Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

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Jennifer W

Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Jennifer W »

Hi all,

This guide is for LMDE 2 64 bit cinnamon / mate.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Though this method works, there is still some work in progress, this means:

This does not work for Optimus

As a note i still want to add a caution/disclaimer to this tutorial that using the official way, this:

https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

or

Install nvidia driver from the default Linux Mint / Debian repositories, like so:

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sudo apt install nvidia-driver nvidia-xconfig
sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo reboot

This is still the recommended way of doing things.

My approach should only be used if you really really need the latest driver for decent frame rates, your applications and graphics card.
As it stands now, the official method is a way easier install than my approach is, yet i do get better results doing it the way i do. (with playing windows based 32 bit games)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tutorial Nvidia install, the non-official way....

So, here is the correct order of things for people that need to install the latest driver for what ever reason for their LMDE 2 64 bit system and Nvidia Graphics Card:

Before installing the nvidia driver, you will first want to add a i386 architecture (if you are using the 64 bit version of LMDE 2) If you plan on playing games through wine / playonlinux you' ll also want to install wine32 and probably version 1.7.x and up before installing playonlinux from the software center.

(playonlinux will throw "wine seems to have crashed" error (on 64 bit LMDE2) if you do not set multi-arch i386 first and have not installed wine32 without telling you it is actually missing 32 bit libraries)

If you do not intend to use your LMDE 2 64 bit install for 32 bit applications or games you can actually skip the part about installing Wine / PlayonLinux / Multi-arch. If you do not plan on gaming but are going to use 32 bit applications than at least setup Multi-arch (sudo –add-architecture i386)

Setting up multi-arch (You need to do this if you are planning to use 32 bit applications / games)

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sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
Setting up Wine / Playonlinux (You need this if using 32 bit applications / games through wine)

It seems it is best to install wine before installing Playonlinux.
Another thing to note is that you might want a later version of wine than version 1.7.29-4 . For the latest wine versions you will have to install from the jessie backports repository as well.

You can do this like this:

1) add the following repository to your sources.list

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deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie-backports main
(you could do this "manually, or use the GUI > goto system settings > packet sources > extra packet sources and press add repository, now just copy the above into the field and " add" )

Manually:

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sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
add:

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deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie-backports main
Than "Ctrl+o" and "Enter" to save the added repository to the sources.list, than "Ctrl+x" to close it

2)

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 sudo apt update
3) install Wine (from standard jessie repository wine version 1.6.2-20)

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sudo apt install wine wine32
Optionally, you can install the following packages:

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sudo apt install libasound2-plugins:i386 glibc-doc:i386 locales:i386 gnutls-bin:i386 libvisual-0.4-plugins:i386 gstreamer0.10-tools:i386 gstreamer0.10-plugins-base:i386 libportaudio2:i386 ttf-mscorefonts-installer libc6-i686:i386 libtxc-dxtn-s2tc0:i386 libgpm2:i386 libsasl2-modules:i386 libxcursor1:i386 glibc-doc-reference rng-tools:i386 opus-tools:i386 speex:i386 va-driver-all:i386 gvfs:i386 gpm:i386 libsasl2-modules-otp:i386 libsasl2-modules-ldap:i386 libsasl2-modules-sql:i386 libsasl2-modules-gssapi-mit:i386 libsasl2-modules-gssapi-heimdal:i386 libbluray-bdj:i386 libaacs0:i386 
and/or install wine-development (from standard jessie repository wine version 1.7.29-4)

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sudo apt install wine-development wine32-development wine32-development-preloader:i386 libwine-gecko-2.24:i386
and/or install wine-development from jessie backports (wine latest version)
The suggested and recommended packages are optional.

