removed Nouveau, now can't boot

[gubmint]

Linux Mint 13

I added a NVidia GeForce 6200 video card and installed the drivers via the Additional Drivers (I think that's what it's called, I can't boot up Mint now to see) menu. It seemed to be working, other than the typical inability to access the xorg.conf file for writing changes to unless opening the program from the command line.

I couldn't find anywhere that explained how to restart the X server, as instructed (all the references are to lightdm and gdm, which are not present), so I rebooted. I was greeted with, "You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver. Please edit your X configuration file (just run `nvidia-xconfig` as root), and restart the X server." Foolishly, I then tried following these instructions:

http://www.theloudons.org/blog/2012/09/ ... -x-server/

I ran "sudo apt-get –purge remove xserver-xorg-video-nouveau" having read through the supporting page for warnings and explanations, and all seemed okay. It didn't make sense to follow the next steps, as I figured I already had the NVidia drivers installed, just not being accessed because Nouveau is the default. So, I skipped ahead to restaring the computer, as that's the only method of restarting the X server I could find. Oops. Now I'm greeted by a blue screen that says there is no X server configured, and I can't boot. It gives me a couple pages of info, but I don't know if there's anything useful in there to look for.

[gubmint]

I'm able to boot again, but I still get the error: "You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver. Please edit your X configuration file (just run `nvidia-xconfig` as root), and restart the X server." I don't know what driver it's using if not NVidia, unless it somehow reinstalled Nouveau on its own. Any pointers would be appreciated. None of the "sudo nvidia-xconfig" stuff I've tried is having any effect.

[gubmint]

Further testing... I tried adding "nvidia" to /etc/modules, following this old suggestion: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=14806&p=91102 . There doesn't appear to be a corresponding /etc/default/linux-restricted-modules-common file any more, though, so I skipped over that step. After reboot, I'm stuck at the blue screen for X server error. It won't let me proceed until the configuration is corrected. Here's what I think is the bulk of pertinent info:

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(==) Log file: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(==) Using config file: /etc/X11/xorg.conf
(==) Using system config directory /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d
(EE) no devices detected
(EE) failed to load module "nouveau" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) failed to load module "nv" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) open /dev/fb0: no such file or directory
(EE) no devices detected
Fatal server error: no screens found

Everything looks correct, according to the NVidia docs, in /var/log/Xorg.0.log and /etc/X11/xorg.conf (I checked them both prior to getting the post-reboot blue screen).

The second section, for the log file, shows the

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Nvidia GLX module 173.14.35

being loaded, and then "Loading extension GLX". After that:

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LoadModule "nvidia"
Loading /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/xorg/extra-modules/nvidia_drv.so
Module nvidia: vendor = "NVIDIA Corporation"
compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
Module class: X.org video driver
NVIDIA dlloader X driver 173.14.35
NVIDIA Unified Driver for all Supported NVIDIA GPUs
using VT number 8
(EE) no devices connected
(==) Matched nvidia as autoconfigured driver 0
(==) Matched nouveau as autoconfigured driver 1
(==) Matched nv as autoconfigured driver 2
(==) Matched vesa as autoconfigured driver 3
(==) Matched fbdev as autoconfigured driver 4

Then it tries loading "nvidia" again, resulting in a repeat of the bulk of the lines immediately above. I'm guessing that's because the newer Nvidia drivers auto-load and my adding it to /etc/modules made it redundant?

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UnloadModule: "nvidia"
Unloading nvidia
Failed to load module "nvidia" (already loaded 32712)

Then it fails to open nouveau and nv ("module does not exist, 0"), but loads vesa and fbdev okay.

[Edit: It seems like part of the problem is it's still trying to load nouveau/nv even after they've been uninstalled.]

I fear I'm pretty much stuck in the mud now. I assume there's some way to edit /etc/modules during boot?

[gubmint]

Someone got my hopes up this morning with a reply notification, but it must have been deleted...

Update to the above posts: I can boot the system roughly half of the time now. Sometimes I have to hold Shift (rescue mode, apparently), and other times it only works if I don't hold Shift. And half the time it does boot, it greets me with a login screen that wasn't there before. Very strange. Once booted, most everything is normal, but some programs won't load.

Most importantly, I still get the error message that "You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver..." I tried modifying xorg.conf directly, changing the "nvidia" device entries (for both monitors) to "nvidia-173" or "nvidia-173-updates" (going from memory, I don't have the system booted up right now), the two drivers I have installed for that card, but running "sudo nvidia-xconfig" just resets them to "nvidia".

Hopefully, someone is reading this and can point me in the right direction!