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Updating Nvidia Drivers - Mint

Discussion in 'Linux Guides (Generic)' started by booman, Apr 21, 2016.

  • by booman, Apr 21, 2016 at 7:01 PM
  • booman

    booman Grand High Exalted Mystic Emperor of Linux Gaming Staff Member

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    Installing and Updating to the newest Nvidia driver has always been a frustration for me. When I looked up step-by-step tutorials they included a lot of Terminal steps where one missed step can cause your system to be completely unusable.

    Mint 17.3 has a simple way to update drivers with only a few clicks


    Launch Mint Update Manager
    Click Edit
    Click Software sources

    nvidia02.png


    Click PPA's button on the left side
    Click "Add a new PPA..."

    nvidia03.png


    Paste this Graphics Drivers PPA:
    Code:
    ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
    Click OK

    nvidia04.png

    Read up on this PPA notes
    Click OK

    nvidia05.png


    Click "Update the cache" on the top right

    nvidia06.png


    Updating will include the new Graphics Drivers repository in your updates

    nvidia07.png

    Close Update Manager

    Launch Driver Manager
    Code:
    Menu/Administration/Driver Manager
    nvidia08.png


    Driver Manager will automatically update cache

    nvidia09.png


    Check the newest Nvidia driver available for your GeForce card
    Click "Apply Changes" bottom left

    nvidia10.png

    Wait while it downloads and installs
    Click Restart or just restart Mint from the Menu

    After restarting confirm the driver is installed by opening Nvidia X Server Settings
    Code:
    Menu/Administration/Nvidia X Server Settings
    Daniel~ and mrdeathjr28 like this.
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Comments

Discussion in 'Linux Guides (Generic)' started by booman, Apr 21, 2016.

  1. booman
    I'm just happy you are all here!
    Nuff said
  2. Daniel~
    I am to. But I posted to the wrong place, Sorry Boo, Deleting my previous post in this thread.
  3. Duapruis
    Very handy indeed, thanks booman.
  4. booman
    Thanks!
    I can't believe there wasn't a guide for this years ago...
    I never updated my Nvidia drivers because it usually meant killing X server, using the shell and breaking something. Now its super easy.
  5. Duapruis
    I usually did it "by hand" every now and then, which is not difficult at all but I always found a excuse to delay doing it heh. At least with this way you know when there are newer versions without needing to check it yourself and you just need click one button so its a win/win.
  6. booman
    Exactly, I gave up doing manual driver installation after messing up the install and not being able to launch x server. So instead I kept waiting for Mint to provide a newer driver and they never did until the next Mint release
  7. Duapruis
    To be honest Mint with Cinnamon desktop is my favorite "flavour" so far.

    I remember when I first tried to install nvidia drivers via terminal back when I had no idea of what I was doing and I just "copy/pasted" commands, I totally broke the system big time and ended up formating, so definitely not noob friendly thing lol.

    It is always great to know all those little tweaks that make your life easier, I recently discovered HDAJackRetask and it surely has eased up things even with gaming.
    booman likes this.
  8. Daniel~
    Drivers!...sigh...
    Drivers were the whole reason behind my first trying Mint
    (Thank you CC where ever you are!)

    To be honest, I'm surprised it took the Linux community so long to implement "Driver Manager" or something like it.

    In any case let me add my thanks Boo! Your of service to your community!
    booman likes this.
  9. booman
    I love Cinnamon as well. It truly helped me migrate from Windows without a lot of headache.
    I broke my system as well trying to install drivers. Won't be doing that again. I definitely learn something when I break things.
  10. Daniel~
    I think the main reason that Mint and at lest to some extent Ubuntu "Work" for us is they they had a clearly defined goal.
    Create a an OS for the average home and small business user. Make it easy to understand and easy to use.

    "The whole world loves the simple.
    The whole world loves the easy."
    Lao Tsu

    And let's face it...The people behind Mint really are exceptional.
    I mean these cats are on time and they always bring "it" with them when they come!

    There have definitely been releases that were some-what lacking in breathtaking advancements.

    BUT! They don't let that serve as an excuse to mess up everything they achieved in the prior release!

    It seems to me that, as a rule, if Mint can't improve it,...they leave it alone. For that I thank them every time I wake up my box....and she ALWAYS wakes up!! LOL

    I also like that they really do seem to like us! ":O}
  11. Duapruis
    The first time I tried Linux was like in 2009ish (probably earlier) and it was Ubuntu with the old Gnome desktop and to be honest, I didn't enjoy it much, then 1-2 years later I tried again Ubuntu and I was like "WOW THEY SURELY HAVE IMPROVED" and started digging into Linux distros. I tried debian and others, stayed for some years with Ubuntu studio that had xfce (which I love) and then moved to Mint until now because it seems to have the balance of everything I like, but, I'm not a fanboy, I just like things to work the way I like, which doesn't strictly need to be the best way, just the way I enjoy.
    booman likes this.
  12. Daniel~
    If it isn't done "Your" way... why go there? ":O}
  13. booman
    I began with Open SuSE on a desktop to host a gaming server. Games like The Ship, Half-Life Deathmatch and Counter-Strike: Source. It worked fine. Later I installed Fedora on a "make-shift" server to host games and my data. Remember I do all of this offline LAN.
    Fedora became my first real experience with Linux. Learning how to backup files, secure Linux and enable SMB. All of that stuff... When Daniel~ started using Linux Mint about 5 years ago, I checked it out, but wasn't ready to actually play games in Linux. But as he kept posting questions and trying games in Wine... I had to give it another try.
    I decided that I would give Mint a "true" chance at a gaming Desktop and installed it on my newest computer on a spare partition. I decided I would try to use it every day to get better at Linux and gaming. Next thing I know... I'm gaming on it every day, testing games in PlayOnLinux and posting how-to guides. 4 years later here I am.
    Mint is installed on 3 computers at home, 1 computer at work, Ubuntu on my Chromebook, Ubuntu on my HUGE laptop and Fedora on my Server.
  14. Duapruis
    So you have known both for quite some time heh.

