Updating Nvidia Drivers - Mint

Installing and Updating to the newest Nvidia driver has always been a frustration for me. When I looked up step-by-step tutorials they included a lot of Terminal steps where one missed step can cause your system to be completely unusable.

Mint 17.3 has a simple way to update drivers with only a few clicks


Launch Mint Update Manager
Click Edit
Click Software sources

Click PPA's button on the left side
Click "Add a new PPA..."

Paste this Graphics Drivers PPA:

ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa

Click OK

Read up on this PPA notes
Click OK

Click "Update the cache" on the top right

Updating will include the new Graphics Drivers repository in your updates

Close Update Manager

Launch Driver Manager

Menu/Administration/Driver Manager

Driver Manager will automatically update cache

Check the newest Nvidia driver available for your GeForce card
Click "Apply Changes" bottom left

Wait while it downloads and installs
Click Restart or just restart Mint from the Menu

After restarting confirm the driver is installed by opening Nvidia X Server Settings

Menu/Administration/Nvidia X Server Settings

 

Downloading...downloading...":O}

 

yes, the download/install can be a bit slow, but painless

 

Then I imagined the pain?

 

I see you favor the 364 drivers, so I'll give them a try as well.

 

How long? it seems to have hung up... perhapsd a re-boot and start over is in order? OK It finnished!! ":O} Re-booting!

 

Need I say more?

Oh yeah!
Thanks Booman! ":O}

 

Any one doing this should be patient, the Driver DL is a long one and the DL progress bar froze on me. Just be patient and all will be well...
Hey it's Linux, what could go wrong? ":O}

 

Very good this guide are very needed for many users

Also works too in ubuntu (for now stay with xubuntu 16.04 64bits)

However in my case use manual installation but this change in ubuntu compared with mint:

*before begins you must have nvidia installer in you documents folder or downloads folder with execute permissions (this is easily solved with file propierties, push right mouse button on file)

Without forget you must be have installed build-essentials and kernel headers


need send nouveau to blacklist.conf on /etc/modprobe.d adding in final of this archive:

blacklist nouveau

In my case edit this file with nano (sudo nano blacklist.conf and cntrl+o to save and cntrl+x to exit nano), very usefull

After this, is needed execute this:

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

Once make this, only need restart

And on restart select in grub ubuntu advanced options and on this select ubuntu recovery entry

After this appears console window with various options and on this need select resume entry (normal boot)

After this if you have before steps good then appears in console mode

In this mode needs entry your username and password for proceed

Once make this, only search your drivers previously downloaded* (download in documents or download folder normally access this with cd /Documents or cd /Downloads)

After this only needs run nvidia driver (previously configurated with execute permissions*)

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-364.15.run

After this maybe appears some error related normal routines installation dont work, if appears this only needs put on continue

After this installer ask if you want dkms support (normally select no)

Once pass before step, installer begins build kernel modules and after this ask if you want install 32bit compatibility libraries (must be select yes)

If all result good, drivers installer shows: finish without problem and ask you if you want allow to driver update xorg configuration (must be select yes)

After installation you back again to console and now you need execute this:

sudo update-initramfs -u

This is for update entries

And for finish installation, you need execute this for enable graphic desktop again:

sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

At least need reboot, for make this execute: sudo reboot

If before steps stay make correctly when system try enter again, you must have desktop mode again (no console) and your driver must be stay working

This is can be verified in nvidia xserver settings on opengl/glx information must be appear direct rendering on yes

 

Many thanks mrdeathjr28!
Not something our Ubuntu users would find on their own very easily.

I'm sure this will be much appreciated!

 

Umm, seems like more than just a few clicks to this neophyte. Back in Windows daze (the shame) I left updating Vidcard files alone. I don't need tip top performance from my GeForce card, and installing the up to date "driver" only ~three months ago was easy. Why tempt fate?

 

Once upon a time when the world was new and computing was a wild and dangerous place visited only by the brave and the reckless... installing new drivers could be and most often was a pain...though I don't recall it actually proving fatal.

