How To Install nVidia Driver On Linux (Fedora 12)

Source: www.if-not-true-then-false.com

I've tried this method in two Fedora 12 machine, and looks like it is working. Nouveau has been enabled by default starting from Fedora 11 and looks like nouveau cause some problems on Fedora 12, when try to use nVidia proprietary driver.

Note: nVidia proprietary drivers on Fedora 12 does not support older cards than GeForce 6 cards.

Install nVidia driver and disable nouveau.

Step 1: Run the following commands as root. Enable access to both the free and the nonfree RPM Fusion repository.

   rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm
   rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-stable.noarch.rpm

Step 2: Update system and repositories.

   yum update

Step 3: Install kmod-nvidia or kmod-nvidia-PAE if you are using PAE (Physical Address Extension) kernel.

   yum install kmod-nvidia
                or
   yum install kmod-nvidia-PAE


Step 4:  Allow nVidia driver loading and set SElinux allow_execstack on.
 
   setsebool -P allow_execstack on


Step 5: Disable nouveau, add following to grub.conf (/boot/grub/grub.conf or /etc/grub.conf) end of the "kernel" line.

  rdblacklist=nouveau

eg.
title Fedora (2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686)
       root (hd0,0)
       kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686 ro root=UUID=a94a89b7-e984-4c00-4447-7d45a77b124 rhgb quiet SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 LANG=en_US.UTF-8 KEYTABLE=en rdblacklist=nouveau
       initrd /initramfs-2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.img

Step 6: Reboot system.

   reboot

And finally nVidia driver should work normally.