    I tried fedora once in a notebook that I had (I was just messing around and testing different distros) and it seemed less user friendly compared the Ubuntu Studio that I was already using on my laptop and at the end I ended up putting Debian on it, but, I was impressed on how well it ran on that cheap notebook. I might give it another try sometime tho I'm sure it's a great OS.
  15. booman
    Yeah, I've used Fedora intermittently for almost 10 years. But that was just for hosting games. I barely used it except when I hosted LAN Parties and needed to backup some files.

    I like Ubuntu, but Mint Cinnamon desktop is so much easier to use. Creating shortcuts, system settings, panel settings, launchers, sharing, everything is just easier for me. I feel that Ubuntu and Newer Fedora are trying to hide some of the administrative tasks and they are hard to find.
  16. Duapruis
    I've always preferred xfce instead of gnome (the old one), and when I firstly discovered cinnamon I installed it on Ubuntu studio (which had xfce by default) and I completely loved it, plus its not much of a difference moving from xfce to cinnamon, just a lot more features. While it wasn't as lightweight as the previous one I used, the desktop booted up fast and I enjoyed the extra little things. Then I moved to Mint shortly after because I bought a new computer and decided to give it a go since it came already packed with cinnamon and the rest is history.

    Unity is just... too different from what I'm used to while I consider xfce with whisker menu installed as a side kick pretty awesome. The only thing that I add to my mint desktop is Docky on autohide because I don't like having my screen full of icons and because I'm used to that from my xfce years, asides from that cinnamon is a 10/10.
    booman likes this.
  17. cloasters
    After finally giving Mint Cinnamon a try because it came highly recommended I must say that I like it a LOT!
    booman likes this.
  18. Daniel~
    Before Mint, there was Fedora. Fedora seemed like the best of a lot of bad deals when it came to Linux desktops, say seven to ten years back.

    Fedora was 1/2 of my plan to escape the grasp of MS.
    The other half was the first time purchase of my PS3...
    Because nobody back then really played games in Linux so much as played at getting games to run at all!
    (Yes, the skillful and the experienced could and did run a few popular games, a very few.)
    Most of us spent our time trying to install drivers...

    It only took me a dozen very experienced and talented mentors: almost occupying an entire forums topic on it's own to install or update my own drivers...

    To be fair, the procedure for installing drivers seemed to change just about as often as my drivers!
    ( Am I the only one to think that!?) ":O}

    Mint change everything for me! I can Do Mint almost all by myself!

    There of course still tons I don't know, but in Mint, I don't NEED to know" it" !

    If I want " it," I'll have to learn something...ask someone... But that's usually apart from my OS.
    My OS takes care of the rest with very little help from anyone!
    What a relief not to have to depend on others to get basic functions done!


    Mint made me independent in Linux, trust me, that's an amazing achievement! ":O}
    booman likes this.
  19. cloasters
    I settled on SuSE back in about 2001. When there was still only one SuSE. Pretty sure that I couldn't install it by myself now. And there wasn't any help from the folks on AOA, iirc. The only handbook available was "Unix for Dummies," no Linux for Idiots existed. I played with Linux for maybe 3 years, at the max.
    Many people wouldn't believe how easy Mint is to deal with if they only knew about the Linux OS's from long ago. Including me.
    Daniel has been enthusiastic about Mint Cinnamon for years. I couldn't really believe how wonderfully easy Mint is to run, not to mention install.

    It would have been smart of me to take his word for it some years ago, but smart doesn't come as naturally as it should to this dummy sometimes. With memories of long ago knock down wrassling matches with much older Linux's making me very reluctant I put Mint off. For far too long!

    Finally, I got kinda smart. Thank you Dan~ and all of the folks here on GamersOnLinux that have helped me get Mint running as smooth as... Mint!
    Daniel~ likes this.
  20. booman
    SuSE was pretty good. That was the first distro I ever used. It has a pretty simple user interface and the YAST tool for installing updates. I only scraped the surface with SuSE because I didn't really know what to do with it. I couldn't use it on a daily basis.
    I think someone recommended Fedora to me and I tried it out, then stuck with it. Still only barely scratched-the-surface of Linux, but learned a few commands, sharing files, network settings and even backups.
    The only reason I went with Mint instead of Ubuntu was because of Dan~
    He needed help and I was still using Fedora. So tried Mint and stuck-with-it-for-good.
    Now I can run anything I was previously running in Windows.

    Sorry I couldn't help you at AOA, I didn't even join on until 2004.
    Daniel~ likes this.

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