System will not boot after Nvidia 173 load.

[skunkarific]

I've been getting some weird video artifacts (such as parts of menus staying on the screen unless I reboot) after I added my Nvidia 430 card. I have had problems with the nvidia-current package, so I loaded the nvidia-173 from the software manager. When I restarted the computer, I got only a command line. I logged in, tried startx, got a message that my card wouldn't work with the 173 driver. Then I typed in sudo apt-get remove nvidia-173, rebooted, no GUI again, so no generic x driver replaced the 173. I typed sudo apt-get install nvidia-current, downloaded and installed the driver, rebooted, and still no gui, startx, still no gui. Would anyone be so kind as to let me know how to get back to a gui? Running mint 10 64.

[squeezy]

Do you still have the current driver installed? Try this...

Code: Select all

sudo nvidia-xconfig

then reboot.

[skunkarific]

I tried that, here is the output:

WARNING: Deprecated config file /etc/modprobe.conf, all config files belong into
/etc modprobe.d/.
FATAL: Module nvidia not found.
(EE) NVIDIA: Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module. Please check your
(EE) NVIDIA: system's kernel log for additional error messages.
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module-specific error, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Thoughts? I'm running an HP 21", nothing weird there...

[squeezy]

Sounds like you don't have the nvidia drivers installed. Without seeing what you're doing, I got nothing else. Sorry.

[skunkarific]

I did do the sudo apt-get install nvidia-current line.

[DrHu]

search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=nvidia+430
nvidia search for nvidia 430 card, that is the hit list, somethin g must be there!

Also the Mint forum posts..
viewtopic.php?f=141&t=72238
--specific install sequence via Dr.m0x

And some relevant Ubuntu forums posts...
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1901428

[skunkarific]

nvidia-settings is already the newest version
unable to locate package nvidia-xconfig
nvidia-settings is already the newest version

The search for the 430 card is good, but the problem isn't the card. It did work fine, other than the driver issue, so I would think any nvidia post would work

[skunkarific]

All I want to know is there some way to get a generic driver back so I can see my screen.

[AlbertP]

You can't use nvidia-173 with a 430 card. nvidia-173 is a legacy driver for 5000 series (and can be used with 6000 to 9000 in case normal driver fails). You should install the nvidia-current one for any newer card.

[skunkarific]

AlbertP, please delete your reply, this is the problem, and it's obvious you haven't read the thread. I need real help here!

[AlbertP]

If you can get to the command-line, please run:

Code: Select all

apt purge nvidia-173

to get rid of the nvidia-173 driver.

You can use a PPA to get a newer version of nvidia-current, which probably supports your card better than Mint 10's own nvidia-current does:

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
apt update
apt install nvidia-current

[skunkarific]

ok, tried the apt-purge command, here's the output:

After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used

dpkg: warning: while removing nvidia-173, directory 'usr/lib/nvidia-173/tls' not empty so not removed
dpkg: warning: while removing nvidia-173, directory 'usr/lib/nvidia-173' not empty so not removed
dpkg: warning: while removing nvidia-173, directory 'usr/lib32/nvidia-173/tls' not empty so not removed
dpkg: warning: while removing nvidia-173, directory 'usr/lib32/nvidia-173' not empty so not removed

Then I added the repo, installed the driver and got the same message:

WARNING: Deprecated config file /etc/modprobe.conf, all config files belong into
/etc modprobe.d/.
FATAL: Module nvidia not found.
(EE) NVIDIA: Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module. Please check your
(EE) NVIDIA: system's kernel log for additional error messages.
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module-specific error, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

xinit: No such file or directory (errno2) unable to connect to X server
xinit: No such process (errno3): Server error.

[Dave W.]

Have you tried using the sgfxi script. I've have had situations where I had totally borked my system and the script has saved me.

Here is the basics from the mepis wiki site: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Sgfxi
It is a little bit old, but has worked for me.

Here is the sgfxi manual page: http://smxi.org/docs/sgfxi-manual.htm
It is much more recent.

Here is the actual smxi site: http://smxi.org/

Boot your computer and then when it is done press Ctrl- ALT- F1 you should be able to get to a command line prompt. Login as root and install the script.

