Newest proprietary Nvidia drivers ?

[pawRoot]

Hi

I'm currently on Pop OS on my gaming rig but i would prefer clean Debian,
in POP OS i got the driver installed automatically (version 435.21), but from what i understand
the version available in debian is 390, what would be the best option to get newest drivers without
borking my system ?

GPU: RTX 2080 Ti

Thanks!

[Head_on_a_Stick]

https://packages.debian.org/experimental/nvidia-driver

Packages from experimental have a pin value of 1 (one) by default so it's "safe" to add the repositories to a stable system, just pay very careful attention to the package manager output when you try to install stuff from there. Or use the .deb

[pawRoot]

https://packages.debian.org/experimental/nvidia-driver

Packages from experimental have a pin value of 1 (one) by default so it's "safe" to add the repositories to a stable system, just pay very careful attention to the package manager output when you try to install stuff from there. Or use the .deb

Do you mean that if i add those repos and i install some software via APT it will use stable repos by default ?

I guess installing via .deb would be best option, but won't it break anything after kernel update ?

Also what should i install, only the package nvidia-alternative ?

Thanks HOAS

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Do you mean that if i add those repos and i install some software via APT it will use stable repos by default ?

Yes. Try it for yourself (with the --simulate option).

won't it break anything after kernel update ?

The nvidia-kernel-dkms package ensures automatic rebuilds of the kernel module after upgrades.

Also what should i install, only the package nvidia-alternative ?

You need the nvidia-driver package and that has lots of dependencies, all of which will have to be installed manually unless you add the repositories.

Using aptitude is probably the way forward, the dependency resolution is more advanced than the alternatives.

Disclaimer: I've never tried this and it does carry a chance of breaking your system so backup beforehand and only proceed after researching the subject a bit more.

[pawRoot]

Ok succesfully installed nvidia-driver but when i boot it takes me to tty, works fine if i use the iGPU.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

when i boot it takes me to tty

What does the X.Org log say about that? Perhaps a configuration file is needed but I have been told that X now accommodates the NVIDIA blob.

EDIT: is the nouveau module blacklisted?

[Head_on_a_Stick]

works fine if i use the iGPU.

Hold on a minute, you have an Optimus laptop so you want Bumblebee (see the Debian wiki) or PRIME (see the ArchWiki).

[pawRoot]

It's a PC not a laptop, i just switched the Display port cable from GPU to mobo and rebooted.

Anyway here is what i get:

https://i.imgur.com/m8RQG65.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/G3nc2r4.jpg

When installing the package it warned me about driver conflict with novueau but it also
said i only need to reboot the computer.

[Ardouos]

Did you run nvidia-xconfig? Or create an xorg.conf?

[stevepusser]

I also have got 435.21 for Buster along with a backported 5.3.2 kernel, Mesa, and a newer nvidia-settings than in any Debian, too, in this repo:

https://build.opensuse.org/project/show ... ort-buster

Based on our success in getting them to work even on a Stretch base for MX 18 and Bumblebee, let alone a Buster base.

Code: Select all

$ optirun inxi -G
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 630 driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: NVIDIA GP107M [GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile] driver: nvidia v: 435.21 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: intel resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: GeForce GTX 1050 Ti/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 435.21 

[pawRoot]

^ Can you tell me please what should i install exactly and how ? (talking about your repo files), thanks

[stevepusser]

OK, but in your first post you talked installing the 390 drivers in Debian--but for Buster, the default for a 64-bit system is 418.74, so I'm confused. Are you running 32-bit or Stretch? Because that's the only way I can see those drivers getting installed, plus I don't think the 390 drivers even support the 2080 hardware at all!

In any case, to add my repo and its key to Buster, in a terminal as root:

Code: Select all

echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser:/new-hardware-support-buster/Debian_10/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:stevenpusser:new-hardware-support-buster.list

rm -f Release.key && wget -nv https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:stevenpusser:new-hardware-support-buster/Debian_10/Release.key -O Release.key && apt-key add - < Release.key && rm -f Release.key

apt update

After the apt update, you should see the Nvidia driver, firmware, and mesa packages as upgrades. Other packages may also appear as upgradeable as I add to the repo. The 5.3.2 kernel is, as usual, not an upgrade, but can be installed alongside the standard Debian kernel.

Since Debian Buster now has Timeshift available, that's an easy way to make a system backup before you experiment with these kind of system upgrades, too.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Anyway here is what i get:

https://i.imgur.com/m8RQG65.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/G3nc2r4.jpg

When you installed the nvidia-driver packages did the kernel module build successfully? Did you have the kernel headers installed?

[stevepusser]

You can also force an Nvidia driver rebuild with (as root or with sudo)

Code: Select all

dpkg-reconfigure nvidia-kernel-dkms

Build errors or success are pretty obvious to me, but you can copy & paste the output in code tags here if you need help seeing that.