[SOLVED] Debian Backport Kernels and Nvidia Drivers.

linustalman · 06-20-2017, 08:07 AM

Hi.

I am currently on Debian 8 Jessie and was using Nouveau but wanted to try a Steam game so installed the Nvidia drivers using this method (https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphi...8_.22Jessie.22).

All seems fine so far. Do I need to edit the Nvidia X Server Settings? Also should I run that as gksudo or normal user?

I have been on the Debian 8 Jessie backport kernels for a while now (currently 4.9.0-0.bpo.3-amd64). If this got updated to e.g. '4.9.0-1.bpo.3-amd64' or something similar -- would my Nvidia drivers break?

business_kid · 06-21-2017, 06:21 AM

Personally, I would be more worried about the Mesa version than the kernel. The kernel loads Nvidia's module and hands the work to that, putting it simply. That arrangement is not likely to change much from version to version. Mesa is more involved, as it's doing stuff with Mesa's proprietary OpenGL libs. Follow rule #1 of maintenance: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

linustalman · 06-23-2017, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

Personally, I would be more worried about the Mesa version than the kernel. The kernel loads Nvidia's module and hands the work to that, putting it simply. That arrangement is not likely to change much from version to version. Mesa is more involved, as it's doing stuff with Mesa's proprietary OpenGL libs. Follow rule #1 of maintenance: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Hi BC.

So is the likelihood of my system borking high or low?

273 · 06-23-2017, 01:32 PM

My experience of the NVIDIA drivers and kernel using Debian has been very good. If you happen to install a new graphics driver you may need to reinstall nvidia-kernel-dkms but thatKs easily done.
I type as a Sid user but as far as I can tell NVIDIA drivers work pretty darn well in derivatives also.

linustalman · 06-24-2017, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

Personally, I would be more worried about the Mesa version than the kernel. The kernel loads Nvidia's module and hands the work to that, putting it simply. That arrangement is not likely to change much from version to version. Mesa is more involved, as it's doing stuff with Mesa's proprietary OpenGL libs. Follow rule #1 of maintenance: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Is Mesa installed and in use whether you use Nouveau or Nvidia? Would Mesa cause no issues if I stayed with Nouveau?

business_kid · 06-25-2017, 03:31 AM

As I understand it, Mesa does OpenGL rendering, and the driver (Nvidia blob, Nouveau, or some fallback) handles the GPU. I'm no expert. If you're on Nvdia, reinstallation on the binary blob is necessary when you change kernels, or Mesa, as someone has said.

273 · 06-25-2017, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

As I understand it, Mesa does OpenGL rendering, and the driver (Nvidia blob, Nouveau, or some fallback) handles the GPU. I'm no expert. If you're on Nvdia, reinstallation on the binary blob is necessary when you change kernels, or Mesa, as someone has said.

Apparently, the NVIDIA blob replaces Mesa.

milomak · 06-25-2017, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linustalman

Hi.

I am currently on Debian 8 Jessie and was using Nouveau but wanted to try a Steam game so installed the Nvidia drivers using this method (https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphi...8_.22Jessie.22).

All seems fine so far. Do I need to edit the Nvidia X Server Settings? Also should I run that as gksudo or normal user?

i just run as normal user

Quote:

I have been on the Debian 8 Jessie backport kernels for a while now (currently 4.9.0-0.bpo.3-amd64). If this got updated to e.g. '4.9.0-1.bpo.3-amd64' or something similar -- would my Nvidia drivers break?

the dkms package should build the necessary package for the new kernel. generally i would say that it is 90%+ (probably close to 100%) likely the new kernel will build against the nvidia package you have installed.