Is Nouveau able to be disabled during Squeeze install?

Cultist · 09-23-2010, 04:11 PM

I need to use the proprietary NVIDIA driver instead, but it can't install while this is active. I'm working off a fairly fresh install anyway, so I can reinstall debian if the option to not install nouveau is present somewhere during the install process. Anyone know?

Or, is there an easy way to get rid of Nouveau from my current install altogether?

Dutch Master · 09-23-2010, 06:03 PM

Searching the Debian packages for this driver (here) shows that the driver is part of the kernel packages. The only solution I can think of now is to compile your own kernel and leave the offending driver out.

Hungry ghost · 09-23-2010, 10:22 PM

You could try uninstalling the driver directly, preferably purging it:

Code:

aptitude purge xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

You could also try to blacklist the module, but for some reason, the last time I tried adding blacklist nouveau to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf, it didn't work. I read on the net a similar case of someone not being able to blacklist it by the usual means, but now I can't remember what was the solution. Anyway, what I did was purging the nouveau driver package; after that, I could install the proprietary driver.

Regards.

jim_p · 09-24-2010, 02:00 AM

When you install the nvidia driver, the package nvidia-kernel-common, it will install the file
/etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-kernel-common.conf which contains the below

Code:

alias char-major-195* nvidia
options nvidia NVreg_DeviceFileUID=0 NVreg_DeviceFileGID=44 NVreg_DeviceFileMode=0660
# To enable FastWrites and Sidebus addressing, uncomment these lines
# options nvidia NVreg_EnableAGPSBA=1
# options nvidia NVreg_EnableAGPFW=1

# see #580894
blacklist nouveau

and it blacklists the nouveau module.

craigevil · 09-24-2010, 07:09 AM

Edit /etc/default/grub and add nomodeset so it looks like:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="nomodeset"

Doesn't hurt to also edit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and add blacklist nouveau

Or just use smxi and let it do it for you.

Cultist · 09-24-2010, 08:07 AM

The blacklisting didn't work, I tried it before I asked this. But I'll try purging