Hans <hans.ullr...@loop.de> writes: > Dear list, > > how find the correct words, without being upset or stepping on > someones feet. But I believe, debian hates Nvidia, and debian does > not want, to use Nvidia. > > I am now for a long time using debian and also using nvidia graphic > cards for almost the same long time. > > But whenever debian ships a new kernel version, the proprietrary > nvidia kernel modules can not be built. If lucky, there is a patch for > it after months. > > Yes, modern Nvidia cards are supported, but using an older notebook > you can not change the graphics card. > > But this is not a problem of Nvidia, not IMO it is a problem with the > kernel developers. Suddenly, with a kernel the gcc was updated, oh, > now the kernel module does not want it any more. Wtf? Or, with the new > kernel, the kernel module crashes during building, but builds > perfectly at the older kernel. > > And suddenly the kernel modul of nvidia disappears completely from the > repo, problems solved? Get lost, you foolish users with old hardware, > buy new hardware! What??? > > Oh, and when someone says: Hey, use the nouveau driver, then tell him, > nouveau is not working. > > I have several older notebooks, that my customers use. They worked > perfectly with the proprietrary driver from Nvidia. But after update > to bullseye, it was hardly get them running again. And why? They have > an old graphics card in their notebooks, and they use Nvidia cards, > specially the legacy 340xx. > > But: > > 1. no problem, Install nvidia kernel 340xx, oh no, it is no more in > the repo, but > > 2. no problem, hey, use nouveau, oh no, nouveau crashes and freezes X, > but > > 3. no problem, build just the downloaded 340xx from buster, oh no, > does not build, wrong gcc installed, gcc to new, but > > 4. no problem, just downgrade gcc to the old one, oh no, many other > packages need to be deinstalled, too, but > > 5. no problem, just do it, oh no, does not build with the latest > kernel, but > > 6. no problem, just downgrade the kernel, too, oh no, no kernel from > bullseye is working, but > > 7. no problem, just reactivate buster and install latest kernel from > buster, and oh yes, > > 8. old kernel from buster let build 340xx, but oh no, kernel old... > > Well, I and these procedures are now accompanies me since years. New > kernel, and building fails. Youu feel lost, you feel anger, can you > believe me? > > In earlier times, debian potato and so, there were always prebuild > kernel modules for graphic cards, Nvidia or AMD or whatever. Today > these are gone, and people with older cards are lost. IMO here debian > lost a lots of its quality. > > I thought a long time, if I should write this, and maybe I have not > found the correct words. I do not want to harsh anyone or attack > anyone, you know what I mean. > > But I felt in my heart, I had to say it. > > Please apologize, if someone is feeling agry about me now, this was > not intended. And thanks for reading this. >
I am in the same position as you. One of my laptops has an old Nvidia card, so it is stuck on debian 10. But this isn't unique to debian, it also applies to OpenSUSE which I also have on there dual booting, and that cannot be upgraded either. It has to stay on the version 4 kernel, and from what I read at the time this is because Nvidia will not support later kernels 5+ . So it is ok until long term support ends, but then I don't know what to do. Nouveau is unstable. I don't know if there are any distributions other than debian which still support kernel 4.