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sudo apt install \
wine-development/jessie-backports \
wine32-development/jessie-backports \
wine64-development/jessie-backports \
libwine-development/jessie-backports \
libwine-development:i386/jessie-backports \
fonts-wine-development/jessie-backports
Now from software center install pavucontrol and ttf-microsoft-fonts if you have not installed these yet. Just open software center and search for "pulse" for the pavucontrol package and just type microsoft in the search field to bring up ttf-microsoft-fonts

After this you can install playonlinux from software manager and have no "wine seems to have crashed" messages when trying to install a 32bit windows application/game.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you are NOT looking to use 32bit applications / games on LMDE2 64 bit, through wine or not, you can skip the above and start using the tutorial to install your driver here
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1) Now, download the driver from the nvidia website (remember downloaded file location (NVIDIA-Linux-86_64-340.93.run for example, put your version here))
(usually you should use repositories only though! Only do this if you really want / need the latest driver for your card)

2) Change the " blacklist" file to contain "blacklist nouveau"

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sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/fbdev-blacklist.conf
add to the list:

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blacklist nouveau
3) To purge Nouveau from initramfs type:

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sudo update-initramfs -u
4) Reboot system

Now your system boots into LMDE 2 and might say it is running in software rendering mode. (In Cinnamon it does, in Mate it does not)
If you are using a later than 340.96 nvidia driver, chances are the vdpau-driver is not included in your installation package.
(the 340.96 installer package still has the vdpau-driver) In this case you must install this from current repositories, like so:

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sudo apt install nvidia-vdpau-driver nvidia-vdpau-driver:i386
5) To stop mdm type:

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sudo /etc/init.d/mdm stop
6) Login and change directory to you nvidia driver download location and run driver installer

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su root
sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-340.93.run
(change for your driver version)

7) Say "yes" to everything

If you did NOT set up your LMDE 64 bit system to be able to play 32 bit windows games or install 32 bit windows applications using playonlinux / wine or used multi-arch i386, you will get a warning that a expected 32 bit compatibility library could not be found. (you can just choose "install anyway" and it will work just fine)

People who DO want to use 32 bit windows applications and games through playonlinux/wine must have followed the first section of this tutorial before starting the driver installation or at least have set multi-arch i386 on their LMDE2-64bit system. The driver will find the expected library path and will not come up with a warning.

8) The end of the installer will ask to change the xorg.conf for you. Now you can choose "Yes".

9) Reboot system.

If for some reason X won't start, log in and remove the xorg.conf file, like this:

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sudo rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Than manually create a xorg.conf file like this,

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sudo mkdir /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
su root
echo -e 'Section "Device"\n\tIdentifier "My GPU"\n\tDriver "nvidia"\nEndSection' > /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf
This does not work for Optimus, it actually breaks Xorg on Optimus systems.

Reboot and enjoy

Hope this helps someone out!

Jennifer
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 10 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Jennifer W

Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Jennifer W »

Edited the tutorial to reflect that the top level 32 bit compatibility libraries provided in the Nvidia installer are now installed into the expected library path.
(Had problems with that in the first draft)
Jennifer W

Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Jennifer W »

I forgot to change the order of things which solves the 32 bit library part.

also added the disclaimer that you will only need to do it exactly like this if you are looking to use 32 bit windows games and applications through playonlinux.

I have now tested the tutorial by actually using it line by line on two systems and the results are now consistent.

Less graphical glitches in game, actually did not find any this time (i think i might be able to fully switch to LMDE 2 now instead of using LM 17.2 for gaming and LMDE 2 for professional use)

B.t.w graphical glitches where only found using win 32 bit games, NOT on desktop use.

I got playable frames per second now (never below 40fps with blizzard games on a GTS 250 on medium to high settings which is about 10 - 15 fps lower compared to what i would get on windows. This is perfectly fine, it feels just as smooth and dont notice a difference while playing. I think thats pretty decent knowing i am using a " wrapper " to play it on Linux, perfectly acceptable.

And cinnamon does not show any sign anymore of wanting to go into fallback mode nor does X show any sign anymore of wanting to crash.
(As if those services have feelings.....yeah right Jennifer!)

Anyways, hope this helps someone!
kevinthefixer
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Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by kevinthefixer »

Jennifer, may I suggest giving the full path to sources.list in your main text? "/etc/apt/sources.list" might save someone the trouble of a file search. Although LMDE2's search tool is fast, I think it took about 2 1/2 seconds to find about 8 instances, most in documentation.
Jennifer W

Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Jennifer W »

kevinthefixer wrote:Jennifer, may I suggest giving the full path to sources.list in your main text? "/etc/apt/sources.list" might save someone the trouble of a file search. Although LMDE2's search tool is fast, I think it took about 2 1/2 seconds to find about 8 instances, most in documentation.
Done!

