NVIDIA Drivers installer script

Published on August 22, 2012, by Panos - Posted in How To 44

With the thousands of commands available for the command line user, how can you remember them all? The answer is, you don’t. The real power of the computer is its ability to do the work for you. To get it to do that, we use the power of the shell to automate things. First we test, second we write and then we provide.

Our nVIDIA Installer script is a collections of commands that are stored in a file. The shell can read this file and act on the commands as if they were typed at the keyboard. This is the very early beta of this script, and soon enough there will be a GUI version with lot’s of features.

Please notice that our script works only with Ubuntu. No other Linux distributions are supported.

Download our Installer Script

After you download the tar.gz file just right click and unzip it. The executable is the nvidia_installer.sh

How to use Nvidia Installer

Just open a terminal (Ctrl + T)
type sudo -i
hit enter and provide your password to become admin
“drag n’ drop” the nvidia_installer.sh executable to the terminal
hit enter to run the script

Log

- Remove opensource drivers (if any)
- Remove nvidia proprietary drivers (if any)
- Blacklist and remove modules (if any)
- Remove X-Swat PPA
- Update
- Upgrade
- Install nvidia latest proprietary from Xorg-edgers PPA
- Checks for sources integrity bug
- Reboots your PC

Try it

If you want to hack the code, just clone the repository

git clone git://github.com/ubuntuxtreme/Nvidia-installer.git

If you have any issues please report them here:

https://github.com/ubuntuxtreme/Nvidia-installer/issues

yourNigHtmareZ

not working, explain us how you run it please, i even ran it as root but it just doesn’t install the driver, only looks for what gpu i have…… exactly how will u know what gpu i have cause i don’t have any driver at all yet ( just installed ubuntu 12.04)
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  It will be really helpful if you could upload a screenshot
  eg imgur.com
Benjamin Shope

Hey, I tested again on Ubuntu 12.04 and Linux Mint 13. The changed script does not seem to be working at all. The ASCII header looks altered at the beginning – then the script gives an error. You’re great to be making an effort with these crazy drivers!
Ahmad Mohamed

thanks for this script – makes life easier, any ideas how I can fix the sound?
Ubuntu 10.04
Gigabyte Nvidia GT 610
Nvidia Driver Version: 304.43
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  Great
  What’s your problem with sound? Do you use HDMI cable via GPU ?
Makis

Thank you Pano! You saved me (Με έσωσες). I had a problem to load Ubuntu after I updated Ubuntu 12.04 and changed the additional drivers. Don’t ask me which one I don’t remember. Now Ubuntu is back!
One question Pano. I can’t change the resolution. It gives me only 1440X900 (16:10) . I have an Acer laptop. Is there any solution?
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  Hello Makis! Glad to know the script works for you. Regarding your resolution problem, take a look at this picture: http://imgur.com/WFnht
  - Makis
    
    In my case there is only auto and 1440×900. Everything else has gone. I can’t remember which driver I had before and worked fine. Before the updates 2 month ago everything was ok.
    Anyway that was a first step to have ubuntu back
    - http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
      
      Hmm, perhaps you should need to add extra resolutions manually by editing xorg.conf file located at /etc/X11 folder.
      - Makis
        
        Hi Panos! I had some difficulties and now I found time. Can you help me to add extra resolutions manually? Should I see before from windows which resolutions my laptop supports? I believe that I have to change something in xorg.conf file you mentioned.
        
        This is the file
        
        # nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
        # nvidia-settings: version 295.33 (buildd@allspice) Fri Mar 30 13:37:33 UTC 2012
        
        Section “Monitor”
        Identifier “Monitor0″
        VendorName “Unknown”
        ModelName “TV-0″
        HorizSync 28.0 – 55.0
        VertRefresh 43.0 – 72.0
        EndSection
        
        Section “Screen”
        Identifier “Default Screen”
        Device “Default Device”
        Monitor “Monitor0″
        EndSection
        
        Section “Screen”
        Identifier “Screen0″
        Device “Device0″
        Monitor “Monitor0″
        DefaultDepth 24
        Option “TwinView” “1″
        Option “TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder” “DFP-0″
        Option “metamodes” “TV: 1024×768 +1440+0, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0″
        # Removed Option “TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder” “TV-0″
        SubSection “Display”
        Depth 24
        EndSubSection
        EndSection
        
