Tips for Troubleshooting Graphics Issues (including external monitors not working)

[SMG]

The most common reason for graphics issues, including external monitors not working, is the graphics drivers are not loaded.

NVIDIA: Do not use the drivers with "open" in the name. Use the same version without "open".

Signs the graphics drivers are not loaded include:

• Pop-up message (if running Cinnamon) Check your video drivers: Your system is currently running without video hardware acceleration
• Resolution issues such as low resolution, wrong resolution, or not being able to change the resolution
• No image on an external monitor (including HDMI-connected monitors)

Step 1: Verify the hardware graphics drivers are loaded.

Either open the System Reports app and click on the System information option (on the left panel) or run inxi -Fxxxrz in a terminal to see if the graphics drivers are loaded by scrolling to the "Graphics" section.

If you see both driver: N/A and renderer: llvmpipe then the kernel driver did NOT load.

Graphics:
Device-1: Intel vendor: Dell driver: N/A bus ID: 0000:00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:9a49
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: fbdev unloaded: modesetting,vesa
resolution: 1920x1080~77Hz
OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 12.0.0 256 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 21.2.6 compat-v: 3.1
direct render: Yes

Open-source drivers including Intel and AMD are included in the Linux kernel. In most cases when these drivers do not load it means the kernel currently being used is too old to have the necessary drivers.

• If your computer is an AMD Ryzen 4000 series or newer, then you definitely will need a kernel newer than the 5.4 LTS kernel (in LM20 versions) in order to get the graphics driver to load for any onboard graphics.
• If your computer is an AMD Ryzen 7000 series or newer, then you definitely will need a kernel newer than the 5.15 LTS kernel (in LM21 versions) in order to get the graphics driver to load for any onboard graphics. Go to If you have Ryzen 6000 or 7000 series AMD .
• If your computer is a 10th-gen Intel or newer, then you definitely will need a kernel newer than the 5.4 LTS kernel (in LM20 versions) in order to get the graphics driver to load for any onboard graphics.
• If your computer is a 13th-gen Intel or newer, then you definitely will need a kernel newer than the 5.15 LTS kernel (in LM21 versions) in order to get the graphics driver to load for any onboard graphics. Go to If you have a 12th or 13th or 14th generation Intel CPU.
• You may also need the newer kernels in order to have newer AMD or Nvidia GPUs recognized properly so drivers will load. There are sections in this document for AMD RX 6400, AMD RX 6500 XT, or an AMD RX 6700 XT, AMD RX 7600, AMD RX 7800 XT and AMD RX 7900 XTX or an AMD RX 7900 XT.
• If you have a laptop with Nvidia, make sure you have the drivers for the onboard graphics loaded even if you are just using Nvidia. You need both the drivers for Nvidia and the drivers for the onboard graphics (Intel or AMD) to load for everything to work properly.

Instructions for upgrading to a newer kernel:

• Open Update Manager.
• Select View > Linux Kernels and click Continue.
• Select the top option on the left panel (5.15 in LM20 versions; 6.5 in LM21 versions) and then click the top-most option on the right panel. An "Install" button will appear.
• Install the kernel and then reboot for it to become active.

Now either check the updated System Reports app info or run inxi -SGx in a terminal to verify the kernel changed and the graphics driver is no longer N/A and the renderer is no longer llvmpipe.

If the driver is still N/A and the renderer is still llvmpipe, two possible reasons are:

• The computer was booted in Recovery Mode instead of booting normally. You must boot normally to get the graphics drivers to load.
• The computer was booted using the nomodeset kernel parameter. Remove the kernel parameter and recheck the drivers.

If the driver is loaded, but the renderer is still llvmpipe, make sure when you logged into Linux Mint that you did not select software rendering from the drop-down box.


If the Nvidia driver is N/A, but the renderer is not llvmpipe, that may be normal if you have a dual-graphics laptop (but your external monitors may not work properly because the Nvidia driver is not loaded.)

