Memory Clock: 9026 MHz (OC mode); interface: PCI Express x16 3.0
1 x DL-DVI-D 1 x HDMI 3 x DisplayPort

The monitor accepts a signal from anything from IBM to 2K, with varying refresh rates.
I have tried it with a couple of different live and local installs, mostly fossa-64. I am waiting for a DP and HDMI cable for the latter card. Have tried it with a dvi-d to vga, a dvi_d and a standard dvi so far.

[peppyy]

Evidently, I can't post with FF without posting one line at a time. Another long post gone. I will try to write it in a text file and post it.

[peppyy]

ASUS PB278Q 27" Widescreen HDMI DP WQHD PLS LED 2K Monitor 2560 x 1440

[peppyy]

Got the manual for the monitor, some of it is a bit greek to me but it looks like it will support most resolutions.

Timing1.jpg (80.29 KiB) Viewed 225 times

Looks like when I get my hdmi cable I should be able to get the new card to work.

Timing2.jpg (108.83 KiB) Viewed 225 times

Odd that I can't seem to get it to work with the current card. Perhaps I can find a way to reset the monitor.
PS, my current monitor and card is running 1440 x 900 @ 60hz via DVI-D cable.

[peppyy]

@mikewalsh I finally have a screen!

OOTB, the AMD card will default to the in-kernel "radeon" driver. The GTX 1060 will default to the in-kernel "nouveau" driver. By rights, you should get a picture on the monitor straight away. I'm assuming here that you'll be going with HDMI?

I am waiting for the cables I ordered. (Can't find any locally) I hope they will make a difference. I tried everything I had that would work with both cards, however, when I kept my old monitor hooked up on DVI-D and booted, I could see the bios on that one. As soon as xorg kicked in I could see both screens at the 1440x900 resoloution.
I am hopeful that the HDMI cable will "handshake" with the new monitor correctly, once I install the 1060. These are both running on the rv630 at the moment. I found out that both ports on that card must be the same resolution through the "multi monitor" setup in fossa64. It will fit one then scale the other.

The 1060 has 3 dp, 1 hdmi and a dvi-dual link. The monitor has all 3 plus vga / dsub, which did not work on my dvi-d to vga cable, even when I had my other monoter plugged in. The new monitor is currently linkes with a dvi-1-1 cable.

Thanks for the info on resolutions. Wish me luck...
BTW, this new monitor (ASUS PB278Q 27) has way too many bells and wistles. I sure can read text with it though .

[mikewalsh]

@peppyy :-

Well, at least you're getting somewhere now. Keep us posted, please; I'll be interested to see what the outcome of all this is!

Mike.

[peppyy]

@mikewalsh I tried the pet for the nvidia 450 from quickpet. it downloads and says it is installed and puts a overlay on the desktop saying so, and reboot computer. After doing so I have a radeon settings in the menu which aparently does not launch. Mind you, I do not have the new card installed, however they are supposedly both supported by the driver. Again, I am doing this on a seperate install.

HDMI cable should be here in the next day or so. I will report back then,

[peppyy]

Hardinfo reports I have the correct kernel module I believe.

kernel-modules.jpg (48.63 KiB) Viewed 123 times

[peppyy]

Update. I have the monitor up and running, however I can't get it to sync with the bios screen. I have tried the multi monitor setup on my test install, and no matter what I do it always chooses the old dell as the primary monitor.
@mikewalsh
The Radeon driver is working fine, although it doesn't want to fill the screen with any configurations I have tried.

current-screenshot.jpg (112.49 KiB) Viewed 89 times

It seems to adopt the Dell resolution, even when I make the new one the primary monitor. Working on it, but at the moment, the gardens come first. (Got to eat)
PS, the old Dell is hooked up on DVI-D. I have tried the new monitor on HDMI, and Display port. Guess I need to read more at the Radeon forums, Oh! Even when I set the Dell as primary. it only shows up as a partial screen and does not show the entire desktop, (IE) the right side and bottom are missing.

[peppyy]

@mikewalsh Another update.
It appears that the card did (sort of) work with the built-in driver, however it didn't hold the resolutions correctly. I have an issue when saving to xorg config with the 450 driver, but it appears to work okay.

I have noticed that after the driver is installed, the background manager for JWM no longer saves settings and defaults to "distort" each time x is restarted. It does hold the other settings in the "multi monitor" settings though.

The screen xorg config settings now take you to the "NVIDIA X server settings" directly, which throws a bit of a wrench in my thinking

I have learned that the multi monitor setup is LXRandR, so I know that works.

More to come if it helps someone else.