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Asked: 2024-09-24T14:28:25+05:30 In:

What should I do if I encounter an error stating that the nvidia-smi command is not found on my Ubuntu 16.04 system?

So, I’m having this frustrating issue with my Ubuntu 16.04 system, and I’m hoping someone here can help me out. I recently decided to dive into some machine learning projects and even installed the latest NVIDIA drivers since I heard they’re essential for CUDA. I was pretty excited to see how much better my laptop would handle the processing. However, when I tried to run the `nvidia-smi` command to check if my GPU was being recognized, I got this annoying error message saying that the command wasn’t found at all!

I’ve checked a couple of forums, and it seems like a common issue, but I’m honestly not sure what steps to take next. I did install the drivers; at least, I think I did. I went through all those steps and even ran a couple of commands to ensure everything went smoothly. But now I’m stuck and feel pretty helpless.

I’ve tried a few things I found online. One suggestion was to make sure the PATH is set correctly, but I have no clue how to do that properly. Another was to check if the NVIDIA kernel module was loaded, and I didn’t see anything about it in the lsmod output. Could that be part of the issue?

It’s also possible I might have installed the wrong version of the drivers or missed some steps. I’m not super tech-savvy, but I’ve managed to get by until now. I’ve got to admit; I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the troubleshooting steps I’m seeing.

If anyone has encountered this before or knows how to fix it, I’d love some help! What should I do to make sure I can run `nvidia-smi` successfully? I really want to get back on track with my projects, but I need this working first. Any advice or step-by-step guidance would be super appreciated! Thanks in advance for any help!

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    2 Answers



    1. Help with nvidia-smi Issue on Ubuntu 16.04

      nvidia-smi Command Not Found?

      Sounds really frustrating! Let’s see if we can get that sorted out together.

      Steps to Troubleshoot:

      1. Verify Driver Installation

      First, let’s make sure you have the NVIDIA drivers installed correctly:

      • Open a terminal.
      • Type dpkg -l | grep nvidia and hit Enter. This should list all the NVIDIA packages installed. If nothing shows up, the drivers might not be installed.

      2. Check Installed Driver Version

      If you see drivers listed, you can check their version. If it’s the wrong version, you might want to install the correct one. You can usually find the proper version on the NVIDIA site.

      3. Verify NVIDIA Kernel Module

      Next, it’s important to check if the NVIDIA kernel module is loaded. Run:

      lsmod | grep nvidia

      If you don’t see anything related to NVIDIA, the module hasn’t loaded, which could be why nvidia-smi isn’t working.

      4. Load NVIDIA Module

      If the module isn’t loaded, you can try loading it manually:

      • In the terminal, run sudo modprobe nvidia.
      • Then check again with lsmod | grep nvidia.

      5. Check Your PATH

      It’s possible your PATH isn’t set up right, but let’s make sure. You probably don’t need to mess with PATH for nvidia-smi, but if you want to check it, run:

      echo $PATH

      It should include /usr/bin. If it doesn’t, you can add it by editing your ~/.bashrc file:

      • Run nano ~/.bashrc and add export PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin at the end.
      • Then, source the file with source ~/.bashrc.

      6. Reboot

      Sometimes, a good old restart can do wonders. So, after making these changes, reboot your machine.

      7. If All Else Fails

      If none of that works, you might want to consider re-installing the drivers. Be sure to uninstall the current version first:

      sudo apt-get remove --purge '^nvidia-.*'

      Then, follow the installation steps carefully again!

      Hopefully, one of these steps will help you get that nvidia-smi command working! Good luck with your projects!


    2. It seems you’re facing a common issue when dealing with NVIDIA drivers on Ubuntu, particularly with the visibility of the `nvidia-smi` command. First, ensure that the NVIDIA drivers have been properly installed. You can confirm the installation by checking the version using the command dpkg -l | grep nvidia. If you don’t see any driver packages listed, it likely means the installation didn’t succeed. If the drivers are missing, it’s best to reinstall them. You can do this either using the apt package manager or downloading the drivers directly from the NVIDIA website. Be sure to select the one compatible with your GPU model. After installation, restart your system to allow changes to take effect.

      Regarding your issue with the PATH and kernel modules, check if the NVIDIA kernel module is loaded by executing lsmod | grep nvidia. If nothing appears, you can try loading the module manually using sudo modprobe nvidia. Additionally, if you’re using a dedicated GPU, ensure that your system is not opting for integrated graphics instead. This can be verified in BIOS settings or by running lspci | grep -i nvidia to see if your GPU is detected. If you’re still encountering issues, ensure that Secure Boot is disabled in your BIOS, as it may prevent the NVIDIA kernel modules from loading. Follow up with nvidia-smi again after making these adjustments to check if it’s now recognized.

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