Sample dual Graphics (Intel & Nvidia) laptop with the correct drivers while running in Intel-Powersave mode:
Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
Device-2: NVIDIA GP108M [GeForce MX250] vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: N/A bus ID: 02:00.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting
unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 3840x2160~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.3
direct render: Yes

Sample Nvidia Graphics with correct drivers:
Device-1: NVIDIA GM200 [GeForce GTX 980 Ti] vendor: Micro-Star MSI
driver: nvidia v: 510.47.03 bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 10de:17c8
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: nvidia
resolution: 1920x1080~120Hz
OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti/PCIe/SSE2
v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 510.47.03 direct render: Yes

Sample Intel Graphics with correct drivers:
Device-1: Intel vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 0000:00:02.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting
unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel Xe Graphics (TGL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.2.6
direct render: Yes

Sample AMD Graphics with correct drivers (amdgpu):
Device-1: AMD vendor: ASUSTeK driver: amdgpu v: kernel bus ID: 03:00.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: amdgpu,ati
unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: AMD RENOIR (DRM 3.40.0 5.11.0-36-generic LLVM 12.0.0)
v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.3 direct render: Yes

---

If you have Nvidia graphics

• Do not use the drivers with "open" in the name. Yes, I know they may be showing as recommended. Use the version without "open" in the name. It may be at the bottom of the list. The open drivers are alpha quality in a number of aspects and require extra work to load properly. They are unlikely to be what you want to use, especially if you game.
• If the driver is not loading even though it is showing in Driver Manager as being installed, check if Secure Boot is enabled by running mokutil --sb-state in a terminal. If it is enabled, the Nvidia kernel modules will need to be signed (MOK) before they will load at boot time. The screens you see to create keys and sign the modules can vary by computer manufacturer.
  • For additional information see the How can I do non-automated signing of drivers? section. Do not do the last sentence.
  • If you recall seeing screens asking for a password, then it is likely the process was started so when you run sudo update-secureboot-policy --enroll-key you will be prompted for a password. You will need to use that password the next time you boot so the key is enrolled, but that will be the only time you need the password.
• If the driver is doing a partial load (it no longer says N/A), but the resolution is wrong, or you can't change the resolution, or the Nvidia X Server Settings app is an empty box, then try the fix in this post.

If you have older Nvidia graphics which can only use one of the below listed drivers:

• Nvidia-340: The 340 driver is supported for Linux Mint 20 versions when you use the 5.4 LTS kernel. The 340 driver is not supported in Linux Mint 21 versions and you must use the open-source xorg-nouveau driver.
• Nvidia-304: The only supported driver is the xorg-nouveau open-source driver. There are no proprietary drivers supported in Linux Mint for your GPU.

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If you have a 12th or 13th or 14th generation Intel CPU

If you have a 12th-gen Intel CPU, the drivers for the onboard graphics are included in the 5.14-oem and 5.15 kernels. If you have an LM 20 version, install the 5.15 kernel using Update Manager. If you have an LM21 version, best performance with 12th-gen Intel CPUs will be with the latest available 6-series kernel. Use Update Manager to install the 6.5 kernel.

If you have a 13th-gen Intel CPU, you must use an LM21 version. The drivers for the onboard graphics are included in the 5.19 kernels, but you will have better performance if you install the latest available 6-series kernel. If you are wanting to use the Cinnamon desktop, you can install an Edge ISO which has the 6.2 kernel (LM21.2) or the 6.5 kernel (LM21.3). You will be upgraded to the 6.5 kernel when you run updates if you installed LM21.2. If you are using MATE or Xfce, use Update Manager to install the 6.5 kernel as described earlier in this post.

If you have a 14th-gen Intel CPU, you must use an LM21 version. Additionally, you must know which 14th-gen Intel version you have.

• If you have one similar to Intel i9-14900K (Raptor Lake refresh), the drivers for the onboard graphics are included in the 5.19 kernels, but you will have better performance if you install the latest available 6-series kernel. If you are wanting to use the Cinnamon desktop, you can install an Edge ISO which has the 6.2 kernel (LM21.2) or the 6.5 kernel (LM21.3). You will be upgraded to the 6.5 kernel when you run updates if you installed LM21.2. If you are using MATE or Xfce, use Update Manager to install the 6.5 kernel as described earlier in this post.
• If you have one similar to Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (Meteor Lake), you will need to install a mainline kernel 6.6 or newer (preferably at least 6.7 to get the best support) to get the necessary graphics drivers. See Mainline – Another Tool to Install Latest Kernel in Ubuntu / Linux Mint for one method of doing that.

