I'm building a new Linux gaming computer. It will be used for Steam mostly. I've found that for Debian I shouldn't use the .run files from the Nvidia site, but only DKMS modules from the repository.

I am running Jessie, which gave me version 340 of the Nvidia driver, however that was too old for my video card. Experimental repository only contains version 343, which is still too old.

I'm needing the bleeding edge driver version 346.47 in order to support my Gefore 960 card. Is there a location where I can get the DKMS that Debian needs, or is there steps to build it myself?

Than you for your replies.

Tigra

Hello and welcome to LQ.

Why do you say this?? "I shouldn't use the .run files from the Nvidia site," Do you mean running a debian repo driver instead?

http://www.nvidia.com/content/Driver...s&type=GeForce

is the current driver I believe for a 64 bit system.

Using DKMS is a different deal. You may have to play with driver on each time you update kernel. There may be a way to automate the building with DKMS I'd think. Someone else may know for sure.

The Debian Wiki's for Steam and Nvidia refer to using the Debian repositories.
https://wiki.debian.org/Steam
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

To get steam working you need the 32bit repository driver for Debian. That conflicts with the Nvidia.run file, so you have to remove the non-packaged version.

The problem with using the *.run file from the nvidia site is that usually when you get a kernel upgrade you're left with no X. Using the debianised driver from the repositories guarantees that your driver is automatically built against a new kernel when it is upgraded, and also allows you to get new driver upgrades without you having to do anything but just upgrade your system.

That said, there's no problem in using the *.run file if you keep a copy of it handy somewhere in your HDD to reinstall it, in case you're left with no X after a kernel upgrade. You just have to uninstall the current driver that has been built against the old kernel and reinstall it against the new kernel.

siduction has a packaged version of 346.47. Obviously, it's for Debian sid, so use it at your own risk. : http://packages.siduction.org/extra/...phics-drivers/

That shouldn't be a problem if dkms itself is installed before the .run file. Still, installing straight from the .run file is not compliant with Debian packaging guidelines and would be a last resort.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thank you for the link Seasons.

Can that url be added as an apt source somehow?

I have drivers pulled from experimental, so sid is actually more stable. That said, its a packaged version of an officially released Nvidia driver, so I doubt there is much risk.

You could try using this line in your sources (it doesn't seem like a good idea to me though). Hopefully, the nvidia package is relatively self-contained and won't depend on versions of packages found in sid. Maybe you should just run sid(uction) if you're going to use such new hardware. Testing has this nasty habit of getting frozen for months at a time...

1 members found this post helpful.

Thank you for all the help!

The siduction drivers had the Nvidia revision I needed and I'm enjoying the gaming on my new Debian gaming rig!