Open Menu>Click on Administration>click on Drivers manager> install whatever it recommends by clicking the button that cleverly hides under the install button.

George..you just don't seem to be catching on to the whole this is supposed to be fun thing...

Try making funny faces while you risk life and limb in drivers manager.

(You should see some of the faces I make...If only they were funny! )

Personally I think your doing fine...but honestly, I wouldn't expect you to feel that way!

Right now everything looks dangerous and full of pitfalls. Every little thing seems to demand having it's own way.
This passes with familiarity, that's all this is. Just an adjustment period while you get use to things.

Give yourself time to learn where things are and what can be done with them.

Try just messing about and having a bit of a good time.
Then when things go sideways...

Why I've never seen the Linux problem T.R. or Gizmo haven't been able to solve for me! ":O}
It never feels like your doing well at the beginning, that's why we need endurance.

I hope I haven't been overbearing or preachy.
I just really want you to enjoy this...Your only young once...After that what more can they do to us!

 

I must say that this is an inspiring post, Daniel~! Thank you, I am impressed! TBH, I've asked for SO much help from especially ThunderRd that I need to give him a vacation from my nagging. He's undoubtedly a very busy man and deserves a break!

 

MrDeathJr - You can use your post and create an Ubuntu driver update guide. I would love to see screenshots as well.

 

I've asked for SO much help from especially ThunderRd that I need to give him a vacation from my nagging. He's undoubtedly a very busy man and deserves a break!

No he isn't, no he doesn't! He's a senior!
they're built tough!
Do you think they still be here for you after what I put then through if they were built for abuse!?

It's "Kinda" Like this George..."Kinda"

Once upon a time when the world was a dark and scary place where monstrousness MS creatures passed among us in the Night;
and menacing the light struggling to be born in the far off land of ice.

People struggled to escape but but a dark viscus slime covered their keyboards and held them prisoner in "Gated" communities shackled to MS's dark vision-less profit margins.

But the Great Pauling saw our distress and decreed

"let there be penguin tracks For them to follow!"

And when he he saw many were being left behind he spoke again:

"Let the strong turn back again and help the weak for in helping the weak lies the strength of Linux."

Slowly but of a certainty that can never ever ever be denied
The MS goo began to retreat from our keyboards...

The vision the Great Penguin brought to birth began entering upon the dreams of men.
For Linux was never just code but a code of conduct as well.

When the strong turn back again they close a circuit
when ever that circuit closes mankind moves forward, Mankind approaches it's everlasting goal.

However long or great and costly the struggle,,,
When the circuit closes,
Mankind moves forward.

T.R, Booman, Gizmo and their like are here to be abused! They close circuits, They move mankind forward.

In the opportunity for abuse we offer them lies the light that was born in Sweden at the beginning of the world.

For Linux lies at the beginning of this world, not it's end.
Besides if you really don't want to bother them...
There's me!

How badly do you want to fail!? ":O}

 

I think I understand your point Dan~, but I don't think anyone wishes to be abused. I hope I haven't abused any GamersOnLinux Member, but I fear that I have at least on occasion expected too much from fellow mortals here at GamersOnLinux.

That many knowledgeable Members seem to be above the capabilities of mere mortals in patience and encyclopedic know-how is plain for the world to see.
How can I, an ignorant beginner, EXPECT, even worse, DEMAND attention from these adepts?
I don't want to be a lazy neophyte forever. Mea culpa.

 

I don't run Steam and don't have KDE so it appears I'm not in need of the very latest Nvidia driver. Whew!

 

@George:
You worry too much, m'man

 

Do you think they still be here for you after what I put then through if they were built for abuse!?

T.R, Booman, Gizmo and their like are here to be abused! They close circuits, They move mankind forward.

I love it!

I have never viewed it as "abuse"... instead I always see it as an opportunity to help someone. Its actually quite ironic, us computer guys love playing with computers and love to help people with theirs. Computers are always fun and every time I work on one, I learn something new. So, in a way, you are helping us learn

 

I tend to worry too much about too many things, no doubt. But I do want to wait until I really need help to "worry" you great folks at GOL!