Fragile house of cards falls at the slightest breeze

[skybluewater]

So I have a nice computer... SATA SSD, I7 4790 CPU, lots of RAM, nvidia 980, ASUS motherboard... etc

I have Win 7, 10 and mint 18.1 using MBR mulitboot...

system working well for a few months... then I had the bright idea to update the nvidia graphics driver in mint 18.1

I opened up mint driver manager and clicked the button to install the latest nvidia driver.... nothing.... lockup crash freeze... like a buggy unstable mess...

it's really disappointing that mint comes with a built in "self-destruct" button

It's such a useless mess I would save myself a lot of time just starting over and reinstalling the entire mint OS

and another thing... the restart button on the login screen never works either?

[o-l-d]

Ok so you had a working Mint install but wanted to "tweak" it and it crashed? Did you check on the compatibility specs of the nvidia driver before trying to install it? Did you check to see if it was compatible with the kernel that you had installed? Linux isn't Window$ and driver management is at the kernel level unlike in Window$. When I first started trying Linux distros I, too, made mistakes such as your's. Consider it a lesson learned and don't blame the distro if you break it when it was working and performing well before.

[lmintnewb2]

OK foreword to this post. Will come off as a bit harsh but always try to be blunt and call it as I see it so.

Op get that you're frustrated but why blame Mint for something you did to yourself. You need to learn what you're doing before doing something. Use one of the 7,000 easy ways to backup/restore a gnu/linux OS in 10mins. That will save someone a ton of time sooner or later regardless of skillset.

Am sure could unbork that Mint install in very little time. Certainly way less than reinstalling + reconfiguring(customizing) to you're liking. Which brings to mind, why not ask the Mint community to help out before resorting to such an extreme ? Plenty of nice and tech knowledgeable folks here willing.

Edit: BTW search the forum too. They're probably 600 already solved threads, where people had a similar experience. You're certainly not going to be the first person who got borked-up fiddling with proprietary vid drivers.

LM doesn't come with a "built-in" destruct button but does come with more than a few end-users who will shoot themselves in the foot, turn around and blame Mint.

Anyway no offense, borkage is frustrating. Why not post a help thread ?

[Lysander666]

Remember, the biggest risk to any computer system is the user. One can have the most "rock-solid" distro, but the user can always screw it up through installing the wrong things, copypasting terminal commands without knowledge of what they are, adding the wrong PPA, etc etc.

This is not to say I haven't done the above. I screwed up my first Linux install on the first day by installing a .tar wrongly. I do add PPAs but only if I have read what they are and accepted the risks, the same for terminal commands.

Make sure you have your important documents backed up in at least two locations just in case. Mint is not a "fragile house of cards", it's just not immune to poorly-researched usage. There's an acronym in tech support: PICNIC [Problem In Chair, Not In Computer] which fits many times too often. The positive side of all this is that you will learn from it.

[ColdBoot]

I thinks this and similar threads should be moved to Open Chat because OP is not only demonstrating his ignorance here but in fact not asking for any help. Just passing on a worthless opinion in his arrogance. Don't feed a m$ troll, lock him up...

[Flemur]

I thinks this and similar threads should be moved to Open Chat because OP is not only demonstrating his ignorance here but in fact not asking for any help.

I figured he wanted condolences for picking the wrong driver.

My condolences.

[jimallyn]

then I had the bright idea to update the nvidia graphics driver in mint 18.1

As you found out the hard way, that may not have been such a bright idea. Many Linux users stick to the "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" rule. For example, if your computer is working fine, and you see that a new kernel is available, do you install it? The correct answer is, "No, unless I have some specific problem that I believe the new kernel will solve, I will stick with the kernel I am using now." Or maybe you have a new bit of hardware that your current kernel doesn't have drivers for. In that case installing a newer kernel might be the right thing to do.

If you ask for help in the appropriate forums area, it is likely that somebody can help you get your computer back to normal.

[lmintnewb2]

In ways agree w don't fix, not broken. Version chasing for the sake of a higher version # alone. Seen many an app, loved earlier versions and then the devs messed newer ones up trying to be all things to all people.

Not sure why a bunch of nixers here are so down on trying newer kernels, with just the slightest exercise of common sense it's a no harm situation.

+1 the guy who broke their Mint install on the 1st day. Me too, broke it twice and lost track of how many times afterwards. Every time I'd bork it would just get more determined to figure Mint out and then would promptly find a new way to bork it.

Chin up Op, fix it and/or learn something, so it won't happen again.

[BG405]

With that title, I would tend to agree with the last few posts. However there is what seems to be a valid issue here. I think it's the driver which is the problem in this case, not the method used by the OP - I wouldn't expect to be offered an incompatible driver in Driver Manager either. There could be an easier way of reverting to the previous driver (like you can do with kernels) in case of any problems - there can be regressions with video drivers just like anything else. There might actually be one, I haven't had to do this so don't know.

Which Desktop Environment? Without this information it means people willing to help have to guess - this might also be relevant with the log-in screen issue.

What I will say, though, is that it takes just as long to write a rant as it does to write a request for help. The latter of these is far more likely to lead to helpful replies.

[samriggs]

try this post it might help you out

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=226769

others were having the same issue.

also this one viewtopic.php?t=232151
read through it all to see if you want to try this method, don't try if you don't know what your doing

also on the main linux page how to get back into your system to fix it using nomodeset as stated if you are having issues with cinnamon and nvidia
https://www.linuxmint.com/rel_serena_cinnamon.php

I use asus with a 950M driver and it worked for me no issues, I am now using a differnet distro for that one with a 4.9 lts kernel but when I use mint for this system I started with nomodeseset to get in then make the changes.

Please though, read up first before doing anything, find out what kernel supports your card with which driver
there is also bumblebee

with mint though I used the 367 driver and 4.4 kernel

I see many told you your the fault, that was because the way you put your post, as mint was to blame, one thing about linux that is not like windows, linux gives the user choices, windows doesn't, you can't go click happy like in windows, windows doesnt give choices, so configuring your system is not as open as linux is, but now you got choices, just read up on them before clicking away that's all.
we all been there, done that, learnt and moved on, for the most part.
My old boss destroyed his linux system over and over again because he was so used to using windows command line he lived in it in linux without reading what or how to do it.
He got so frustrated he gave up, meanwhile he couldn't figure out why mine ran smoothly.
Read before clicking

linux gives you choices it's your option if you desire to turn those choices into a self destruct button or not.
orrrrrrrrr read up to see if that driver choice is actually the right choice or not.

Just remember nomodeset is your friend.

Hope it helps you out.

[vladtepes]

The advice to search and find whether others have had the same problem is good, but it isn't foolproof.

One of the main reasons is - as with this thread - the thread title doesn't actually tell us anything....

Maybe "Installing NVidia drivers broke Mint" or similar....

[BG405]

The advice to search and find whether others have had the same problem is good, but it isn't foolproof.

One of the main reasons is - as with this thread - the thread title doesn't actually tell us anything....

Maybe "Installing NVidia drivers broke Mint" or similar....

I agree and have also commented on the (all-too-common) issue with the thread title, but as the OP hasn't replied I hope the issues have been sorted. Having said that, I've only just now received a notification and this is well after a month since your post.

[skybluewater]

Mint 19 is nice....

[sleeper12]

You should install Timeshift which is like Win System Restore. After you set it up, if something goes wrong you can go back in time to when Mint worked right. Should be in package manager.