..:: Installing the NVIDIA Display Driver in Linux Mint ::..
Posted by Dushi on October 6, 2008
I tried to do this in several ways. They all failed but left me error message no my screen. But spending some time with the command line I succeeded. First if you need to find your NVIDIA display driver visit www.nvidia.com and download it. The driver which I downloaded is ‘NVIDIA-Linux-x86-96.43.05-pkg1.run’ (for my old 64mb Geforce2 MX 400 card). You cannot install it by simply double clicking on it in the graphical mode. When the xserver is running you cannot perform this task. So let’s shut it down,
0. First press “Ctrl + Alt + F1” from the GUI.
This gives you a real terminal.
1. Then enter this code
sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop ß for KDE users.
This is important. If you are a gnome user, ‘kdm’(K desktop manager) should replace with ‘gdm’(gnome desktop manager) .
Sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop ßfor Gnome users.
This will stop the xserver by shutting down the desktop manager.
2. Now go to the location where you have put the driver file.
3. Run the file by typing the name of the file with ‘sh’
Example:
sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-96.43.05-pkg1.run
This will give you some splash screens and then starts to install (may be before this it will ask you to be root).
4. After the installation type this code to start kdm
sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start
Or
You can simply start the the xserver by typing ‘starx’ in command line or press
‘Ctrl + Alt + F7’. This will bring you back to the GUI mode.
All DONE. Now it’s better to reboot your system.
**This method is for users who doesnt have an internet connection at their home.**
Gaveen said
Mint comes with this convenient tool called EnvyNG to automate the installation of proprietary (nVidia and ATI) drivers. It has a GUI, but you could use it on a CLI-only environment by issuing the “sudo envyng -t” command. Not that it cuts for everything, but it’s convenient if you don’t care for the latest upstream drivers.
You have a good writeup here, with useful instructions. Keep it up.
Terry Butcher said
You can also just wait for the prompt from the restricted driver manager and two clicks will do it. There is also EnvyNG that will install the drivers. These are both GUI solutions included in the distro. For those who don’t want to use the terminal.
chanux said
One will have to do all these if (s)he don’t have internet or your distros repositories don’t give you the driver or if you want to just do it the hard way.
By the way tutorial is good.
Dharq88 said
This method can work will work on fedora 6, and with ATI drivers too.
For newbs (like myself) “cd [enter directory]” in the terminal is how to change the directory.
Easiest way I found (if you download the driver via another internet-enabled comp) was to cut and paste the “…run” file to the desktop – that way it’s only a case of entering:
“cd Desktop” instead of remembering or noting down an overly long and complex route-file…
To make it even more basic (i came from Win32 too…) here’s what I entered into a windowed terminal in mint
“cd Desktop”
then
“sh ati-driver-installer-8-12-x86.x86_64.run” (but enter in YOUR driver-name where mine is)
The driver then unpacked itself and was ready to roll properly after the next boot.
Thanks Dushi for getting me on the right path! =)
Dushi said
@Darq88
Hey youv been doing lots f experimenting!Thats nice…
Dharq88 said
There’s no better way to while away the days, than having a tweak under the hood of a new o/s =)
…even if it means having to reinstall…
more than once…
lol XD
Robin said
After stopping x server in the terminal do you need to return to desktop to run the package or do you do this from the terminal itself.In either case how do you do it.I have just installed Felicia and am breaking my head over this.Dont have an email connection so have to do this manually.
@Robin said
No.you can do this from the terminal it self or you can go to the place where the file is located.as for an example if the file is on your desktop you can go to that place by,
cd /home/’user’s name’/Desktop
then
sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-96.43.05-pkg1.run
or you can run the required package by from a single command by giving its absolute path. it will be like this(if the package is on the desktop),
sh /home/’user’s name’/Desktop/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-96.43.05-pkg1.run
……..hope this is what you wanted to know……..