---

If you have Ryzen 6000 or 7000 series AMD onboard graphics

If you have Ryzen 6000 or 7000 AMD onboard graphics, install an LM21 version and upgrade to the 6.5 kernel available in Update Manager or install the 6.5-oem kernel (which has fixed issues for multiple people with Lenovo laptops) using the command line sudo apt-get install linux-oem-22.04d. If you are wanting to use the Cinnamon desktop, you can install an Edge ISO which has the 6.2 kernel (LM21.2) or the 6.5 kernel (LM21.3). You will be upgraded to the 6.5 kernel when you run updates if you installed LM21.2. If you are using MATE or Xfce, use Update Manager to install the 6.5 kernel as described earlier in this post.

If you are still having graphics issues, please follow the installing firmware instructions in the section for the AMD RX 7900 XTX.


If you have an AMD RX 6400, AMD RX 6500 XT, or an AMD RX 6700 XT

If you have an AMD RX 6400 or an AMD RX 6500 XT, the drivers are included in the 5.14-oem and newer kernels. (The 5.13 kernel does not have the drivers for these GPUs.) If you have an LM 20 version, install the 5.15 kernel using Update Manager.

If you have an AMD RX 6700 XT, make sure your LM20.3 system is updated so you have the linux-firmware version 1.187.28 or newer. That firmware is needed for the drivers to load. That firmware was not released until early March 2022 so it is NOT included on any of the Linux Mint 20.3 ISOs. You must update your system to get this firmware package. Additionally, please use at least a 5.13 or newer kernel.


If you have an AMD RX 7600

If you have an RX 7600 and find your cursor disappearing after you run all the updates, please follow the instructions in the NOTE section for the AMD RX 7900 XTX. A forum user found the first option did not work for them, but the second one did.


If you have an AMD RX 7800 XT

If you have an RX 7800 XT and have already installed a 6 series kernel (6.2 or 6.5 or 6.5-oem) and find the drivers are still not loading, please follow the installing firmware instructions in the section for the AMD RX 7900 XTX. Users were receiving firmware loading errors and updating to the latest cleared the errors so the drivers loaded.


If you have an AMD RX 7900 XTX or an AMD RX 7900 XT

If you have an AMD RX 7900 XTX or an AMD RX 7900 XT, you must use at least a 6.0 version kernel, a Mesa version 22.2 or newer, and install the necessary firmware. Currently, none of these come with a non-Edge Linux Mint 21 version ISO. You must upgrade all three in order to get graphics. Depending upon your motherboard/CPU, you may need newer versions of each of the three. Post a topic on the forum if you have questions about any of the below.

• Install the 6.5 kernel using Update Manager. If you are wanting to use the Cinnamon desktop, you can install an Edge ISO which has the 6.2 kernel (LM21.2) or the 6.5 kernel (LM21.3). You will be upgraded to the 6.5 kernel when you run updates if you installed LM21.2.
  • You may also want to consider installing a mainline kernel.
• Upgrade the Mesa to version 23.0.4 by running the updates in Update Manager. If you want, you can get a newer Mesa version than that by adding either of the below. Timeshift (or similiar backup strategy) is advised before installing PPAs.
  • kisak-PPA
  • oibaf-PPA - Be aware this PPA is updated very frequently and has been known to cause problems.
• Install the firmware.
  • Take a Timeshift snapshot. If this change causes problems, a snapshot will be the best way to reverse the change.
  • Please go to this page and download the linux-firmware-main.tar.gz firmware package into your Downloads directory. Make sure there is a red rectangle with HEAD in it and a green rectangle with main in it. That means that is the latest commit.
  • Right-click the downloaded file and select "Extract here". That will create a directory named linux-firmware-main.
  • Navigate to the ~/Downloads/linux-firmware-main/amdgpu/ folder and open a terminal in that directory and run the following lines one at a time.

    Code: Select all

    sudo cp -u * /lib/firmware/amdgpu/
    sudo update-initramfs -u -k all

  • Reboot the computer.
  [*]NOTE: Multiple people have discovered their cursor disappeared after doing the above. Switching to the software cursor works around this issue. There is more than one way this can be done and not all ways may work on your install. Timeshift (or similiar backup strategy) is advised. Do only one option; you do not need to do both.
  • One option: create the following file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-amdgpu.conf with the contents

    Code: Select all

    Section “Device”
         Identifier “AMD”
         Driver “amdgpu”
         Option “SWCursor” “True”
    End Section

  • Another option: modify the /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-amdgpu.conf (or similarly named file such as 20-amdgpu.conf) and add the following lines

    Code: Select all

    Section "OutputClass"
    	Identifier "AMDgpu"
    	MatchDriver "amdgpu"
    	Driver "amdgpu"
            Option "SWcursor" "true"
    EndSection

---

If the graphics drivers are still not loaded

If at this point your issue is not resolved and is not related to an external monitor, please create a new topic on the forum and include the output of inxi -Fxxxrz and a detailed description of the issue.


