How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

hardran3 · 2011-02-27 21:10:02

This is for cards that need the current driver. If you need a legacy driver (173 or 96) there are dkms packages as well, but I have no way to test them. Good luck!

I have seen a few people having trouble with the proprietary Nvidia drivers on crunchbang. It should not be this way as installing the Nvidia drivers is quite painless in Debian. The most important step is do not download the drivers from Nvidia, everything you need is in the repositories.

Please note that this will install the 195 series drivers. If you need or want the latest version (260) add the experimental repository, they are available there. Apt pinning and mixing versions is beyond the scope of this thread, so I started this one. I have done it and it does work.

Step 1: Install the needed packages

sudo apt-get install nvidia-kernel-dkms nvidia-glx nvidia-xconfig nvidia-settings

Note the nvidia-kernel-dkms package. This will build the driver automatically for future kernel updates.

If you have an 8000 series or higher Nvidia card you can also install VDPAU. This lets you use your graphics hardware to decode video files, especially useful on older or low power processors (Intel Atom). Without VDPAU on my Atom box 720/1080 video is a 3 fps slideshow. With VDPAU I can decode 3 720 files simultaneously without frame dropping. It works with Mplayer and XBMC from the Debian Multimedia repositories. Unfortunately the VLC included with #! doesn't support hardware acceleration. The version in the unstable repository works fine though.

Install VDPAU support.

sudo apt-get install nvidia-vdpau-driver vdpau-va-driver

Step 2: Backup your xorg.conf (if it exists) and create a new one for the Nvidia drivers.

if [ -f /etc/X11/xorg.conf ];then sudo mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup;fi && sudo nvidia-xconfig

Add these options to the "Devices" section of your xorg.conf to enable some more features.

    # Disables Nvidia logo
    Option         " NoLogo" "true"
    # Fix Large fonts
    Option         "DPI" "96 x 96"
    # Power saving setting for Nvidia drivers
    Option         "OnDemandVBlankInterrupts" "1"
    # Enables overclocking gui
    Option         "Coolbits" "1"

Restart X or reboot and you should be up and running. You can use nvidia-settings to change resolution, switch outputs, etc. I added it under my Openbox System menu for easy access.

I also use disper. disper makes it easy to control your nvidia card from the command line, a kind of RandR for Nvidia. The Maverick deb package from dispers Ubuntu PPA works on crunchbang.

Last edited by hardran3 (2011-03-08 08:13:24)

iann · 2011-02-27 21:18:50

Everything you needed was in the repositories in 9.04 also, but sometimes it didn't work there either. Try the repository versions first though but do a really thorough job getting rid of them before you try the nVidia versions/

Dobbie03 · 2011-03-05 18:59:50

I get this error when I add "sudo mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.RCL && sudo nvidia-xconfig":

mv: cannot stat `/etc/X11/xorg.conf': No such file or directory

What do I do from here?

hardran3 · 2011-03-05 19:31:30

MattDobson wrote:

I get this error when I add "sudo mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.RCL && sudo nvidia-xconfig":
mv: cannot stat `/etc/X11/xorg.conf': No such file or directory
What do I do from here?

It means you currently don't have a xorg.conf, so we don't need to back it up. You can simply run sudo nvidia-xconfig

Dobbie03 · 2011-03-05 19:34:28

I installed the drivers but they messed with my resolution. I had a big black border around the outside.

rizzo · 2011-03-05 19:58:01

In the past I've found it necessary to remove the xserver-xorg-video-nouveau and xserver-xorg-video-nv drivers as well.

Dobbie03 · 2011-03-05 20:01:21

Do they install by default?

hardran3 · 2011-03-05 20:02:14

MattDobson wrote:

I installed the drivers but they messed with my resolution. I had a big black border around the outside.

Open nvidia-settings and check that your resolution is set correctly. Also look under your display settings (Mine is marked DFP-0, yours should be XXX-0) as well. Make sure "Force Full GPU Scaling" is checked.

rizzo · 2011-03-05 20:05:47

MattDobson wrote:

Do they install by default?

I'm not sitting at my linux box, can you tell me if they are there? From memory I think nv may have been permanently replaced nouveau. Either way just check that both are removed. I haven't installed the nvidia drivers on any machine since the squeeze release and my memory as usual is a little rusty roll

Dobbie03 · 2011-03-05 20:39:46

Thanks anyway guys I will just stick with the setup from install.

hardran3 · 2011-03-06 00:53:52

MattDobson wrote:

Thanks anyway guys I will just stick with the setup from install.

Sorry Matt I wasn't much help today, and if you are like me you want things to work NOW!. If you still want to try send me a PM.

omns wrote:

In the past I've found it necessary to remove the xserver-xorg-video-nouveau and xserver-xorg-video-nv drivers as well.

It shouldn't be necessary, I have nv,nouveau, and nvidia installed and everything is working perfectly. It is actually a good idea to keep nv at least, that way if anything goes haywire you have a working driver to fall back to. Nouveau is blacklisted when you install the Nvidia driver, see /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-kernel-common.conf.

Last edited by hardran3 (2011-03-07 17:59:33)

Dobbie03 · 2011-03-06 03:13:09

hardran3 wrote:

MattDobson wrote:
Thanks anyway guys I will just stick with the setup from install.
Sorry Matt I wasn't much help today, and if you are like me you want things to work NOW!. If you still want to try send me a PM.