        Section “InputDevice”
        Identifier “Keyboard0″
        Driver “kbd”
        EndSection
        
        Section “InputDevice”
        Identifier “Mouse0″
        Driver “mouse”
        Option “Protocol” “auto”
        Option “Device” “/dev/psaux”
        Option “Emulate3Buttons” “no”
        Option “ZAxisMapping” “4 5″
        # generated from default
        EndSection
        
        Section “ServerLayout”
        Identifier “Default Layout”
        Screen 0 “Screen0″ 0 0
        InputDevice “Keyboard0″ “CoreKeyboard”
        InputDevice “Mouse0″ “CorePointer”
        Option “Xinerama” “0″
        EndSection
        
        Section “Device”
        Identifier “Default Device”
        Driver “nvidia”
        Option “NoLogo” “True”
        Option “RandRRotation” “on”
        EndSection
        
        Section “Device”
        Identifier “Device0″
        Driver “nvidia”
        VendorName “NVIDIA Corporation”
        BoardName “GeForce 9500M GS”
        Option “NoLogo” “True”
        EndSection
        
        Can you please write the exact change that I have to make? I am not so good in Linux.
        
        Thanks a lot
      - Makis
        
        And of course any improved settings are welcome
      - Makis
        
        Hi Pano! can you please see my post once again and help me how to add extra resolutions manually by editing xorg.conf?
picachu

I’ve been in troubles for a long week with my NVIDIA 8600M GS !! Official drivers seemed to function well but ooppps, OpenGL never worked. I was unable to execute glxgears to perform a simple test, nor glxinfo… Also, I’m batlling with a Notebook with the Local Display (LCD) crashed, so I had to quit de LCD and proceed with a fresh ubuntu (12.04) server because Xorg was unable to load at first. After battling a little against unity, stopping lightdm, rescuing gdm, I had a full operating graphic mode and gnome-classic running on it… but NVIDIA was struggling me about OpenGL. Many thanx for your script! Its been like founding a lifeboat in the midle of the pacific ocean. Really! Oh, NOUVEAU drivers were the ones that saved me. They are not the best in performance, but they really work!
MrNice

Hi Panos,
Thanks for the help. However after running your script, x server is working and
lshw -c video shows
configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
and
modinfo nvidia shows
filename: /lib/modules/3.2.0-31-generic/updates/dkms/nvidia.ko
alias: char-major-195-*
version: 304.51
supported: external
license: NVIDIA
….
Looks good…
But I don’t have the NVIDIA shortcut in the menu to setup the configuration.
Do I need to open “Additional Drivers” and activate
“NVIDIA binary Xorg driver, kernel module and VDPAU library” ?

I tried but it failed.

BTW, I have 2 entries in this “Additional Drivers” with the same name.
One has
See /usr/share/doc/nvidia-current/README.txt.gz for a complete list of supported GPUs and PCIIDs
and the second has
See /usr/share/doc/nvidia-current-updates/README.txt.gz for a complete list of supported GPUs and PCIIDs

If I look at
/usr/share/doc/nvidia-current, NVIDIA_Changelog.gz file says
2012-09-11 version 304.48
For the second entry there is no directory.

Thank you to advice how to setup the driver.
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  Open terminal and type:
  sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings
  
  then
  sudo nvidia-xconfig
  
  any add/remove properties can be done via nvidia-settings or xorg.conf
  - MrNice
    
    Thanks a lot.
    FYI
    sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings
    Reading package lists… Done
    Building dependency tree
    Reading state information… Done
    nvidia-settings is already the newest version.
    nvidia-settings set to manually installed.
    0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 6 not upgraded.
    
    Nothing added.
    I added the shurtcut in the menu.
    
    BTW, when I try manually to install the driver, after commands uninstall, remove, purge all the NVidia drivers and reboot in nouveau driver, I alway had 2 entries in the “Additional Driver” with the previous not deleted version.
    Your script seems to have the same behaviour. Maybe, you could add some commands to completely remove that?
    
