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Asked: 2024-09-26T19:14:57+05:30 In:

How can I activate the NVIDIA driver on Ubuntu 16.04 while operating in UEFI mode?

I’ve been having this frustrating issue with my Ubuntu 16.04 setup and I’m hoping someone here can help me out. So, I recently installed Ubuntu on my laptop, which is running in UEFI mode, and I really want to get my NVIDIA driver activated. I’ve tried a few things, but I just can’t seem to get it to work.

Here’s the deal: when I check the “additional drivers” section in the settings, it shows that the proprietary NVIDIA driver is available, but when I try to activate it, it doesn’t seem to stick. I’ve also heard rumors that sometimes you need to run some commands in the terminal, but I’m not really sure which ones are necessary. I tried a couple of websites, but a lot of the advice I found seemed outdated or didn’t take into account that I’m in UEFI mode.

I’m a bit wary of making changes in the terminal because I don’t want to break anything. Plus, I’ve read that sometimes Secure Boot settings can mess with the driver installation. My laptop is custom-built, and honestly, I might have messed up during the UEFI setup.

Another thing is, after installing the driver, is there any specific configuration I need to do? Like, do I need to modify any config files or make changes to the grub settings? I’ve seen people mention blacklisting Nouveau, but again, I’m unsure about the right way to go about it without causing issues.

I really want to take advantage of the NVIDIA card for some gaming and GPU processing tasks, and I’ve read that the performance difference is huge when using the correct drivers. If anyone has gone through this process, I would really appreciate any walkthrough or tips on what I should do.

Also, if there are any commands or configurations to be aware of, could you please share them? I’m feeling a little lost and would love some guidance from someone experienced with Ubuntu and NVIDIA drivers, especially in UEFI mode. Thanks in advance for any help!

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    2 Answers



    1. NVIDIA Driver Installation Help

      Getting NVIDIA Drivers Working on Ubuntu 16.04 (UEFI Mode)

      It sounds like you’re having a tough time getting your NVIDIA drivers to work on Ubuntu with UEFI. No worries, we can try to tackle this step by step!

      1. Check Secure Boot

      First off, if you have Secure Boot enabled in your BIOS settings, that might block the driver from loading. Try disabling Secure Boot and then see if you can activate the NVIDIA driver again.

      2. Using the Terminal

      Yes, you will have to run some commands in the terminal! Here are some commands you can try:

              sudo apt update
        sudo apt install nvidia-driver-
        sudo reboot

      Replace with the version number you see in the “additional drivers” section.

      3. Blacklisting Nouveau

      Sometimes, the open-source Nouveau driver can interfere with the NVIDIA driver. You might need to blacklist it. You can do this by following these steps:

              echo "blacklist nouveau" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
        echo "options nouveau nofb=1 lob=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
        sudo update-initramfs -u
        sudo reboot

      4. Configuring Grub

      If you need to change any Grub settings, try:

              sudo nano /etc/default/grub

      Look for the line that says GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" and change it to:

              GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"

      Then save the file and update Grub:

              sudo update-grub
        sudo reboot

      5. After Installation

      Once you’ve installed the driver, you might want to check if it’s working properly. You can do this by running:

              nvidia-smi

      If you see a list of your GPU and processes, then you’re good to go!

      Final Thoughts

      Just remember to take it slow, and if something doesn’t work as expected, you can always revert back. It’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get those drivers running, you’ll see a huge performance boost!



    2. To install and activate the NVIDIA driver on your Ubuntu 16.04 setup in UEFI mode, first ensure that Secure Boot is disabled in your BIOS settings, as it can prevent proprietary drivers from loading correctly. Next, open a terminal and run the following commands to update your package list and install the required packages:

            sudo apt update
      sudo apt install nvidia-driver-450  # Replace with the latest version available

      After the installation is complete, you may need to blacklist Nouveau to prevent it from conflicting with the NVIDIA driver. To do this, create a new configuration file by running:

            echo "blacklist nouveau" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
      echo "options nouveau modeset=0" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
      sudo update-initramfs -u

      Finally, reboot your machine.

      After rebooting, check if the NVIDIA driver is activated properly by running:

            nvidia-smi

      This command should display your NVIDIA GPU details. If you still encounter issues, consider checking the logs by executing:

            cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i nvidia

      This will provide insights into any potential errors. If needed, adjust your GRUB settings by editing the file at /etc/default/grub, making sure to add ‘nomodeset’ to the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line. After making changes, run sudo update-grub and reboot again. This setup should allow you to utilize your NVIDIA card effectively.


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