Code: Select all

 cd /usr/local/bin && wget -Nc smxi.org/sgfxi && chmod +x sgfxi

After you install it. Reboot and then login the command line as root again and type in "sgfxi" and allow the script to do the work. It should install the most recent driver. If you wish to get the native driver back you will need to run another sgfxi command after running it the first time. Most likely the command is "sgfxi -n", but check the manual to be sure.

Good-luck,
Dave

[AlbertP]

Please reinstall nvidia-current from terminal and post the full output - then we can probably see what's gone wrong during the install.

Code: Select all

apt install --reinstall nvidia-current

[skunkarific]

Soooooo, I tried that, hit their server, and then: Permission Denied.

Grrr. I love Warren Woodford's stuff (Mepis). I already have the driver installed though, most of the replies seem to rotate around installing the driver. What I need is the original generic driver maybe?

[skunkarific]

Just so you guys know, I'm typing this from a photo I took of the screen, so no copy and paste here...I'm really putting forth the effort!

skunk@CHUX-OFFICE apt install --reinstall nvidia-current
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/58.6MB of archives.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 193732 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to Preparing to replace nvidia-current 295.33 -0ubuntu~1maverick~xup1 (using ...nvi
dia-current 295.33-0ubuntu~1~xup1_amd64.deb) ...
Removing all DKMS Modules
Done.
Unpacking replacement nvidia current ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up nvidia-current-295.33 DKMS files...
Building only for 2.6.35-22-generic
Building for architecture x86_64
building initial module for 2.6.35-22-generic
Done.

nvidia-current.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
- Original module
- No original module exists within this kernel
- Installation
- Installing to /lib/modules/2.6.35-22-generic/kernel/drivers/char/d

epmod....

DKMS: install Completed.
Processing triggers for python-gmenu ...
REbuilding /usr/share/applications/desktop.en_US.utf8.cache...
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
update initramfs: Generating /boot.initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
Warning: No support for locale: en_US.utf8
W: mdadm: /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf defines no arrays.
Processing triggers for python-support ...
skunk@CHUX-OFFICE-$ _


I know to restart the system after a video driver install so....

skunk@CHUX-OFFICE sudo reboot now

When the system rebooted, a disk check was forced, which had some interesting output:

fsck from util-linux-ng 2.17.2
fsck from util-linux-ng 2.17.2
udevd[468]: can not read '/etc/udev/rules.d/z80_user.rules'

/dev/sda1: clean, 219369/987360 files, 1651767/3941941 blocks
/dev/sda3 has been mounted 32 times without being checked, check forced.
Your disk drives are being checked for errors, this may take some time
Press C to cancel all checks currently in progress

[ 562.414349] /build/buildd/linux-2.6.35/drivers/hid-core.c: can't r
eset device, 0000:00:12.2-1-4/input0, status -71
[ 562.424471] /build/buildd/linux-2.6.35/drivers/hid-core.c: can't r
eset device, 0000:00:12.2-1-4/input0, status -71
[ 562.595463] /build/buildd/linux-2.6.35/drivers/hid-core.c: can't r
eset device, 0000:00:12.2-1-4/input0, status -100
[ 562.595471] /build/buildd/linux-2.6.35/drivers/hid-core.c: can't r
eset device, 0000:00:12.2-1-4/input0, status -100

I unplugged the usb bus which has my keyboard and mouse plugged in, there are no other usb devices on the system, got to prompt

skunk@CHUX-OFFICE!$ startx
markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting
(**) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log"' Time: Tue Apr 3 18:26:16 2012
(==) Using config file: "/etc/Z11/xorg.conf"
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
WARNING: Deprecated configfile/etc/modprobe.conf, all config files belong into
/etc/modprobe.d/.
FATAL Module nvidia not found.
(EE) NVIDIA: Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module. Please check your
(EE) NVIDIA: system's kernel log for additional error messages.
(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module-specific error, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
for help.
Please also check the log file at "var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional informati
on,

ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log
giving up.
xinit: No such file or directory (errno 2): unable to connect to X server
xinit: No such process (errno3): Server error.
skunk@CHUX-OFFICE~$_

[skunkarific]

I gave up. I was rebooting the computer to reimage it, and missed the "Boot from CDROM" prompt. Suddenly, it took me to a graphical logon!

[sagirfahmid3]

Usually when that happens to me (rarely, when I am messing around too much), I just remove the xorg.conf and a new one is created which then restores my GUI.
sudo rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf