I am having difficulty getting my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS to work with my new graphics card. I don't really understand the Linux display stack, so I hope it is something easy. I don't know best how to describe my problem, so will give as many details as I can.
My Linux box is a server that has PCIe 2.0, so it can't use most of the newer graphics cards. I bought a ~$70 card, and it caused hardware faults. So I bought an older NVidia GeForce 8400 GS. I have a monitor connected to the prior integrated graphics device on the motherboard, and another connected to the new card.
When I first turned on the server, the new card displayed a graphic startup screen with a good resolution so I thought all was good. Then I got a GUI message box stating that Ubuntu was running in low graphics mode. I believe I chose to continue anyway for one session. I was able then to proceed to the graphic desktop. I am using a Gnome Throwback (metacity) 2D desktop because the performance is so awful with the standard Ubuntu desktop.
From the desktop, I went into system settings and then chose Display. The only display that was detected was the older integrated graphics system, not the new one.
I next followed instructions from www howopensource com/2012/10/install-nvidia-geforce-driver-in-ubuntu-12-10-12-04-using-ppa/) to do these steps:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current nvidia-settings
to install nvidia drivers. After that, I again went into the system settings GUI, and display, and again only the old display was visible.
I then rebooted, and now the old display is the one Ubuntu uses boot up. The monitor connected to the new graphics card is just dark.
Something also seems to have broken settings because now the Gnome Throwback graphic desktop won't launch. I appears to start loading, then gives up and takes me back to the login-in screen. I had to change to a different desktop (LXFE if I recall correctly) to get to a desktop.
So reinstalled the Gnome Throwback desktop, and that seemed to restore my ability to get into that desktop, but I still am not able to see anything on the new graphics card.
Following some other web pages, I did this, showing relevant output.
lspci -v
05:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GT218 [GeForce 8400 GS Rev. 3] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: eVga.com. Corp. Device 1301
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 38
Memory at dd000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Memory at be000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
I/O ports at ec80 [size=128]
Expansion ROM at dc000000 [disabled] [size=512K]
Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
Capabilities: [b4] Vendor Specific Information: Len=14 <?>
Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
Capabilities: [128] Power Budgeting <?>
Capabilities: [600] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=024 <?>
Kernel driver in use: nvidia
...
06:03.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd. MGA G200eW WPCM450 (rev 0a) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Dell Device 029b
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=8M]
Memory at de7fc000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Memory at de800000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8M]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at de000000 [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1
I read here: askubuntu com/questions/39681/unity-geforce-8400-gs-support) that makes it sound like perhaps this card is not supported. But I'm not sure.
I have tried running the unity_support_test as below, but it gives an error I don't know how to fix:
/etc$ /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
I tried running nvidia-settings, but it displays a GUI window that seems to only be for creating application profiles. It doesn't seem to have anything about my card or my monitor. The window title for this application is "NVIDIA X server settings" and there is a way to save settings. I haven't don't this because I don't know what I am supposed to call the saved file or where to put it.
I have a vague sense that I might have to configure my xorg.conf or some such files. But I'm lost as to where to start. askubuntu com/questions/4662/where-is-the-x-org-config-file-how-do-i-configure-x-there (I don't have enough reputation points to post more than two links) thread seems to imply that it isn't used any more.
I have also read on the web that there are different drivers that can be use. I think one was called "bumblebee". I thought I was getting drivers from NVidia (see the PPA I posted above), but I'm not sure.
I concerned about just jumping in and trying lots of things on my own because this is a work server, and it is a big deal when it isn't functioning properly.
This thread: askubuntu com/questions/115477/get-and-install-nvidia-geforce-8400-gs-driver recommends getting drivers directly from nvidia, and I found this: www nvidia com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us) that has a search feature for the correct card, and for my system it leads to this page.
Questions
- what have I done wrong so far? Did I use out dated drivers via the PPA code?
- Should I try installing the drivers directly from nvidia again?
- If I have correct drivers, will the display automatically start working? Or do I have to somehow configure it.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
------ 2/28/16 -----------
As per feedback from Khalid Abu Shawarib and upbeta01, it seems I might have had incorrect drivers.
I suggested, I tried this (unsuccessfully):
xxx:~$ nvidia-smi
NVIDIA: could not open the device file /dev/nvidiactl (No such file or directory).
NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with NVIDIA driver. Make sure that latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.
I decided to remove the PPA I added at the very beginning, show in initial post above. I started synaptic package manager, then menu Settings->Repositories, then [Other Software] tab, and unchecked entry for http://ppa.launchpad.net/xorg-edgers/ppa/ubuntu trusty main.
While there, I saw tab [Additional Drivers]. There, is searched my system for additional drivers, and it found information about my card. It says I am using:
Using NVIDIA legacy binary driver - version 304.131 from nvidia-304 (proprietary)
It has options to change to:
Using NVIDIA binary driver - version 340.96 from nvidia-340 (proprietary)
or
Using NVIDIA binary driver - version 340.96 from nvidia-340-updates (proprietary)
I thought this might be a great way to switch drivers. So I chose the first option, and clicked [apply]. It displayed "applying changes" and started a progress bar that did not move despite waiting many minutes. So I clicked [Cancel]
I decided that since this link (www nvidia com/download/driverResults.aspx/95164/en-us) link connects to the same version 340.96, that I would get the drivers directly from NVIDIA after using their search engine to enter in my exact card.
... I downloaded the driver and ran it as root. It told me that I had to exit my X-server first, and to read the README from the NVIDIA website. So I read it from here: us download nvidia com/XFree86/Linux-x86/340.96/README/index.html .. Holy cow!, now I am terrified to install the driver. It describes compiling modules for the kernel, and maybe they will have to be cryptographically signed, and I have to have the proper versions of libraries, such as glibc (which I can't find in my system).....
Dang it, I give up...
