[NBLUG/talk] Shuttle XPC N41G2 on Linux

[troy]

On Fri, Dec 26, 2003 at 04:36:52PM -0800, Daniel Kinon wrote:
> Ya, I figured out part of it, I moved some modules and got them to load at
> startup and atleast recognize that the hardware existed, the bad part is
> that the kernel modules are built for the wrong kernel so they didn't end
> up working.  They are built for 2.4.20-9, I have 2.4.20-27.9, my previos
> kernel version is 2.4.20-8.  It was atleast a small step in the right
> direction.
>    I wasn't able to find 2.4.20-9 on the internet so I tried installing
> the nvidia source rpms (and yes, that was the place I was looking at). 
> So far when I try to compile the seperate modules, it doesn't work. 
> The kernel patch I was talking about was the nvgart patch and I can't
> get that to work either.  I keep running into problems, I'm thinking
> that it would just be easier to get the 24-9 kernel and see if that
> works and then move my way up.

My experience with the nforce stuff has been roughly the same as yours.
A friend of mine is trying to put together a MythTV using an nforce
board (Asus a7n8x-vm).  The first pain was the need to install a NIC so
that we could get on Network and access drivers.  The second major
problem was that the drivers (Nvidia's tarball of binary nuggets) really
don't work well.  I think I was building them against vanilla 2.4.22
sources, although now that 2.4.23 is out, I'd use that.

Have you tried:
1) build your kernel
2) build Nvidia's nforce tarball (Link is at the very bottom of the page Dustin
   mentioned)
3) run Nvidia's geforce installer (which is really slick, I think)

Using Nvidia's files, the built in NIC works fine, as does the video
(gf4 mx400).  Sound, however, is really sketchy as is anything else that
tries to use DMA.  Let's just say one should make /var(log) a separate
partition when you're working on one of these nforce boards.  I haven't
given up yet, and when I get back into town next month we'll be taking
another shot at it.  

I was looking at a Shuttle box for a PVR box of my own, but I'm with
you: even if it eventually works, it's just not worth the struggle.

-troy