Thanks, you were plenty of help. smile

rizzo · 2011-03-07 12:59:37

Finally got round to testing this and whether or not previous tweaks I'd used were necessary. They're not smile

I might sticky this one for a while. It's a nice simple nvidia solution smile

hardran3 · 2011-03-08 10:10:12

omns wrote:

Finally got round to testing this and whether or not previous tweaks I'd used were necessary. They're not
I might sticky this one for a while. It's a nice simple nvidia solution

DKMS is awesome.

crunchy · 2011-03-20 00:25:56

just so that you know. I followed exactly your directrions and after a reboot xorg wouldn't start. it's okay now though. all that I had to do was delete the created xorg.conf that I think nvidia creates and uninstall all that you suggested to install and it works fine

I just wanted you to know that it can mess-up your system.

hardran3 · 2011-03-20 00:26:53

crunchy wrote:

just so that you know. I followed exactly your directrions and after a reboot xorg wouldn't start. it's okay now though. all that I had to do was delete the created xorg.conf that I think nvidia creates and uninstall all that you suggested to install and it works fine
I just wanted you to know that it can mess-up your system.

What Nvidia card do you have?

rizzo · 2011-03-20 00:58:07

crunchy wrote:

I just wanted you to know that it can mess-up your system.

hmm, I tend to think that only a user can do that smile If you post what type of card you have it should indicate if you need these packages or the legacy drivers mentioned in the 'Please note' section of the OP.

Elviswind · 2011-03-20 15:46:38

omns wrote:

crunchy wrote:
I just wanted you to know that it can mess-up your system.
hmm, I tend to think that only a user can do that If you post what type of card you have it should indicate if you need these packages or the legacy drivers mentioned in the 'Please note' section of the OP.

You should also look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log to see what drivers your system is trying to load based on your xorg.conf or lack of xorg.conf, in your case. The nvidia-xconfig program, which the Nvidia installer seems to use to automatically create or edit xorg.conf, doesn't seem to do anything more important than change the Driver line in the Device section to "nvidia". For an existing xorg.conf, nothing else seems to be changed. If you're starting with no xorg.conf, nothing else that is added is out of the ordinary and I think most systems would be just fine without the rest of it, at least for debugging purposes.

With no xorg.conf file, I think you'll find in /var/log/Xorg.0.log, that the system attempts to load all possible drivers that are available. In a standard Crunchbang install, this might include vesa, nv, and nouveau. At least this was my observation when I was playing around with nouveau. You might try a minimum 4-line xorg.conf setup to see if that works or at least eliminates the error with X starting correctly:

Section "Device"
Identifier "n"
Driver "nvidia"
EndSection

Otherwise, at least in my system, with no xorg.conf, the system defaults to the vesa driver. If this is also true in your case, then you've not really fixed anything but simply eliminated the error in X starting because you are now defaulting to something other than the nvidia driver.

Last edited by Elviswind (2011-03-20 16:00:19)

Lennie · 2011-05-20 11:10:13

Hello,
I installed the nvidia driver, but my graphics became very bad after that, and the computer hanged several times. So I tried to blacklist nvidia instead of nouveau, and after that I don't get any graphic at all. How can I uninstall the nvidia driver and get back to the use of nouveau?

hardran3 · 2011-05-20 18:30:17

Lennie wrote:

Hello,
I installed the nvidia driver, but my graphics became very bad after that, and the computer hanged several times. So I tried to blacklist nvidia instead of nouveau, and after that I don't get any graphic at all. How can I uninstall the nvidia driver and get back to the use of nouveau?

Switch to a tty (ctrl-alt-f1) and try this:

sudo service gdm stop

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge nvidia-kernel-dkms nvidia-glx nvidia-xconfig nvidia-settings

sudo mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.nvidia.backup

and then:

sudo service gdm start

If restarting GDM doesn't work you may have to restart. That should get you up and running. What card do you have?

Lennie · 2011-05-21 13:36:35

I still don't get any graphic. When I boot up CrunchBang it says :

Starting MTA: exim 4
Starting deferred execution scheduler: atd
ChrunchBang Linux statler chrunchbang-asus tty1
login_

When I log in I get a message which says something like "restart gdm when configured correctly".

It's nvidia next-generation ion.

Last edited by Lennie (2011-05-21 13:41:50)

chuckaluck · 2011-06-18 15:28:31

I Installed the Nvidia drivers this morning following these instructions.
Did not remove the nouveau or nv drivers and everything is working perfectly.
Using a EN9400GT video card.

Thank's for a great how to

hein · 2011-07-10 22:21:30

I have a default Statler installation, what are the advantages in installing the proprietary drivers?

ps. i have a 250gts

Last edited by hein (2011-07-10 22:21:57)

anonymous · 2011-07-11 03:55:04

Some advantages include 3D acceleration, VDPAU, and better power management.

hein · 2011-07-11 08:56:17

Thanks a lot! I think the installation went fine, how do i know if everything (like power managment, 3d and vdpau) work?

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#1 2011-02-27 21:10:02

How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#2 2011-02-27 21:18:50

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#3 2011-03-05 18:59:50

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#4 2011-03-05 19:31:30

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#5 2011-03-05 19:34:28

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#6 2011-03-05 19:58:01

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#7 2011-03-05 20:01:21

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#8 2011-03-05 20:02:14

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#9 2011-03-05 20:05:47

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#10 2011-03-05 20:39:46

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#11 2011-03-06 00:53:52

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#12 2011-03-06 03:13:09

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#13 2011-03-07 12:59:37

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#14 2011-03-08 10:10:12

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#15 2011-03-20 00:25:56

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#16 2011-03-20 00:26:53

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#17 2011-03-20 00:58:07

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#18 2011-03-20 15:46:38

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#19 2011-05-20 11:10:13

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#20 2011-05-20 18:30:17

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#21 2011-05-21 13:36:35

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#22 2011-06-18 15:28:31

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#23 2011-07-10 22:21:30

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#24 2011-07-11 03:55:04

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

#25 2011-07-11 08:56:17

Re: How To: Nvidia drivers in #! or Debian stable

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