xorg: failed to load module "nvidia"

I have the exact same problem on two machines I tried to load Karmic on today. After "installing" the 185 drivers in the hardware-drivers utility, I reboot into a blank screen. XOrg.0.log says:

(EE) NVIDIA: Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module. Please check your
(EE) NVIDIA: system's kernel log for additional error messages.
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(II) Unloading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//nvidia_drv.so
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module-specific error, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

The 173 drivers do infact work fine.

Also, I am still on kernel 2.6.31-11 so I don't think it is a -13 issue. Something else must have broken the nvidia driver.

One more pied of info: my in jockey.log - write at the end I have the following:

Setting up fakeroot (1.12.4ubuntu1) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/fakeroot-sysv to provide /usr/bin/fakeroot (fakeroot) in auto mode.

Setting up nvidia-185-kernel-source (185.18.36-0ubuntu5) ...
First Installation: checking all kernels...
Directory for kernel not found in /lib/modules
Adding Module to DKMS build system

Setting up nvidia-185-libvdpau (185.18.36-0ubuntu5) ...

Setting up nvidia-glx-185 (185.18.36-0ubuntu5) ...

Setting up nvidia-settings (180.25-0ubuntu1) ...

Setting up patch (2.5.9-5) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

2009-10-13 13:37:47,669 ERROR:
Error! Invalid number of arguments passed.
Usage: add -m <module> -v <module-version>

2009-10-13 13:37:47,837 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia

2009-10-13 13:37:47,914 DEBUG: XorgDriverHandler device sections ({0: ['\tIdentifier\t"Default Device"\n', '\tDriver\t"nvidia"\n']})

It looks like jockey is not finishing correctly maybe?

I have a clue (perhaps).

Looking in /lib/modules, there is NO file named nvidia.ko... which is present on my older, Jaunty system.

Surely the nvidia 185 driver deb file should install a kernel module?

Indeed, recovering all of the nvidia-185* files from /var/cache/apt/ and dpkg-deb -x 'ing them reveals no kernel module.

There are build files in the kernel-source, but they don't appear to be installed.

Perhaps a script isn't getting triggered in one of these packages?

the ko should be built by jockey or at boot by dkms, but I guess it is failing. I have filed a bug in jockey about the failure here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/jockey/+bug/450770 - but it may be a more general compilation problem and jockey is just a victim. The jockey.log I show above may explain why it is failing though:

2009-10-13 13:37:47,669 ERROR:
Error! Invalid number of arguments passed.
Usage: add -m <module> -v <module-version>

This bug was fixed in the package nvidia-graphics-drivers-180 - 185.18.36-0ubuntu6

---------------
nvidia-graphics-drivers-180 (185.18.36-0ubuntu6) karmic; urgency=low

  * debian/nvidia-185-kernel-source.postinst:
    - There were bugs of undefined variables in the smart buildd detection
      scripts. These should be upstream DKMS anyway, so reference them
      from there (LP: #450493)

 -- Mario Limonciello <email address hidden> Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:24:00 -0500

There is no such package called "nvidia-graphics-drivers-180"

Also, I'm experiencing this bug in nvidia-185-*

Trying to get somewhere with Jockey:

$ sudo jockey-text -l
(no output)
$ sudo jockey-text -u
(no output)
$ sudo jockey-text -c
(no output)

The jockey logs are filled with lines like this:

2009-10-13 23:57:31,742 WARNING: Invalid custom handler module /usr/share/jockey/handlers/nvidia.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/jockey/detection.py", line 897, in get_handlers
    execfile(mod, symb)
  File "/usr/share/jockey/handlers/nvidia.py", line 11, in <module>
    from NvidiaDetector.nvidiadetector import NvidiaDetection
ImportError: No module named NvidiaDetector.nvidiadetector
2009-10-13 23:57:31,752 WARNING: modinfo for module fglrx failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module fglrx

2009-10-13 23:57:31,891 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia

2009-10-13 23:57:31,892 WARNING: DriverID for module nvidia does not refer to a locally available module and does not specify free/description/package; ignoring

How do I get these packages to build kernel modules?

Sorry; I see "nvidia-graphics-drivers-180" is a nomenclature for Launchpad, not an actual package.

This fixed my problem:
dpkg-reconfigure nvidia-185-kernel-source

Now, Jockey can see the nvidia driver.

Fix working.

But I think there is still a bug in jokey or jokey-gtk.
It seems that the installation of the package wasn't done correctly (error in logs from jokey https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers-180/+bug/450493/comments/4 ) but there was no error-message when installing the driver with the jokey-gtk.
There should be at least a warning or better a warning and a option to reinstall the used driver.

In case of future bugs in a driver-package there will be the same problem.
I think users with no experience not able to boot to cli and edit xorg.conf to make the system bootable again.

Made new bug-report for the missing warning from jockey-gtk.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/jockey/+bug/451305

X.Org X Server 1.7.6
Release Date: 2010-03-17
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-28-server i686 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux ubuntu 2.6.32-26-generic #47-Ubuntu SMP Wed Nov 17 15:59:05 UTC 2010 i686
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-26-generic root=UUID=8d18815c-0cde-4d66-aa7f-1f8c728269cf ro quiet splash
Build Date: 10 November 2010 11:25:26AM
xorg-server 2:1.7.6-2ubuntu7.4 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
Current version of pixman: 0.16.4
 Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
 to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
 (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
 (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Nov 27 08:52:16 2010
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) Using config directory: "/usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d"
(==) No Layout section. Using the first Screen section.
(**) |-->Screen "Default Screen" (0)
(**) | |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
(==) No device specified for screen "Default Screen".
 Using the first device section listed.
(**) | |-->Device "Default Device"
(==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen".
 Using a default monitor configuration.
(==) Automatically adding devices
(==) Automatically enabling devices
(WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
 Entry deleted from font path.
(==) FontPath set to:
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,
 /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,
 /var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType,
 built-ins
(==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/extra-modules,/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
(II) The server relies on udev to provide the list of input devices.
 If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable AutoAddDevices.
(II) Loader magic: 0x81f1b20
(II) Module ABI versions:
 X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
 X.Org Video Driver: 6.0
 X.Org XInput driver : 7.0
 X.Org Server Extension : 2.0
(++) using VT number 7

(--) PCI: (0:0:1:3) 10de:03f4:1043:8234 nVidia Corporation MCP61 SMU rev 162, Mem @ 0x78000000/524288
(--) PCI:*(0:0:13:0) 10de:03d0:1043:8234 nVidia Corporation C61 [GeForce 6150SE nForce 430] rev 162, Mem @ 0xde000000/16777216, 0xc0000000/268435456, 0xdd000000/16777216, BIOS @ 0x????????/131072
(II) Open ACPI successful (/var/run/acpid.socket)
(II) "extmod" will be loaded by default.
(II) "dbe" will be loaded by default.
(II) "glx" will be loaded. This was enabled by default and also specified in the config file.
(II) "record" will be loaded by default.
(II) "dri" will be loaded by default.
(II) "dri2" will be loaded by default.
(II) LoadModule: "glx"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/extra-modules/libglx.so
(II) Module glx: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
 compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
 Module class: X.Org Server Extension
(II) NVIDIA GLX Module 195.36.24 Thu Apr 22 10:38:29 PDT 2010
(II) Loading extension GLX
(II) LoadModule: "extmod"
(II) Loading /usr/lib...