Here is a simple startup script I use in CentOS for initializing CUDA at boot without starting X. It loads the nvidia module and sets up the appropriate nodes in /dev as needed. It’s very useful for machines that default to runlevel 3.
The script works on my bench system containing two 8800GTX’s; it has also been tested with a single 8800GTX. It may not work for systems that have a non-CUDA card present for display.
The section that creates the /dev nodes are shamelessly pulled from Massimiliano’s script here.
#!/bin/bash
#
# Startup/shutdown script for nVidia CUDA
#
# chkconfig: 345 80 20
# description: Startup/shutdown script for nVidia CUDA
# Source function library.
. /etc/init.d/functions
DRIVER=nvidia
RETVAL=0
# Create /dev nodes for nvidia devices
function createnodes() {
# Count the number of NVIDIA controllers found.
N3D=`/sbin/lspci | grep -i NVIDIA | grep "3D controller" | wc -l`
NVGA=`/sbin/lspci | grep -i NVIDIA | grep "VGA compatible controller" | wc -l`
N=`expr $N3D + $NVGA - 1`
for i in `seq 0 $N`; do
mknod -m 666 /dev/nvidia$i c 195 $i
RETVAL=$?
[ "$RETVAL" = 0 ] || exit $RETVAL
done
mknod -m 666 /dev/nvidiactl c 195 255
RETVAL=$?
[ "$RETVAL" = 0 ] || exit $RETVAL
}
# Remove /dev nodes for nvidia devices
function removenodes() {
rm -f /dev/nvidia*
}
# Start daemon
function start() {
echo -n $"Loading $DRIVER kernel module: "
modprobe $DRIVER && success || failure
RETVAL=$?
echo
[ "$RETVAL" = 0 ] || exit $RETVAL
echo -n $"Initializing CUDA /dev entries: "
createnodes && success || failure
RETVAL=$?
echo
[ "$RETVAL" = 0 ] || exit $RETVAL
}
# Stop daemon
function stop() {
echo -n $"Unloading $DRIVER kernel module: "
rmmod -f $DRIVER && success || failure
RETVAL=$?
echo
[ "$RETVAL" = 0 ] || exit $RETVAL
echo -n $"Removing CUDA /dev entries: "
removenodes && success || failure
RETVAL=$?
echo
[ "$RETVAL" = 0 ] || exit $RETVAL
}
# See how we were called
case "$1" in
start)
start
;;
stop)
stop
;;
restart)
stop
start
;;
*)
echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"
RETVAL=1
esac
exit $RETVAL