Updating Nvidia Drivers - Mint

booman · Apr 26, 2016

I'm just happy you are all here!
Nuff said

Daniel~ · Apr 27, 2016

I am to. But I posted to the wrong place, Sorry Boo, Deleting my previous post in this thread.

Duapruis · Jun 18, 2016

Very handy indeed, thanks booman.

booman · Jun 19, 2016

Thanks!
I can't believe there wasn't a guide for this years ago...
I never updated my Nvidia drivers because it usually meant killing X server, using the shell and breaking something. Now its super easy.

Duapruis · Jun 19, 2016

booman said:
Thanks!
I can't believe there wasn't a guide for this years ago...
I never updated my Nvidia drivers because it usually meant killing X server, using the shell and breaking something. Now its super easy.

I usually did it "by hand" every now and then, which is not difficult at all but I always found a excuse to delay doing it heh. At least with this way you know when there are newer versions without needing to check it yourself and you just need click one button so its a win/win.

booman · Jun 19, 2016

Exactly, I gave up doing manual driver installation after messing up the install and not being able to launch x server. So instead I kept waiting for Mint to provide a newer driver and they never did until the next Mint release

Duapruis · Jun 19, 2016

booman said:
Exactly, I gave up doing manual driver installation after messing up the install and not being able to launch x server. So instead I kept waiting for Mint to provide a newer driver and they never did until the next Mint release

To be honest Mint with Cinnamon desktop is my favorite "flavour" so far.

I remember when I first tried to install nvidia drivers via terminal back when I had no idea of what I was doing and I just "copy/pasted" commands, I totally broke the system big time and ended up formating, so definitely not noob friendly thing lol.

It is always great to know all those little tweaks that make your life easier, I recently discovered HDAJackRetask and it surely has eased up things even with gaming.

Daniel~ · Jun 20, 2016

Drivers!...sigh...
Drivers were the whole reason behind my first trying Mint
(Thank you CC where ever you are!)

To be honest, I'm surprised it took the Linux community so long to implement "Driver Manager" or something like it.

In any case let me add my thanks Boo! Your of service to your community!

booman · Jun 20, 2016

I love Cinnamon as well. It truly helped me migrate from Windows without a lot of headache.
I broke my system as well trying to install drivers. Won't be doing that again. I definitely learn something when I break things.

Daniel~ · Jun 23, 2016

I think the main reason that Mint and at lest to some extent Ubuntu "Work" for us is they they had a clearly defined goal.
Create a an OS for the average home and small business user. Make it easy to understand and easy to use.

"The whole world loves the simple.
The whole world loves the easy."
Lao Tsu

And let's face it...The people behind Mint really are exceptional.
I mean these cats are on time and they always bring "it" with them when they come!

There have definitely been releases that were some-what lacking in breathtaking advancements.

BUT! They don't let that serve as an excuse to mess up everything they achieved in the prior release!

It seems to me that, as a rule, if Mint can't improve it,...they leave it alone. For that I thank them every time I wake up my box....and she ALWAYS wakes up!! LOL

I also like that they really do seem to like us! ":O}

Duapruis · Jun 23, 2016

The first time I tried Linux was like in 2009ish (probably earlier) and it was Ubuntu with the old Gnome desktop and to be honest, I didn't enjoy it much, then 1-2 years later I tried again Ubuntu and I was like "WOW THEY SURELY HAVE IMPROVED" and started digging into Linux distros. I tried debian and others, stayed for some years with Ubuntu studio that had xfce (which I love) and then moved to Mint until now because it seems to have the balance of everything I like, but, I'm not a fanboy, I just like things to work the way I like, which doesn't strictly need to be the best way, just the way I enjoy.

Daniel~ · Jun 24, 2016

If it isn't done "Your" way... why go there? ":O}

booman · Jun 24, 2016

Duapruis said:
I just like things to work the way I like, which doesn't strictly need to be the best way, just the way I enjoy.

I began with Open SuSE on a desktop to host a gaming server. Games like The Ship, Half-Life Deathmatch and Counter-Strike: Source. It worked fine. Later I installed Fedora on a "make-shift" server to host games and my data. Remember I do all of this offline LAN.
Fedora became my first real experience with Linux. Learning how to backup files, secure Linux and enable SMB. All of that stuff... When Daniel~ started using Linux Mint about 5 years ago, I checked it out, but wasn't ready to actually play games in Linux. But as he kept posting questions and trying games in Wine... I had to give it another try.
I decided that I would give Mint a "true" chance at a gaming Desktop and installed it on my newest computer on a spare partition. I decided I would try to use it every day to get better at Linux and gaming. Next thing I know... I'm gaming on it every day, testing games in PlayOnLinux and posting how-to guides. 4 years later here I am.
Mint is installed on 3 computers at home, 1 computer at work, Ubuntu on my Chromebook, Ubuntu on my HUGE laptop and Fedora on my Server.

