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

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

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Paste this Graphics Drivers PPA:
Code:
ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
Click OK

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Read up on this PPA notes
Click OK

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Click "Update the cache" on the top right

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Updating will include the new Graphics Drivers repository in your updates

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Close Update Manager

Launch Driver Manager
Code:
Menu/Administration/Driver Manager

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Driver Manager will automatically update cache

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

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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
Code:
Menu/Administration/Nvidia X Server Settings
 
Philosophical in the extreme, well done! Maybe I took the "the soldier has only one right: to complain" too far? Or is that too long?
 
In 19.1 I'm presented with the choice of two video card drivers, nvidia-driver-390 (recommenmded) and xserver-xorg-video-nouveau.

The installation process chose the xserver-xorg-video-yadda.

The installation process chose the one it wanted. It works fine and I'm NOT gonna mess with it. Sure nvidia-390 SOUNDS like the right choice. The first time I installed 19.1 I chose the nvidia driver, which caused nothing but grief Galore. GALORE.

Thank you VERY much for your help with this booman!
 
Hi George! This has been going on for a while now,At lest the last two destros.
DO NOT install the 390's!!
Not unless you have a newer card than my GTX 670.

Use the 340's or 340.107. (Same thing) I know the 390 "may" show up in device manger as "recommended", but they don't work with my GTX 670. They completely screw the pooch!!

As I can't say for certain as I don't have your video card but for me the 340' work quite well and engender no problems for my system.

This is where that backing up I'm always harping on.can REALLY really help guy out!

you MUST make a back up BEFORE you have the 390's installed on your system.
Once you have your a good back up try installing the 340's.

If they give you trouble and there is as yet no reason to think they will give you trouble then revert by way of your new back up.

Doing things in this way encounters almost zero risk to your system.

I have tried the the "recommend" 390 4 times. had to do a complete re-install from backup each time.

Device Manger chokes every-time! it won't let me go back to the 340 or the Xserver.xorg. 390 will only give me 1920X1080 while the older drivers "340"
give me 4096X 2160.

once the 390 are installed there is only one way forward for me, that's by way of my backup. or if I didn't have one a complete reinstall.

I feel remiss in not having alerted you to this pit fall. But so far I'm the only one I've seen with this problem.

It seems that somewhere along the line Nvidia or mint dropped the ball in recommending a drive to me that is bound to fail.

Good luck let us know. If you don't have a back up SAY SO!!
One of our big guys may be able get you past this without a restore or a reinstall.

Don't blame you! this is not you. Go slow seek help whenever your uncertain. be patient with you. stay in touch
 
Just read your post again!!
D.M. doesn't offer you the 340 drivers?

Then do your back up and try the 390's. I don't think there is anything WRONG with them, they just aren't suited to my card.

Mint will install the Xserver xorg drivers (Linux drivers rather than Nvidia drivers.) by default while installing herself unless you tell it otherwise. (I always install Nvidia at install.)

The 390' may be fine with your card...I just don't know. do your Back up and start experimenting.
 
Do you know how to do a back up? Don't be shy it's not at all hard ...be glad to talk you though it! ":O}
 
Setting aside the difficulties with 390 driver for a moment all I can say is Hooray! Thank you for letting us know that the 390 driver SUCKS. No wonder that choosing it (why, it's RECOMMENDED!!!) and sounds just right for my GeForce 950 GTX vidcard caused me nothing but grief. Oodles of it. Backing up the installation makes sense but I haven't bought a separate SSD to do so yet.

Thank you very much for your help with this Dan!
 
Setting aside the difficulties with 390 driver for a moment all I can say is Hooray! Thank you for letting us know that the 390 driver SUCKS. No wonder that choosing it (why, it's RECOMMENDED!!!) and sounds just right for my GeForce 950 GTX vidcard caused me nothing but grief. Oodles of it. Backing up the installation makes sense but I haven't bought a separate SSD to do so yet.

Thank you very much for your help with this Dan!

A second back up drive is your emancipation form the tyranny of ones own mistakes!

A second SSD will provide a very fast...as in actually fun to watch... back ups and restores. but if your feeling on the conservative side large spinners can now be had for peanuts...andf they work fine along sidr your SSD.
but your back up time will be less than trilling.
 
As for the 390 drives...I'm not at all sure they do suck.
It's just as likely that they work just fine...on THE RIGHT CARD.

One of which you and I do not possess.

