Ok, I got it again, my problem was I went to change the driver via GUI thinking it would fix my now new problem: I'm stuck in 800x600. Only option is a smaller screen. Can you guys help with that, please?

And my Steam game won't load. It loaded when I streamed to my brothers PC. It freaked both of us out, we thought there was a hacker.

Was the game running via his PC then?

Hi, did you make the file "/etc/modprobe.d/disable-nouveau.conf"?

When you reboot your pc, at re-start the bios loads,

and grub loads and puts a screen up so you can pick what to boot.

at that screen, pick the latest kernel version, that should give you an option to go safe/like-mode,

highlight the line and 'e' to edit the file,

add the commands listed before... modeset.nouveau=0 vga=794 nokmsboot to the last "linux" line

tap F10 to boot into single user mode with those parameters.

type root password for access.

cd to where the nVidia.run blob is located and run it.

When the installation is complete reboot the computer. ;-)

p.s. some packages that may be required before you install the nVidia blob...
libglvnd
libglvnd-dev
pkg-config
build-essential(s) (this drags in all kinds of build-compile packages)
gcc
(edit, added for clarity) linux-headers +dependants

This should get you a build environment for installing nVidia.

Should I repurge Nividia and reinstall those packages? Because they didn't install 'properly' after I was all set up. Do you think my game will work better, because this card should handle it but it doesn't. (Metro: Last Light; Steam).

Also the emergency mode comes up everytime and it takes forever to boot (since I ran nokmsboot).

E: nvidia-dkms-545: installed nvidia-dkms-545 package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 10
E: nvidia-driver-545: dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Is one of the errors from most of the packages. I did the first one separately but I think it was the same error.

I should have added dkms and any dependants...

Does it eventually ask you to login as root(or continue)?

As long as you get there, so you can install the blob, if that's what you want.

I haven't used dkms in quite some time, maybe someone else may chime in.

But I do remember that dkms required a build environment with particular packages involved.

Anyhow, if you get the driver installed and reboot your game and desktop should be smoother(imo). edit... and you should be able to get better resolution.

You could try and clean up, but get it working first,

take notes so when one day you need to reinstall the OS.

if you are installing the nVidia.run blob, don't install any other nvidia package from your repo.

dkms is a build environment

(dkms and dkms-common... But not dkms*nvidia*. Different install)
you might have to uninstall ... see how you go.

I have the card installed since yesterday. I'm not getting the emergency mode again since the first time I added 'nokmsboot' and did it the first time. I didn't install the nvidia blob then because it was already installed. Now the order in which I've taken steps is all backwards. I wish you had been here from the beginning to let me know about those packages first. Maybe I should fresh install Linux Mint and start over. I don't know... But the graphics are better without the card, even Minecraft runs better with the card out.

DKMS is installed already, I just checked. And there is no DKMS-Common.

So uninstall the nvidia blob and do the packages? Can I install packages from command line if needed. It's like installing programs, no? Just in case I can't get to my desktop after I purge nvidia driver.

1 members found this post helpful.

So, you have a choice.

I know this is confounding but if you persist using the nVidia blob (.run)

you will get better graphics resolution and smoothness.

The beauty of the nVidia blob installer (also acts as the uninstaller) is it will tell you if you need something extra, or have to remove conflicting versions.

If I were in your position, knowing what I know now, I would see if the blob is good enough... and then at some time in the future do a clean install of the OS. (it's handy to have a separate /home partition for your files to be safe from re-format with the install program.

See how you go, take notes... I can do a fresh reistall of the OS and all my favourite apps in less than an hour.

I think it's worth it. I play counterstrike, and get 256 fps @ 1080p

1 members found this post helpful.

I have 4 partitions in order: root, boot, swap, home. So a fresh install is no problem. ( I don't know the one for programs)

Right now I am trying to remove all the other drivers I installed before I got it "working". I currently have Nvidia-driver-390, 440, 450, 470, 510, 525, 530, 535, and 540. And of course what's running: 545. It's not letting me remove the unneeded ones. I think its best to reinstall Mint and start over.

Also when I install the blob from Crtl Alt F3 command line, I have to run the command: sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall for it to boot. If I can't figure out how to remove all the unneeded drivers, I'm going to reinstall Linux.

Thanks for all your help, btw.

So in order:
-Fresh Install
-Add the packages you mentioned
-Disable nouveau file
-Shutdown
-Install Card
-Run Blob
-Reboot
Correct?

Yes, that looks good.

Not sure you need to remove the card... but that should still work.

Don't forget the grub command edits,

because the nvidia blob will bork if the nouveau module is loaded...

just saves time.

linux file system...

/usr/ program data
/bin /sbin /usr/bin executables
/var system and program variables

there's a lot more... you can look up later.

https://linuxhandbook.com/linux-directory-structure/

I havent done it that way, usually my screen stops scrolling and gives a prompt to either type in Admin password (for root access) or CTRL+D to continue booting in single-user mode.

I type in the password. Then I run the blob installer.

I don't use a package manager for the nVidia driver, and avoid all those different versions,

if the latest 545.x works then just use that, I would try it first.