Using DKMS

[ContextSwitch]

I'm posting this in the newbie section because I'm new to kubuntu but I have used Linux since 1999 and have been using Debian Testing for the last 5 years.

I use the NVidia binary module and the non-free VirtualBox packages. When I was on Debian and had a kernel update the nvidia and VirtualBox kernel modules were automatically re-compiled by DKMS, however I cannot seem to get this to work on kubuntu. I'm sure I must be missing something but not sure what. I'd be grateful for any pointers.

[oshunluvr]

Not sure what you mean by "missing something" but if you have dkms and the correct kernel headers (version matched to your image) the kubuntu supplied nvidia drivers will install and activate automatically and either version of VirtualBox (OSE or full) will too.

Make sure you have the headers installed.

[dibl]

This is an example of an area where *buntu has developed more integrated support for non-free packages than Debian. Did you know that *buntu has a packaged version of VirtualBox in its repo?

don@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-cache policy virtualbox:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 4.1.18-dfsg-1ubuntu1
  Version table:
     4.1.18-dfsg-1ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/universe amd64 Packages

Install that one and the kernel modules will be rebuilt for each new kernel.

For the Nvidia driver, Kubuntu uses jockey-kde to manage the installation and updating of nvidia-glx. Under KMenu > System, you select "Additional Drivers" and the latest packaged (by *buntu) Nvidia driver will be offered there. Installing this way will let the system use DKMS, and you don't have to think about it any more.

[ContextSwitch]

Thanks for all the replies.

First of all I do have dkms and the kernel headers installed.

Looking at /usr/src I have:

$ ll /usr/src/
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 24 root root 4096 Nov  5 22:05 linux-headers-3.5.0-18
drwxr-xr-x  7 root root 4096 Nov  5 22:05 linux-headers-3.5.0-18-generic
drwxr-xr-x  3 root root 4096 Nov  5 22:14 nvidia-current-updates-304.51
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root   32 Oct 26 19:20 vboxhost-4.2.4 -> ../share/virtualbox/

Both the nvidia and vb directories have a dkms.conf file.

When I select K Menu-> System -> Additional drivers it shows only the nvidia driver but I'm not sure if this is relevant to dkms or not.

At the last kernel upgrade a few days ago it appears that dkms was not activated as I at the reboot I got the Nouveau driver instead. Maybe I should just remove this?

Also I don't use the ubuntu supported vb package because it's quite out of date.

[oshunluvr]

Before we start removing stuff, let's see the output of dkms status

[oshunluvr]

p.s. : I too use the VirtualBox directly from Oracle so I have the latest and greatest version, but I added there source so I still get upgrade notifications from muon. Also - either way you get it, dkms should automatically install the kernel drivers.

[ContextSwitch]

Before we start removing stuff, let's see the output of dkms status

$ dkms status 
Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file.
File:  does not exist.

Well that doesn't look good

$ dkms status /usr/src/nvidia-current-updates-304.51/
Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file.
File:  does not exist.

$ ll /etc/dkms/
total 8
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  518 Jul  8  2008 framework.conf
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Oct 18 21:23 template-dkms-mkdeb
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   19 Apr 22  2012 template-dkms-mkdsc -> template-dkms-mkdeb

[ContextSwitch]

After reading the man pages, maybe this is a little more sensible

$ sudo dkms status nvidia-current-updates/304.51
nvidia-current-updates, 304.51, 3.5.0-18-generic, x86_64: installed

$ sudo dkms status vboxhost/4.2.4
vboxhost, 4.2.4, 3.5.0-18-generic, x86_64: installed

Which looks ok.

And what's more:

$ ls /lib/modules/3.5.0-18-generic/updates/dkms/
nvidia_current_updates.ko  vboxdrv.ko  vboxnetadp.ko  vboxnetflt.ko  vboxpci.ko

I'm beginning to question what I think happened. I think I'll wait until the next kernel upgrade and then do a more thorough check.

[ContextSwitch]

Hi all,

I'm resurrecting this thread because I've just done a kernel upgrade, 3.5.0-18 to 3.5.0-19.

Before upgrade:

geoff@scotty:~$ sudo dkms status nvidia-current-updates
[sudo] password for geoff: 
nvidia-current-updates, 304.51, 3.5.0-18-generic, x86_64: installed
geoff@scotty:~$ sudo dkms status vboxhost
vboxhost, 4.2.4, 3.5.0-18-generic, x86_64: installed

After upgrade (but no reboot yet) it's exactly the same.

Also:

geoff@scotty:~$ sudo dkms autoinstall 
Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file.
File:  does not exist.

I also looked for /lib/modules/3.5.0-19-generic/updates/dkms and this doesn't exist, in fact there is no "updates" directory.

I'm about to try a re-boot to see if the modules get created at boot time.

*edit*

After rebooting I still have the problem and X has reverted (unsurprisingly) to using the fbdev device. It's all easily sorted manually but dkms should be doing it automatically.

[vinnywright]

Hi all,

I'm resurrecting this thread because I've just done a kernel upgrade, 3.5.0-18 to 3.5.0-19.
.

you just did,,,,,,,,,did you get the kernel headers and source as well ,,, doesn’t dkms need these ?

hear is the location of the .conf files @hear

vinny@Vinnys-HP-G62:~$ locate dkms.conf
/etc/modprobe.d/dkms.conf
/usr/share/virtualbox/src/vboxhost/dkms.conf
/var/lib/dkms/vboxhost/4.1.12/build/dkms.conf
/var/lib/dpkg/info/dkms.conffiles
vinny@Vinnys-HP-G62:~$

VINNY

[ContextSwitch]

you just did,,,,,,,,,did you get the kernel headers and source as well ,,, doesn’t dkms need these ?

Kernel headers yes, kernel source no.

geoff@scotty:~$ apt-cache policy 'linux-headers-3.5.0-19.*'
linux-headers-3.5.0-19-powerpc-smp:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:
linux-headers-3.5.0-19-omap:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:
linux-headers-3.5.0-19-powerpc64-smp:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:
linux-headers-3.5.0-19-highbank:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:
linux-headers-3.5.0-19:
  Installed: 3.5.0-19.30
  Candidate: 3.5.0-19.30
  Version table:
 *** 3.5.0-19.30 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-updates/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-security/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
linux-headers-3.5.0-19-generic:
  Installed: 3.5.0-19.30
  Candidate: 3.5.0-19.30
  Version table:
 *** 3.5.0-19.30 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-updates/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-security/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

hear is the location of the .conf files @hear

geoff@scotty:~$ locate dkms.conf
/etc/modprobe.d/dkms.conf
/usr/share/virtualbox/src/vboxhost/dkms.conf
/usr/src/nvidia-current-updates-304.51/dkms.conf
/var/lib/dkms/nvidia-173/173.14.35/build/dkms.conf
/var/lib/dkms/nvidia-current-updates/304.51/build/dkms.conf
/var/lib/dkms/vboxhost/4.2.4/build/dkms.conf
/var/lib/dpkg/info/dkms.conffiles
/var/var/lib/dkms/nvidia-173/173.14.35/build/dkms.conf
/var/var/lib/dpkg/info/dkms.conffiles

--
Geoff