Duapruis · Jun 24, 2016

So you have known both for quite some time heh.

I tried fedora once in a notebook that I had (I was just messing around and testing different distros) and it seemed less user friendly compared the Ubuntu Studio that I was already using on my laptop and at the end I ended up putting Debian on it, but, I was impressed on how well it ran on that cheap notebook. I might give it another try sometime tho I'm sure it's a great OS.

booman · Jun 24, 2016

Yeah, I've used Fedora intermittently for almost 10 years. But that was just for hosting games. I barely used it except when I hosted LAN Parties and needed to backup some files.

I like Ubuntu, but Mint Cinnamon desktop is so much easier to use. Creating shortcuts, system settings, panel settings, launchers, sharing, everything is just easier for me. I feel that Ubuntu and Newer Fedora are trying to hide some of the administrative tasks and they are hard to find.

Duapruis · Jun 24, 2016

I've always preferred xfce instead of gnome (the old one), and when I firstly discovered cinnamon I installed it on Ubuntu studio (which had xfce by default) and I completely loved it, plus its not much of a difference moving from xfce to cinnamon, just a lot more features. While it wasn't as lightweight as the previous one I used, the desktop booted up fast and I enjoyed the extra little things. Then I moved to Mint shortly after because I bought a new computer and decided to give it a go since it came already packed with cinnamon and the rest is history.

Unity is just... too different from what I'm used to while I consider xfce with whisker menu installed as a side kick pretty awesome. The only thing that I add to my mint desktop is Docky on autohide because I don't like having my screen full of icons and because I'm used to that from my xfce years, asides from that cinnamon is a 10/10.

cloasters · Jun 25, 2016

After finally giving Mint Cinnamon a try because it came highly recommended I must say that I like it a LOT!

Daniel~ · Jun 25, 2016

Before Mint, there was Fedora. Fedora seemed like the best of a lot of bad deals when it came to Linux desktops, say seven to ten years back.

Fedora was 1/2 of my plan to escape the grasp of MS.
The other half was the first time purchase of my PS3...
Because nobody back then really played games in Linux so much as played at getting games to run at all!
(Yes, the skillful and the experienced could and did run a few popular games, a very few.)
Most of us spent our time trying to install drivers...

It only took me a dozen very experienced and talented mentors: almost occupying an entire forums topic on it's own to install or update my own drivers...

To be fair, the procedure for installing drivers seemed to change just about as often as my drivers!
( Am I the only one to think that!?) ":O}

Mint change everything for me! I can Do Mint almost all by myself!

There of course still tons I don't know, but in Mint, I don't NEED to know" it" !

If I want " it," I'll have to learn something...ask someone... But that's usually apart from my OS.
My OS takes care of the rest with very little help from anyone!
What a relief not to have to depend on others to get basic functions done!

Mint made me independent in Linux, trust me, that's an amazing achievement! ":O}

cloasters · Jun 28, 2016

I settled on SuSE back in about 2001. When there was still only one SuSE. Pretty sure that I couldn't install it by myself now. And there wasn't any help from the folks on AOA, iirc. The only handbook available was "Unix for Dummies," no Linux for Idiots existed. I played with Linux for maybe 3 years, at the max.
Many people wouldn't believe how easy Mint is to deal with if they only knew about the Linux OS's from long ago. Including me.
Daniel has been enthusiastic about Mint Cinnamon for years. I couldn't really believe how wonderfully easy Mint is to run, not to mention install.

It would have been smart of me to take his word for it some years ago, but smart doesn't come as naturally as it should to this dummy sometimes. With memories of long ago knock down wrassling matches with much older Linux's making me very reluctant I put Mint off. For far too long!

Finally, I got kinda smart. Thank you Dan~ and all of the folks here on GamersOnLinux that have helped me get Mint running as smooth as... Mint!

booman · Jun 28, 2016

SuSE was pretty good. That was the first distro I ever used. It has a pretty simple user interface and the YAST tool for installing updates. I only scraped the surface with SuSE because I didn't really know what to do with it. I couldn't use it on a daily basis.
I think someone recommended Fedora to me and I tried it out, then stuck with it. Still only barely scratched-the-surface of Linux, but learned a few commands, sharing files, network settings and even backups.
The only reason I went with Mint instead of Ubuntu was because of Dan~
He needed help and I was still using Fedora. So tried Mint and stuck-with-it-for-good.
Now I can run anything I was previously running in Windows.

Sorry I couldn't help you at AOA, I didn't even join on until 2004.