If the hardware graphics drivers are loaded, but there is still no image on the external monitor, continue to step 2.

---

Step 2: Check the Connections and check your GPU mode if you have a dual-graphics laptop

• Completely remove and securely re-attach both ends of the cable for the external monitor. Especially with HDMI cables, a small misalignment is enough to cause a black screen when booting normally.
  • It is possible for this to be the problem when booting normally and yet you can still get graphics when booting in recovery mode. There is more information transferred when the graphic drivers are installed (when booting normally) compared to when you are booting in recovery mode and using software rendering mode. Therefore, a slight misalignment that would let most, but not all, information transfer is not likely to be an issue when booting in recovery mode.
• Try a different cable.
• If the external monitor is connected to a docking station, connect the monitor directly to the computer to see if it works.
  • Some docking stations require DisplayLink drivers (or other proprietary drivers) in order for the video signals to work properly.
  • Do not install DisplayLink drivers just to see if they work. Only install them if your dock requires them.
  • Here are the directions to install the DisplayLink driver. I suggest following the instructions for the "Synaptics APT Repository". If you are using version 5.8 of the driver and are experiencing a slow boot time, see the fix in this topic [SOLVED]Displaylink errors causing 2 minute freeze at boot (the part in red in the first post).
• If available, try a different port on the GPU.
• If available, try a different monitor.
• Verify the newest BIOS/UEFI is installed. Manufacturers sometimes fix port issues with updates.
• If you have a dual-graphics laptop that has an Nvidia driver version higher than 435, try switching to On-Demand mode using the nvidia-prime-applet. Some laptops have one GPU driving the laptop display and another driving the external ports. That situation requires drivers for both GPUs to be loaded.

If the monitor is still not working, please create a new topic on the forum and include the following information:

• The output of inxi -Fxxxrz
• The make and model of the monitor and its preferred resolution
• Describe how you are connecting the monitor to the computer (for example, HDMI to HDMI, USB-C to HDMI, etc.)
• The make and model of any docks being used

[SMG]

As new information becomes available or clarification is needed, the first post will be edited.

Edits include:

• 16 April 2024
  • Added clarifying information for updating the amdgpu linux-firmware.
• 30 January 2024
  • Added clarifying information for 14th-gen Intel CPUs to add information for 155H Meteor Lake CPUs.
  • Added information for LM21.3 Edge ISO.
• 10 January 2024
  • Added information for 6.5 kernels (HWE version which is slightly different from the OEM version).
  • Added information about LM21 Edge ISOs.
• 18 December 2023
  • Added information for 14th-gen Intel onboard graphics.
• 15 November 2023
  • Added section for AMD RX 7800 XT.
  • Added link and information for DisplayLink driver.
  • Added a reason for driver loading, but still getting llvmpipe.
  • Added information regarding MOK/secure boot keys.
  • Made formatting changes.
• 22 September 2023
  • Added instructions for installing the 6.5-oem kernel.
• 10 September 2023
  • Changed instructions for upgrading firmware to only including upgrading amdgpu firmware.
• 21 August 2023
  • Updated listed Mesa version to 23.0.4.
• 21 July 2023
  • Removed references to 5.19 and 6.x-oem kernels. The 6.2 HWE kernel is now available and recommended instead.
  • Added note to take a Timeshift snapshot prior to installing firmware packages.
• 14 July 2023
  • Fixed typo in Mesa version. 22.2.7 should have been 22.2.5.
• 12 July 2023
  • Correct change made on 11 July related to linux-firmware. One does need to download newer firmware because Update Manager is not providing a newer version.
• 11 July 2023
  • Updated kernel recommendations to add "or newer" because some of these iGPUs/APUs/GPUs will benefit from newer kernels. Added instructions for getting the latest kernel available at the time of this update.
  • Updated information about the linux-firmware packages.
  • Added a section for AMD RX 7600.
• 10 April 2023
  • Re-wrote the Nvidia-340 information so people understand all sentences of the bullet point only apply to the 340 driver.
• 02 April 2023
  • Added clarification on the heading about older Nvidia GPUs so it is understood the information applies only to the listed driver versions and not to all GPUs.
• 7 February 2023
  • Removed notes regarding Nvidia drivers on LM21 when using kernels 5.19 and 6.1-oem because 2.8.7-2ubuntu2.1mint1 was released.
  • Updated information for AMD RX 7900 XTX or AMD RX 7900 XT because a newer Mesa version became available in Linux Mint 21.1 and newer firmware versions are also available.
• 6 February 2023
  • Rewrote notes regarding Nvidia drivers on LM21 when using kernels 5.19 and 6.1-oem and removed links which caused confusion.
• 1 February 2023
  • Clarified notes regarding Nvidia drivers on LM21 when using kernels 5.19 and 6.1-oem and added a new link.
• 31 January 2023
  • Added information about needing to add gcc-12 to use Nvidia drivers with kernels 5.19 and 6.1-oem.
• 26 January 2023
  • Split some sections into more bullet points so those skimming the tips and not reading entire sentences will be more likely to notice if their situation is explained.
  • Emphasized or added some clarifications for dual-graphics laptops.
• 13 January 2023
  • Added more information for AMD RX 7900 XTX or AMD RX 7900 XT regarding "missing" cursor and possible need to use newer versions of the listed requirements.
• 10 January 2023
  • Added option of what to do if one has an AMD RX 7900 XTX or AMD RX 7900 XT.
  • Added information for Nvidia GPUs for which the newest driver which can be used is either the Nvidia-304 or the Nvidia-340.
• 02 January 2023
  • Added information for Ryzen 6000 and 7000 AMD onboard graphics.
  • Added more information for 12th-gen and 13th-gen Intel onboard graphics.
  • Added more clarification for which information applies to LM20 versions and which to LM21 versions.
• 16 November 2022
  • Added Nvidia note at top to not use "open" driver. Added additional information under Nvidia heading about the "open" driver.
  • Added option of what to do if one has 13th-gen Intel onboard graphics.
• 03 August 2022
  • Updated kernel references now that Linux Mint 21 has been released and kernel 5.15 is available in Update Manager for Linux Mint 20 versions.
• 30 May 2022
  • Added option of what to do if one has an AMD RX 6400.
• 16 May 2022
  • Clarified first bullet point under Checking the Connections and added an explanation bullet point of why it is possible for an image to appear when booting in recovery mode even when the cable is not fully connected.
• 03 April 2022
  • Clarified when one has N/A the graphics driver is NOT loaded.
  • Added option of what to do if one has an AMD RX 6500 XT or AMD RX 6700 XT.
  • Added option of what to do if one has 12th-gen Intel onboard graphics.
• 25 March 2022 - Added to question 2 a clarification and two more options to check.
  • Clarified information about DisplayLink drivers into separate bullet points.
  • Added advice to check BIOS/UEFI version.
  • Added advice to check graphics mode on dual-graphics laptop.

[toddstone]

Thank you for the help. It worked without issue.

[wilson]

Yes, this advice also solved my problem, so thanks!

For reference, I have a new desktop PC with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G APU. I was getting the message in the Cinnamon desktop to "Check your video drivers: Your system is currently running without video hardware acceleration." The default behavior to check for updates in the Update Manager didn't reveal any out of date drivers, but using the kernel updates view in the Update Manager to install kernel version 5.13 fixed the problem quickly and easily. Version 5.4.0 is the version that my Linux Mint 20.3 installation media installed, so this may prove to be a very useful thread for many new users like me. It's definitely worth keeping it "stickied" for a while.

[parizaad]

The most common reason for graphics issues, including external monitors not working, is the graphics drivers are not loaded.
[...]

Thanks for these healthy tips. Helped alot

[SMG]

Moderator note: bilbander's problems can now be found in GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 problems in LM20 and LM21 because problems are not "tips for troubleshooting" which is the topic of this thread.

If you are having issues and the tips do not work, please create a new topic for your issue.

[DDR-4]

Thanks for your helpful tips with this. I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why LM20.1 Ulyssa wasn't working on a brand new Dell Latitude laptop.

Installing the latest 5.15.x kernel fixed the missing drivers issue.

The only problem now is I need a Live DVD with a 5.15 kernel as default - because I cannot use both external monitors with the LM 20.1 recovery disk - due to the older kernel.

Any suggestions please?

[SMG]

The only problem now is I need a Live DVD with a 5.15 kernel as default - because I cannot use both external monitors with the LM 20.1 recovery disk - due to the older kernel.

Any suggestions please?

Any of the Linux Mint 21 or Linux Mint 21.1 version ISOs have the 5.15 kernel as default. (LM21.1 versions will have a newer 5.15 kernel than the LM21 versions.) If you have a brand new laptop, you should probably be using LM21 anyhow because it likely needs a newer kernel than 5.15.

The highest version kernel available with an LM20 ISO is the 5.13 kernel available on the Linux Mint 20.3 "Una" - Cinnamon (Edge) ISO .

If you have further questions, please create a new topic explaining your issue and concerns.

[DDR-4]

Thanks for your fast reply SMG.

I'll download the Linux Mint 21.1 version ISO and use that for trouble shooting.

[daStenz]

This post should be sticky - it's just so much valuable information!

Could you please explain what you refer to as the linux-firmware?

If you have an AMD RX 6700 XT, make sure your system is updated so you have the linux-firmware version 1.187.28 or newer.

Editing the post to answer my own question:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... erminology
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/Firmware

How can one check if the correct firmware is present ?

Would you also please explain, how the installation of a driver is handled so that the kernel driver is overridden?
I noticed once that during the nvidia driver installation a new initramfs was processed and added as new grub entry that was the new default at boot.
What happened?

[SMG]

This post should be sticky - it's just so much valuable information!

It already is a sticky at the top of the Graphics Drivers & Monitors forum.

Could you please explain what you refer to as the linux-firmware?

If you have an AMD RX 6700 XT, make sure your system is updated so you have the linux-firmware version 1.187.28 or newer.

How can one check if the correct firmware is present ?

There is a package named linux-firmware that is installed on your system. You can search for it in Synaptic Package Manager to see what version you have installed.

If you have LM21 versions installed, then you already have a newer version so you have it.
If you have LM20 versions installed and you have run all updates, then you have it.

Would you also please explain, how the installation of a driver is handled so that the kernel driver is overridden?
I noticed once that during the nvidia driver installation a new initramfs was processed and added as new grub entry that was the new default at boot.
What happened?

I'm sorry, but I do not understand your question. You are not installing an AMD driver which is overriding the kernel driver. Firmware is separate from the graphics driver.

I do not know to what you are referring with regards to the Nvidia driver unless you also installed a new kernel at the same time. Installing a graphics driver does not add a new grub entry.

[daStenz]

I'm sorry, but I do not understand your question. You are not installing an AMD driver which is overriding the kernel driver. Firmware is separate from the graphics driver.

Yes, now I understand the concept of linux firmware and driver.
I assume the firmware blob will be updated independent from the installed driver. As soon as it is pushed to the repository.

But what goes on if we install the oibaf or kisak or proprietary nvidia driver. This driver is expected to run instead of the kernel driver.
What happens behind the scene?

I do not know to what you are referring with regards to the Nvidia driver unless you also installed a new kernel at the same time. Installing a graphics driver does not add a new grub entry.

Yes, it seems strange to me too!
This happened after I installed the GTX1060. I chose to install the driver and lots of console activity took place.
Could it be, that the routine configured another kernel?
Maybe next time I should run a screen grabber to log what happened.
I noticed you anwered in my other post and indicated there might be an install.log.
I will check that later and maybe there is some more evidence of what took place.

[SMG]

But what goes on if we install the oibaf or kisak or proprietary nvidia driver. This driver is expected to run instead of the kernel driver.
What happens behind the scene?

If you look at the output of inxi -Gx, there are multiple drivers which comprise a graphics driver. There is a kernel driver and then there are display drivers and renderer (mesa) drivers.

What you are calling a "kernel driver" is a complete driver which includes all the drivers I mentioned. An Nvidia proprietary driver is also a complete driver which includes all the parts I mentioned. One uses either the open-source nouveau driver or the Nvidia driver because only one driver can be installed and used at a time.

Oibaf and kisak are PPAs that replace whatever their package owner decides to replace. I don't know all the details, but I do know they replace the standard mesa drivers with their drivers. They do that with code that tells the system to only use their drivers. That is why we recommend taking a Timeshift snapshot prior to adding any PPAs. There is no guarantee how the PPA files will work with the system files. I believe their drivers come from upstream development and are not fully tested to work with Ubuntu or Linux Mint.

[SMG]

Moderator note: tom20's post describing their issue can now be found in their topic LM21.1 display resolution discrepancy between nvidia-settings app and cinnamon-display app.

Please do not post problems in this topic. Create a new topic for your issue.

[migrator]

Masterful @SMG:

It seems since your post referencing this topic was life-saving for my first issue here, this original topic might have changed? It seems the 21.2 update brought in a 6.2 kernel... and even for 21.1 instances.

Seems for the moment LTS caught up with HWE? Curious what will change for this post, and what even changed there, compared to this advice, specifically the oem kernel aspect, and how the updated 6.2 might differ from it, beyond the version number.

Hope you are doing awesome out there!

[SMG]

It seems since your post referencing this topic was life-saving for my first issue here, this original topic might have changed? It seems the 21.2 update brought in a 6.2 kernel... and even for 21.1 instances.

You can check the second post Edits for the date and description of changes I make to the first post. I already removed references to OEM kernels and replaced that information with the 6.2 kernel.

Seems for the moment LTS caught up with HWE?

No. The LTS stays at 5.15 for the life of the distribution. That is why it is Long-Term-Support.

The HWE will increment over time. It went from 5.19 to 6.2. The current HWE surpassed what I know to be as the newest OEM kernel series so 6.2 is now the newest supported kernel series.

Curious what will change for this post, and what even changed there, compared to this advice, specifically the oem kernel aspect, and how the updated 6.2 might differ from it, beyond the version number.

Changes to the post were already made.

The OEM Kernels have some differences when compared to LTS or HWE kernels, but, considering your computers were not released with OEM Ubuntu installs, I would not expect there to be a negative to switching which one is used. Both types of kernels (OEM and non-OEM) are maintained by Canonical. If you are still using the mainline kernel then this change would not affect your situation.

[SMG]

Moderator note: coati's question can now be found here Possible issue with secure boot and graphics drivers. because the issue of mismatching secure boot settings is not related to these tips.

[bbbrox]

Question on the AMD 7900 section. For using new firmware:

Code: Select all

sudo update-initramfs -u -k all

Does that need to be run again any time an updated kernel is installed? I'm presently using the 6.5 kernel via linux-oem-20.04d and applied an updated kernel via Update Manager yesterday, and after reboot had issues during boot and major graphical corruption when X started. Had to reboot and get to Grub menu and boot with nomodeset to get SW renderings. Tried updating several things, one of which was running update-initramfs again, but did get things working again.

Possible additions for the 7900 section:

1. Getting 32-bit Steam working with Kisak mesa PPA: After adding the PPA, edit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kisak-kisak-mesa-jammy.list and change arch=amd64 to arch=amd64,i386

2. Alternative to SWCursor=True, rebuild the xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu package using Lunar sources:
- add source repo for lunar: deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lunar main restricted universe multiverse
- update
- sudo apt-get build-dep xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu
- sudo apt-get -b source xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu
- install new .deb
- remove SWCursor "True" from config if using that workaround previously

[SMG]

Question on the AMD 7900 section. For using new firmware:

Code: Select all

sudo update-initramfs -u -k all

Does that need to be run again any time an updated kernel is installed?

I am not aware that it would need to be run with each new kernel. It's possible there was an issue with this particular kernel. However, if you were adding repos from Lunar, that may also have caused issues.

Possible additions for the 7900 section:

1. Getting 32-bit Steam working with Kisak mesa PPA: After adding the PPA, edit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kisak-kisak-mesa-jammy.list and change arch=amd64 to arch=amd64,i386

This topic is focused on graphics drivers working on the Linux Mint operating system. Steam is not part of Linux Mint. Getting Steam working would be something for which people would check the Gaming forum.

2. Alternative to SWCursor=True, rebuild the xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu package using Lunar sources:
- add source repo for lunar: deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lunar main restricted universe multiverse
- update
- sudo apt-get build-dep xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu
- sudo apt-get -b source xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu
- install new .deb
- remove SWCursor "True" from config if using that workaround previously

If you are running Linux Mint then you are not running Lunar. Linux Mint 21 is Jammy. It's not a good idea to add repos from other distros if you want everything to work properly.

[SMG]

Moderator note: banshee28's questions about their specific install can now be found here Want help with the switch from Nvidia to AMD.

This topic is for general questions about the Tips. If you are having issues/concerns about your install, please create a new topic in the Graphics Cards & Monitors forum and reference what from this topic is your concern.