NVIDIA (port) driver fails to create /dev/nvidactl; 8.2Prerelease

[John Baldwin]

On Friday, January 28, 2011 3:43:12 pm Duane H. Hesser wrote:
> I am attempting to replace the 'nv' X11 driver with the "official"
> nvidia driver from ithe x11/nvidia-driver port, in order to handle
> the AVCHD video files from my Canon HF S20.
> 
> I have been trying for several days now, having read the nvidia
> README file in /usr/local/share and everything Google has to offer.
> 
> Unfortunately devilfs is smarter and meaner than I.
> 
> The 'xorg.conf' file is created by nividia-xconfig.  The console
> output when calling 'startx' to begin the frustration is
> 
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> X.Org X Server 1.7.5
> Release Date: 2010-02-16
> X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
> Build Operating System: FreeBSD 8.1-RELEASE i386 
> Current Operating System: FreeBSD belinda.androcles.org 8.2-PRERELEASE 
FreeBSD 8.2-PRERELEASE #3: Thu Jan 27 13:45:06 PST 2011     
root at belinda.androcles.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/BELINDA i386
> Build Date: 08 January 2011  05:52:50PM
>  
> Current version of pixman: 0.18.4
>         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: Fri Jan 28 11:32:46 2011
> (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
> NVIDIA: could not open the device file /dev/nvidiactl (No such file or 
directory).
> (EE) Jan 28 11:32:46 NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel 
module. Please see the
> (EE) Jan 28 11:32:46 NVIDIA(0):     system's kernel log for additional error 
messages and
> (EE) Jan 28 11:32:46 NVIDIA(0):     consult the NVIDIA README for details.
> (EE) NVIDIA(0):  *** Aborting ***
> (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
> 
> Fatal server error:
> no screens found

You don't have an nvidia0 device attached to vgapci0.  I would suggest adding 
printfs to the nvidia driver's probe routine to find out why it failed to 
probe.

-- 
John Baldwin