Nvidia graphics card Debian 10 install help.

TheDragonfly · 07-11-2020, 03:15 PM

I need help installing nvidia drivers in Debian 10. Before I start typing in sudo commands, I'd like know where to start, and whats the best way to go about this. I did watch a couple YouTube videos. But it seems each one has a different method.

I went with the Debian network installer.

System specs from Neofetch
OS: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) x86_64
Host: MS-7589 1.0
Kernel: 4.19.0-9-amd64
Uptime: 48 mins
Packages: 1974 (dpkg)
Shell: bash 5.0.3
Resolution: 1360x768, 1280x1024
DE: KDE
WM: KWin
Theme: Breeze [KDE], Breeze [GTK2/3]
Icons: breeze [KDE], breeze [GTK2/3]
Terminal: konsole
CPU: Intel i7 860 (8) @ 2.801GHz
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260
Memory: 1529MiB / 3937MiB

mrmazda · 07-11-2020, 03:53 PM

Are you sure you need to:

Code:

$ inxi -SGxx
System:    Host: p5bse Kernel: 4.19.0-9-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 8.3.0 Desktop: Trinity R14.0.9
           tk: Qt 3.5.0 wm: Twin dm: TDM Distro: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
Graphics:  Device-1: NVIDIA GF119 [NVS 310] vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: nouveau v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.0
           chip ID: 10de:107d
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.4 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1: 2560x1440~60Hz
           2: 1920x1200~60Hz s-dpi: 120
           OpenGL: renderer: NVD9 v: 4.3 Mesa 18.3.6 direct render: Yes
$ xrandr | egrep 'onnect|creen|\*' | grep -v disconn | sort -r
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 2560 x 2640, maximum 16384 x 16384
DP-2 connected 1920x1200+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 519mm x 324mm
DP-1 connected primary 2560x1440+0+1200 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 598mm x 336mm
   2560x1440     59.95*+  74.92
   1920x1200     59.95*

TheDragonfly · 07-11-2020, 08:28 PM

I'm still getting use to everything.

Think I'll use inxi next time over neofetch. I couldn't find the NVIDIA control panel anywhere, so I assumed the drivers had to be installed. I notice the 3D animation in Cairo Dock isn't working properly. I also have a animated theme in Firefox that isn't working ether. Both of these worked fine in Linux Mint. Is their something else I need to configure in Debian?

tinfoil3d · 07-11-2020, 09:02 PM

That means you'd need to uncomment/add non-free to your sources.list and get the nvidia packages needed, https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

TheDragonfly · 07-11-2020, 09:40 PM

I did update sources.list with contrib non-free and saved it. From the looks of it my card is going to use the Version 340.108. Please forgive for not being completely up to speed. But what are the proper sudo commands?

tinfoil3d · 07-11-2020, 11:27 PM

Just follow the manual i linked, it's

Code:

apt install nvidia-legacy-340xx-driver

under root.

TheDragonfly · 07-12-2020, 01:11 PM

I'm positive I followed the instruction right, but something went wrong. The splash screen took on an alien form and can't read anything on the desktop. Any suggestions?

Splash screen
https://i.postimg.cc/kD3PSTrH/20200712-121611.jpg
Desktop
https://i.postimg.cc/fWFzZvPm/106704...93307838-o.jpg

tinfoil3d · 07-12-2020, 11:40 PM

Maybe it has way too high resolution? And are you sure you need the legacy one not the more recent one?

TheDragonfly · 07-13-2020, 12:05 PM

First monitor 1280x1024, and second monitor 1360x768. I've always used the legacy drivers in Mint for many without any issues. When you say "more recent one" are you referring to the opening source?

Something hit me just now. Could it be the KDE desktop is messing up and be maybe not Debian. I just installed MX Linux (Debian based) with the Xfce4 desktop. Now everything works fine with the legacy drivers. Later on I'm going to install Debian with Xfce, and try this again.

ondoho · 07-16-2020, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDragonfly

Splash screen
https://i.postimg.cc/kD3PSTrH/20200712-121611.jpg

That looks really wrong and I don't think it has anything to do with the Nvidia driver.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDragonfly

something went wrong.

That's the key point, isn't it. What went wrong?
I think you should start from scratch (reinstall the whole OS) and chalk this one up to "be more careful in the future".

rokytnji · 07-16-2020, 10:16 AM

Quote:

That looks really wrong and I don't think it has anything to do with the Nvidia driver.

Kinda reminds me of my "aw snap" screen after blindly running and figuring I was good enough to tweak GhostBSD.

I tried a Nvidia 400 card driver on my Ubuntu Box.
It had me running back to the noveau driver rickey tic.
I betcha MX is running it. In MX.

Code:

inxi -Fxz

will tell us what Debian is dealing with as far as hardware. inxi will run in Debian also. But Usually. You got to install it. It will be in Debians package manager. apt or synaptic.

Code:

apt search inxi

rokytnji · 07-16-2020, 10:23 AM

Also. If Debian was running noveau open source for nvidia driver.

And you installed proprietary Nvidia driver.

You created a driver conflict by not blacklisting noveau.

https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

Quote:

Troubleshooting

The NVIDIA driver conflicts with the nouveau DRM driver (580894). The nouveau kernel module is blacklisted by the glx-alternative-nvidia or nvidia-kernel-common packages.

hd_scania · 07-17-2020, 03:26 AM

I have a laptop with NVidia graphics too, so if there IS Nouveau plz REMOVE nonfree drivers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokytnji

Also. If Debian was running noveau open source for nvidia driver.
And you installed proprietary Nvidia driver.
You created a driver conflict by not blacklisting noveau.
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers