LM18+ and NVIDIA

[qwerty56]

Hello,

I've just completed a fresh new installation of Mint for the first time... I am now trying to install the nvidia drivers for my graphic card, but it seems that none of those listed in the drivers manager would work: my laptop would always randomly crash down after a few seconds or minutes and shutdown completely.
The drivers available in the driver manager and that I have tested are:
nvidia-304.135
nvidia-340.104
nvidia-384.111

and these three series are said to support this laptop graphic card: http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

However, it seems that the newer the driver, the quicker the system fails: the fan of the processor would make a lot of noise and then the whole computer shuts down.
The only relatively stable driver I can use at the moment is xserver-xorg-video-nouveau.

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System:    Host: XXXXXX Kernel: 4.4.0-21-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.3.1)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.0.6 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18 Sarah
Machine:   System: ASUSTeK (portable) product: N56VM v: 1.0
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: N56VM v: 1.0
           Bios: American Megatrends v: N56VM.206 date: 04/13/2012
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i7-3610QM (-HT-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 18358
           clock speeds: max: 3300 MHz 1: 1204 MHz 2: 1310 MHz 3: 1297 MHz
           4: 1234 MHz 5: 1358 MHz 6: 1214 MHz 7: 1810 MHz 8: 1410 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller  bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Card-2: NVIDIA GF108M [GeForce GT 630M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.3 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) FAILED: nouveau
           Resolution: 1600x900@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ivybridge Mobile
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 11.2.0 Direct Rendering: Yes

I installed LM from USB and used Etcher to make the bootable USB
Note that I first tried and installed LM18.3 and 18.2 but couldn't have them stabilized with any boot option (EFI or BIOS, nomodeset or compatibility). When I try and install LM18.3 and 18.2, the fan of the processor would make a lot of noise after a few seconds or minutes, randomly when it's starting up or after login, and then the whole computer shuts down, similarly to when I try and install an nvidia driver.
For comparison, I don't have such issues with the Win7 OEM.

Do I have to install one of those listed there (https://launchpad.net/~graphics-drivers ... ubuntu/ppa) even if they are not listed in the LM Driver manager? And which would I choose? Are they stable? If they are, why are they not listed in the Driver manager?

Thanks for your insights,

[qwerty56]

I tried the latest driver versions:
304.137
340.106
384.111
387.34
390.25

and none of these driver versions work either

[Mattyboy]

Hi, hello, welcome.

You will probably get a better system by installing, from fresh, the MATE 18.3 desktop of Mint, that being said..

Open terminal and run

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sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia-*

You'll have to enter your password.
Next go to the update manager and install everything ( do it twice if this is your first time using it ). ( Make sure you install the 4.13x Kernel )
Re-boot.
Go to driver manager and install the recommended NVIDIA driver, current is 384.111
Re-Boot again
Done.

If the system continues to be problematic try MATE.

I'm having no issues with the current NVIDIA driver with the 4.13x Kernel

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Kernel: 4.13.0-36-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: Gigabyte product: N/A
           Mobo: Gigabyte model: G1.SNIPER B7-CF v: x.x
           Bios: American Megatrends v: F4 date: 11/02/2015
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i3-6100 (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 14784
           clock speeds: max: 3700 MHz 1: 3700 MHz 2: 3700 MHz 3: 3700 MHz
           4: 3700 MHz
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA Device 1c03 bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz, 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: GeForce GTX 1060 6GB/PCIe/SSE2
           GLX Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 384.111 Direct Rendering: Yes

[qwerty56]

Hi mattyboy,

thanks a lot for your answer. I ran the update manager with the "optimize stability and security" policy, twice as you said. The first one was pretty quick and then the second one updated a lot of things (25 packages). It took one hour to download and install. (an annoying bit: I was always asked to enter the password for the home crypted folder, so I had to type it dozens of times... it would be nice if the system could remember it for the whole install session...).

It hasn't updated the kernel yet. But I have retried the 384.111 driver after reboot and it is working! Hourray

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System:    Host: XXXXXX Kernel: 4.4.0-21-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.3.1)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.0.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18 Sarah
Machine:   System: ASUSTeK (portable) product: N56VM v: 1.0
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: N56VM v: 1.0
           Bios: American Megatrends v: N56VM.206 date: 04/13/2012
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i7-3610QM (-HT-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 18359
           clock speeds: max: 3300 MHz 1: 1476 MHz 2: 1369 MHz 3: 1226 MHz
           4: 1397 MHz 5: 1284 MHz 6: 1427 MHz 7: 1780 MHz 8: 1221 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Card-2: NVIDIA GF108M [GeForce GT 630M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.3 driver: nvidia
           Resolution: 1920x1080@59.91hz
           GLX Renderer: GeForce GT 630M/PCIe/SSE2
           GLX Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 384.111 Direct Rendering: Yes

Now, the laptop fan makes much more noise with this nvidia driver than with the xserver-xorg... (and it doesn't do as much noise on Win7) and I still get diagonal flickering when I scroll down web pages in Firefox... Otherwise it's working so far. I will see how it works after the kernel upgrade...

As for the edition, I chose Cinnamon because it is the one recommended by the installation guide: https://linuxmint-installation-guide.re ... hoose.html
If you know an article that compares both, I will have a look at it to see if I test the mate edition

Thanks again,

[Mattyboy]

Can't really find you a guide with specific reasons but the reasoning is that your system, in computer terms, is considered kinda old-ish 2012.

Cinnamon is designed for more modern computers. The desktop requires more processing power to run, specifically it puts more demand on your GPU, graphics card, and the knock on effect to all other resources, CPU and RAM.

Running a lighter version of Mint, such a MATE should give you a better system overall as your 'computing power' won't be sucked up running a more advanced desktop environment. You're less likely to experience problems like those you've mentioned.

That being said what works for you works for you and if you're happy then that's all that counts

Updating your Kernel should improve things, not to mention added security, so I recommend that you do.

[qwerty56]

thanks for the info
Would you be able to recommend a tool similar to "system monitor" to see the GPU usage and/or temperature, so that I can compare when I update the kernel?
Also, for my understanding, what would be the added functions that the cinnamon desktop do compared to Win7 for instance?

[Mattyboy]

thanks for the info
Would you be able to recommend a tool similar to "system monitor" to see the GPU usage and/or temperature, so that I can compare when I update the kernel?

NIVDIA Server settings has GPU Thermal settings, with a monitor, its under administration.

I'm not one much for detailed system monitoring so can't really recommend anything specific. You might want to look at https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/ or find a " desktop conky"... search online... You may have to install additional packages to get them running with temp sensors..... maybe another member can help here.

There's also the terminal monitors

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top

and

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htop

Also, for my understanding, what would be the added functions that the cinnamon desktop do compared to Win7 for instance?

MATE is actually more like Windows 7 than Cinnamon. Actual differences in system functionality are negligible, its more eye candy and personal preference. MATE, however IS considered the most stable desktop environment and certainly less resource heavy.

[qwerty56]

Thanks, all my questions are answered