Centrino T8100 2.1-GHz 32bit system
3GB Ram
20.1-inch WSXGA UltraBrightView (1920 × 1200)
nVidia 8800M GTS Discrete x 16 Graphics via MXM
HDD 320-GB 5400-rpm
OS:
Linux Mint Cinnamon 17.1 (Rebecca) 32 bit. Full install, not dual boot etc. I simply deleted windows from the HDD and installed Mint over the repartioned HDD, so there is nothing but Linux Mint on this PC currently.
Output of inxi -Fxz:
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System: Host: HP1920 Kernel: 3.13.0-100-generic i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.4) Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca
Machine: System: Hewlett-Packard (portable) product: N/A version: F.39
Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 30E2 version: KBC Version 87.0B
Bios: Hewlett-Packard version: 68DVD Ver. F.39 date: 06/19/2008
CPU: Dual core Intel Core2 Duo CPU T8100 (-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 8378.6
Clock Speeds: 1: 800.00 MHz 2: 800.00 MHz
Graphics: Card: NVIDIA G92M [GeForce 8800M GTS] bus-ID: 01:00.0
X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) FAILED: nouveau Resolution: 1152x864@60.0hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on NV92 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card: Intel 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.13.0-100-generic
Network: Card-1: Intel PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN [Kedron] Network Connection
driver: iwl4965 ver: in-tree: bus-ID: 10:00.0
IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Card-2: Marvell 88E8055 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller driver: sky2 ver: 1.30 port: 2000 bus-ID: 28:00.0
IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 320.1GB (1.9% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: TOSHIBA_MK1652GS size: 160.0GB
2: id: /dev/sdb model: TOSHIBA_MK1652GS size: 160.0GB
Partition: ID: / size: 20G used: 4.8G (26%) fs: ext4 ID: /home size: 121G used: 990M (1%) fs: ext4
ID: swap-1 size: 6.73GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID: No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 41.0C mobo: 32.0C gpu: 60.0
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info: Processes: 155 Uptime: 1:56 Memory: 270.0/3029.5MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.4 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4
My issue is related to trying to install nvidia drivers for the 8800M GTS GPU the laptop uses, but also possibly an intermitent boot error issue.
After installing any kind of nvidia driver (from the 'Driver Manager' option) to replace the default 'nouveau' one i get the infamous 'black screen' issue. Usually i have time to boot into the desktop (so can see the nvidia boot up logo etc), then about a minute or less before the screen seems to 'turn off'. The PC remains on, but is unusable due to the black screen. It is not a power management setting or screensaver issue as those are all turned off (the system is a laptop but as it is old the battery is dead so it requires power cable all the time, so i changed the normal laptop usage settings to be always on etc).
I performed this command from advice given on removing nvidia drivers:
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sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia-*
The second part (perhaps related?) of the problem is that roughly 50% of the time when i switch the laptp on it will not boot into a GRUB menu and just waits on a semi-black (not fully black as above, dark grey - looking as if it is trying to do something etc) screen forever, prompting a hard reboot. I do see the HP boot options (F2, F5; how to access bios etc) prior to the semi-blank screen, just nothing Mint related.
The other half of the time i get the GRUB screen after the HP bios options and Mint boots up fine (the Mint Logo appears then the login screen etc).
In terms of the nvidia drivers it would be nice to use the provided GPU to it's fullest, but the biggest concern is the tempremental boot up nature of the laptop under Mint, so any help for all or some of this is much appriciated.
Even after a years trouble free Mint use on my other laptop (An Acer Travelmate), i am not an expert Linux Mint user, so be gentle in your advice please