Though i figured i had best kept it as non-techie as possible, as per forum rules.
so i only put the GUI method there for people just starting out on Linux.
Figured that the already techsavie people who use LMDE 2 would already know how to cli it or could find it in 2,5 seconds.....like yourself.... :wink:

Anyways, as per your request, its added :D
kevinthefixer
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Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by kevinthefixer »

Once again thanks. As I posted on another forum earlier today (XDA developers), I should either do much more CLI work and polish my skills, or much less. I'm very rusty.
Jennifer W

Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Jennifer W »

Edit: Nothing wrong with LMDE2 multiarch......there is a difference in how apt-get works on LMDE2 compared to Debian

Have found the reason why the 32 bit libraries giving issues. It Seems multiarch on LMDE 2 doesnt do what it should do for this installment and thus end up with graphical arteffects when running a 32 bit windows game through playonlinux/wine.

Upcoming week i will be looking into this issue since i still need to find out WHY multiarch isnt doing what it is supposed to be doing. (the needed i386 packages are not being picked up nor installed after setting up multiarch) I facepalmed that i did not notice this before, i started to realise this when i tried the exact same thing on a straight up Debian Jessie and noticed how much more packages where being retreived, than notices these where all the needed i386 packages. Checked back on LMDE2 and indeed....even after setting up multiarch the i386 packages are not being donwloaded and installed.

If you already know what i am missing here, please feel free to tell me! Might save me some time.

Anyways, as soon as i figured this out i will update this tutorial accordingly.

The result on Debian was awesome, since it took away all the graphical issues and am now able to game on the platform at the same quality level as i was able to on 17.3 Mate. I explicity say mate, since also on debian mate performes flawlessly while with cinnamon i got the same in regular slowdowns. So, i know and knew all along......LMDE 2 should be able to do this (gaming using as multipurpose desktop OS)
Last edited by Jennifer W on Tue Dec 08, 2015 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jennifer W

Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Jennifer W »

Revised the initial post and cleaned it up.

This method is now capable of performing at the same graphical quality level as games played on LM 17.x or windows.
(Its actually slightly faster on LMDE2 as compared to LM 17.x)
kevinthefixer
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Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by kevinthefixer »

Jennifer, if I may ask for a clarification:

at the top of your tutorial you discuss the "recommended way of doing things", and supply some code that is simple enough even for myself. But all other such discussions I've ever seen require blacklisting the Nouveau driver also. Is this still necessary here, or is that done automatically in the "sudo nvidia-xconfig" command, or am I missing something entirely?
Jennifer W

Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Jennifer W »

kevinthefixer wrote:Jennifer, if I may ask for a clarification:

at the top of your tutorial you discuss the "recommended way of doing things", and supply some code that is simple enough even for myself. But all other such discussions I've ever seen require blacklisting the Nouveau driver also. Is this still necessary here, or is that done automatically in the "sudo nvidia-xconfig" command, or am I missing something entirely?
Hi Kevin,

Sorry for a late reply, like i said somewhere else, i am not always able to find the time to come back to the forum.

When you use the recommended install it will at one point prompt you that it must disable nouveau, but it will do so for you and tells you, you will have to reboot after installation is finished for nouveau to be disabled. The " sudo nvidia-xconfig " is just there to write a configuration to the /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Other great news...

The current method is also capable of being added to DKMS, i have changed the initial post to reflect that.
Which makes the method completely viable and might even be preferred over the official method :D
kevinthefixer
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Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by kevinthefixer »

You're on fire, girl! Thanks once again!
Mister.T
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Re: Nvidia install on LMDE 2 64 bit Cinnamon (+wine 1.7.x)

Post by Mister.T »

This is the way I've always installed Nvidia drivers and for me it's flawless.

apt install nvidia-kernel-dkms nvidia-glx build-essential nvidia-settings nvidia-xconfig

sudo nvidia-xconfig

sudo echo blacklist nouveau > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf

Then just reboot.
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