    Second suggestion: When the script is downloading the driver, depending of the Internet speed, it can take long time. You could add a sentence to inform or better (but more expensive) a progression scale.
    Thanks again for your help
    - http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
      
      Thanks for your feedback my friend I’ll have these tips in mind to be fixed in the next version of the script. Thanks!
      - MrNice
        
        Just tried to play streaming video and the colors are still bad.
        NVidia should have fix that !!!
        lshw -c video says
        configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
        but
        modinfo nvidia
        ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia
        
        I changed to the new driver to correct that. No luck…
        Any idea?
      - http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
        
        That damned nVIDIA… Same here, Youtube people are Alien blue. Right click and disable Hardware Excelleration in order to NOT use GPU but CPU instead.
      - MrNice
        
        Done, but how they tested this new driver?!
        
        I’ll keep a link to your pages.
Dhruv

This script failed on my ws having k5000m card. Following is the error message:

-e e[0m
-e Let me identify your GPU…
X Error of failed request: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
Major opcode of failed request: 136 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 19 (X_GLXQueryServerString)
Serial number of failed request: 12
Current serial number in output stream: 12
X Error of failed request: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
Major opcode of failed request: 136 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 19 (X_GLXQueryServerString)
Serial number of failed request: 12
Current serial number in output stream: 12
X Error of failed request: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
Major opcode of failed request: 136 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 19 (X_GLXQueryServerString)
Serial number of failed request: 12
Current serial number in output stream: 12
X Error of failed request: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
Major opcode of failed request: 136 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 19 (X_GLXQueryServerString)
Serial number of failed request: 12
Current serial number in output stream: 12
-e e[1;32mVideo Card:e[0m
-e Vendor:
-e GPU:
-e Driver in use: i915
-e Driver version:
-e Direct Rendering:
nvidia_installer.sh: 363: [: i915: unexpected operator
nvidia_installer.sh: 384: [: i915: unexpected operator
nvidia_installer.sh: 413: [: i915: unexpected operator
- Derek Shaw
  
  I had the same problem however I found that although ultimately the scipt failed it did at least run when I used sudo ./nvidia_installer.sh it looks as though you may have tried to install as user root.
http://www.facebook.com/Grimace78 Donald Grimes

Ok. I feel like a complete idiot and probably am. Directions seem simple enough, but when I drag and drop the installer.sh file to terminal after obtaining root through sudo -i, all it says is that my repository integrity is ok, what driver I am using, then awaits command prompt. I’ve already tried about command related to the tasks the program is orientated to, nothing works, and I’m lost. Somebody help the ADD guy please…
- Alexandra Pagkrati
  
  The script need a fast internet connection because it download and install several packages in the background. Just run the script and wait until:
  1) it reboots
  2) or exit to the command prompt (probably something went wrong).
  - http://www.facebook.com/Grimace78 Donald Grimes
    
    I do have a pretty slow internet connection, but that is exactly what is happening every time: It exits to the command prompt. I have ensured that it has the permissions specified in the video, re-downloaded the program, tried it with sudo, sudo bash, and sudo i. I also purged all nvidia software and it still didn’t work. I’m still kind of a newb when it comes to Linux, and I experiment with the system a lot. I probably screwed something up, though I haven’t been having any other problems :shrug:
jet

Freezes at login after reboot on 12.04, any ideas?
Anders Ström

That’s one awesome script. Thanks.
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  Thanks man
http://www.facebook.com/helio.pires.503 Hélio Pires

I was about to reinstall 10.04.01 when I found this page.
It worked perfectly and my ubuntu is back.
Thanks a lot
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  you’re welcome mate
http://www.facebook.com/RafaelCampos.N Rafael Nunes

i have a problem, when a start the script, it identify my gpu, but he show’s me GPU:

Video Card:

Vendor: Intel Open Source Technology Center

GPU: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Sandybridge Mobile x86

Driver in use: nouveau

i915

Driver version: 3.0 Mesa 9.0

Direct Rendering: Yes

—————————————-
But i have an Nvidiacard GeForce GT 630M.
My ubuntu 12.10
Why he doesn’t show up?

Sorry for my gramatical errors…
Regards.
- Leor
  
  You have probably a CPU with integrated GPU. The script recognizes your active GPU not all available ones. For that use the lspci command.
  
  To only see your graphical controller units type:
  
  lspci | grep VGA
  
  You should get two results.
Vitali

Thank you, very match
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  You’re welcome mate!
http://www.facebook.com/Numerion Peter Numerion Hashirigaki Bob

I have a problem with my GPU’s drivers so I tried this tool…and well, it seems like the OS can’t really manage two GPU’s (integrated Intel and NVidia) (In other words: I am a newb to Linux and I know shit about it so I blame it on the OS! ^_^ )

Help?
- http://www.facebook.com/birdstream Joakim Fogelström Hardingz
  
  What you need is Bumblebee/Primusrun check this out: http://www.webupd8.org/2012/11/primus-better-performance-and-less.html
Bob

Wonderful time saver – worked fantastic for me on my Dell Latitude D620 with Linux Mint 14 Mate installed.
Bob in San Antonio
zvadasz

I just tried the script on a newly installed 12.10. By default linux-headers-generic is not installed and dkms won’t compile/install the module without this package.

Please add the installation of the package linux-headers-generic to the script.
Trevorius

I’ve been trying to get the nvidia drivers to work on my laptop with a GeForce GT 525m, and jockey always say that no proprietary drivers are in use on the system, give a choice of four or 5 drivers, and for one of them says “This driver is activated but not currently in use” After about a day of struggling I tried this script, and for some reason I never get to the point where the script asks me what I want to do. It just says:

Let me identify your GPU…
Error: couldn’t find RGB GLX visual or fbconfig
Error: couldn’t find RGB GLX visual or fbconfig
Error: couldn’t find RGB GLX visual or fbconfig
Error: couldn’t find RGB GLX visual or fbconfig
Video Card:
Vendor:
GPU:
Driver in use: nvidia
i915
Driver version:
Direct Rendering:

Any idea how to get past this? Googling the error doesn’t come up with anything relevant…
http://www.facebook.com/zzuehlke Zacharia Zoe Zuehlke

Question…

Since Linux Mint is basically Ubuntu, would this script work for me? Or would I severely damage my installation?
Frustrated Linux User

I love you. LOL. No seriously, you saved my linux mint installation. I spent two weeks working on this and then I found your script. My computer is now running beautifully and I have full graphics. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
- http://www.ubuntuxtream.com/ Panos Georgiadis
  
  anytime
anywhim

Hi Panos! Your work is awesome! I installed latest dev-version of my driver! Now, i feel that I bought new graphic card =) Thanks!
Derek Shaw

System Intel 4 core CPU 4Gb memory
OS Mint 13 Maya and 12.10 64bit Desktop Ubuntu
GeForce 9500 GT (I have two cards but using the one until I can get it to work)

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r) is installed prior to running scrtipt

I came across your script and decided to try this on Mint 13 Maya LTS 64 bit version well that didn’t work all I was able to get when the script went to identify the card was that it was using VMware, so not sure what thats about. Well iI get exactly the same problem with 12.10 Ubuntu Desktop 64bit. If I run the program in a console on the Desktop on both Maya or 12.10 it tells me I have vmware drivers and then explains my display is broken and do I want to fix it, when I select option “1″ I think processing takes place but nothing gets corrected and does not install or seems not to install the nvidia drivers if it does it does not use them.

To further investigate exit Desktop at login screen using Ctrl+Alt+F1 and I shut down mdm in case of Maya or lightdm on 12.10 Ubuntu

sudo service mdm stop
sudo service lightdm stop

I then run the script which is already executable with sudo

sudo ./nvidia_installer.sh

This gives me sometimes 4 options if I select the first for the Beta drivers the process for installing the drivers seems to continue until the end were the program restarts the computer. On Mint this throws the Desktop completely out of whack and disable mdm until fix so I don’t get any further with that OS. On 12.10 Ubuntu 64bit, I get a little further in that it can displays a Desktop and system details can be displayed.

Ubuntu 12.10

Memory 2.0 Gib
Processor Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 @ 2.66Ghz x 4
Graphics Vesa: BIOS-P/N@N4795:00
OS type 64-bit
Disk 35.2 GB

So obviously the Nvidia drivers did not get installed

For the sceptical this is what I get with lspci

lspci |grep “VGA”
03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation G96 [GeForce 9500 GT] (rev a1)

Help would be much appreciated as I would like to close the chapter on accelerated graphics using OCL. In my humble opinion and for what it is worth it should not be anything like this hard to install the proprietry drivers on any system let alone Ubuntu or Mint. I can only hope that Mir whenever it comes about is a true advancement that addresses these installation issues.