Ubuntu – How to change proprietary video driver using the command line

driversgraphicsnvidiavideo

My laptop computer has a Nvidia video card and runs Ubuntu 12.04 LTS 64-bit. During an upgrade yesterday it seemed as a new Nvidia driver version 304 (if I remember correct) was installed. After upgrade and reboot, I opened the Additional Driver tool and found that the Nvidia driver version 304 was in use. So far so good.

However, the Additional Driver tool also reported that there existed a Nvidia driver version 319 and that this driver version was recommended. I then selected to change to this recommended driver, the driver was downloaded and installed, I rebooted the system and ended up with a black screen and a command shell.

How to change proprietary Nvidia video driver using the command line and revert back to the previous version that worked on my system?

(A second question: How can it be that a video driver that apparently does not work was recommended?)

Best Answer

Ubuntu 12.04 (for later versions, see other answers)

You can use jockey-text to disable and enable Nvidia drivers in Ubuntu.

For example:

Run jockey-text --list to get the list of available options.
Run sudo jockey-text -d xorg:nvidia_304 to remove the 304 driver.
Run sudo jockey-text -e xorg:nvidia_304 to enable the same driver.
Run jockey-text --help to see the help manual.

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – How to reconfigure the nvidia proprietary drivers from the command line (ssh)

nvidia-xconfig will write a new default configuration file. You can then test it from there. If you need to edit the new file it will be located under /etc/X11

To install the drivers is sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx-xxx where xxx is the version whether it is 96, 173,185 depending on your card.

Ubuntu – Am I using the Nouveau driver or the proprietary NVIDIA driver

nvidiafb is a framebuffer driver inside the Linux Kernel. Is not the proprietary module from nvidia. (nvidia.ko).

If you want to see the short description of the module, issue the following command in terminal

modinfo nvidiafb | grep description

If you want to read more a about framebuffer , read the FrambeBuffer on Ubuntu Wiki.

You can see if some nvidia package is installed by applying the following command

dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia

If you want to search if the nouveau module is loaded you can apply

lsmod | grep nouveau

If nvidia restricted module was loaded , then the nouveau module Cannot be loaded too (conflict each other).

Nvidia's (restricted) module name is nvidia . Not nvidiafb or something similar.

Also you can search from Additional Drivers page . In example below , no proprietary drivers are in use

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And another command that can show you, which driver is in use:

lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 vga

There you will see a line like

kernel driver in use: *****

If it's nvidia , then you have nvidia driver installed and in use. If it's nouveau, then you don't.

Best Answer

Ubuntu 12.04 (for later versions, see other answers)

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – How to reconfigure the nvidia proprietary drivers from the command line (ssh)

Ubuntu – Am I using the Nouveau driver or the proprietary NVIDIA driver

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