I've been kinda assuming that we were just miss-Recommend the 390's.. The 340's work great for me. Are you offered a 340 driver in Device manger?
 
As for the 390 drives...I'm not at all sure they do suck.
It's just as likely that they work just fine...on THE RIGHT CARD.

One of which you and I do not possess.

I've been kinda assuming that we were just miss-Recommend the 390's.. The 340's work great for me. Are you offered a 340 driver in Device manger?


Naw, just the 390 and xserver xorg nouveau video. The 390 LOOKS so right, and xserver xorg yadda looks like it comes from left field. Very glad I sat back and let Mint 19.1 choose the right (xserver org) one! It made a gigantic improvement of my video experience.

Once upon a time the nvidia drivers worked well in all the Linux's I've used. Seems that Mint got this wrong. They do nearly every thing else right.

Speaking of "drivers" can someone please help me get VLC media player working in Mint 19.1? A release note says it's a bit of a pita---and they are right! The built in video player ain't worth nuthin'.
 
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sorry I've only used it when it popped up automatically.

You can download Banshee from the mint Software manager, I think it "mostly" does the same thing.
 
Thank you for the suggestion, Banshee installed easily. :( It uninstalled easily as well. Yay! All I want is a program that will play a movie when I put a DVD into the machine.

Why did Mint 17.3 get this so right and New! Improved! 19.1 get this SO wrong?

Ah so! VLC is easy to find in Software Manager. Thank you! It installs easily! Thank you!
VLC refuses to play a DVD. Ugh. VLC uninstalls easily. Thank you very much!
 
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Been there done that.
all I can suggest is that you just keep looking until you find something you can use.
 
I originally DL'd a version 2. something. The version found(but NOT installed. Thanks Mint, thanks VLC) that's built-in to Mint Cinnamon 19.1 is much, much newer, 4. something. I hope I can find the online repository of Linux Mint Q&A's again. Three pages were not enough effort. Many more to read.
 
Seems that VLC is the very best choice. If push comes to shove I'll need to install Mint 17.3 again--just so I can play videos.

Would I need another SSD to do this? Or can I partition my SDD to make this retreat to the past possible.

Can you watch DVD's on your Mint 19.1 PC Dan? If so, PLEASE tell me your secret.
 
Not sure.. I don't have any video's I just keep games around. The rest is all net flicks and Hulu.

When I first came to the park
i borrowed a mess of them movie videos. But that was Mint 16 or 17.
I know that It worked for me back them. but even back then I almost never used it. I use my PS3 or 4 to watch movies.

Blue-ray drives (Play only no burning) are pretty cheep these days and plug straight into your TV. Seems a better solution than reverting to 17.

You just need a "Player" not a burner to watch directly from played to your TV, no computer needed. HDMI is required for most TV's.

You might start looking here https://www.ebay.com/b/Blu-ray-Players/175711
/bn_746124?_pgn=4


Since 4K has come out, prices on just blue ray have really come down.
 
Seems that VLC is the very best choice. If push comes to shove I'll need to install Mint 17.3 again--just so I can play videos.

Would I need another SSD to do this? Or can I partition my SDD to make this retreat to the past possible.

Can you watch DVD's on your Mint 19.1 PC Dan? If so, PLEASE tell me your secret.
Check to see if your trying to play BlueRay on non blueray drive.
 
Thank you for your assistance Dan. I know that Blu-rays don't play on the CD-ROM drive in my PC. DVD's played just fine on this same player when I used Mint 17.3. It's important that I be able to play DVD's on my PC because the sun makes it hard to see my TV on some days. I know, move the tv. Much easier said than done.

What's weird is that my Samsung DVD/Blu-ray player will no longer accept Blu-rays. It used to just fine. I'll buy a replacement for the Samsung (which is a pita to use--it makes you get up and touch the damn thing because its remote doesn't perform every function it should.) But I have to wait until the thing dies to justify the expense.
 
"the damn thing because its remote doesn't perform every function it should.) But I have to wait until the thing dies to justify the expense."

Sounds like you bought a Pinto!! Sorry dude they never die when you want them too!
 
I don't understand why you are not getting the 340 as a choice!

Here's what device manger offers me.

Screenshot from 2019-07-01 10-49-09.png
 
Boo..
I followed your easy to follow instructions in Mint 19.1.
Everything seems good. I'll do a fresh back up and see what drivers I may be able to use besides the 340's which as we can see are quite old now. Thank you Boo! ":O}
 
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