Black screen after NVIDIA 460.73.01/460.80 install

Graphics / Linux Linux
1

This morning, I did my normal sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade, saw there was some nvidia updates and went ahead. Upon reboot, after selecting Ubuntu 20.04 from my boot options (I have Windows 10 and Kubuntu 20.04 installed) it went back to my mobo splash screen and froze (or froze on a black screen with nothing but a non-blinking cursor).

I went around looking for the problem and realized it may be the new nvidia driver, so I uninstalled all nvidia drivers (they had been installed using the graphics-drivers/ppa)… and rebooted using nouveau- everything worked fine (though this is suboptimal because one of my screens is old and flickers with nouveau).

So, I looked at my update history and saw that on 2021-05-07 I had installed the 460.73.01 nvidia driver for Ubuntu 20.04.2 and everything worked fine then… Here was that update:

Upgrade: update-manager-core:amd64 (1:20.04.10.6, 1:20.04.10.7), libwacom-common:amd64 (1.3-2ubuntu1, 1.3-2ubuntu3), alsa-ucm-conf:amd64 (1.2.2-1ubuntu0.6, 1.2.2-1ubuntu0.7), libnvidia-compute-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-compute-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-encode-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-encode-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), nvidia-kernel-common-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-gl-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-gl-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libasound2-data:amd64 (1.2.2-2.1ubuntu2.3, 1.2.2-2.1ubuntu2.4), libnvidia-fbc1-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-fbc1-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-decode-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-decode-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libwacom-bin:amd64 (1.3-2ubuntu1, 1.3-2ubuntu3), libnvidia-cfg1-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), alsa-utils:amd64 (1.2.2-1ubuntu2, 1.2.2-1ubuntu2.1), r-cran-class:amd64 (7.3-18-1.2004.0, 7.3-19-1.2004.0), iio-sensor-proxy:amd64 (2.8-1, 2.8-1ubuntu1), nvidia-utils-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libxmlb1:amd64 (0.1.15-2, 0.1.15-2ubuntu1~20.04.1), nvidia-dkms-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), r-cran-matrix:amd64 (1.3-2-1.2004.0, 1.3-3-1.2004.0), apport:amd64 (2.20.11-0ubuntu27.16, 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.17), python3-update-manager:amd64 (1:20.04.10.6, 1:20.04.10.7), python3-apport:amd64 (2.20.11-0ubuntu27.16, 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.17), thunderbird-locale-en-gb:amd64 (1:78.7.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 1:78.8.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-compute-utils-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), thunderbird-locale-en-us:amd64 (1:78.7.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 1:78.8.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-ifr1-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), libnvidia-ifr1-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), nvidia-driver-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), thunderbird:amd64 (1:78.7.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 1:78.8.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libasound2:amd64 (1.2.2-2.1ubuntu2.3, 1.2.2-2.1ubuntu2.4), code:amd64 (1.55.2-1618307277, 1.56.0-1620166262), thermald:amd64 (1.9.1-1ubuntu0.3, 1.9.1-1ubuntu0.4), libwacom2:amd64 (1.3-2ubuntu1, 1.3-2ubuntu3), libnvidia-common-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), linux-firmware:amd64 (1.187.11, 1.187.12), apport-kde:amd64 (2.20.11-0ubuntu27.16, 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.17), r-cran-lattice:amd64 (0.20-41-1cran1focal0, 0.20-44-1cran1.2004.0), libnvidia-extra-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2), thunderbird-locale-en:amd64 (1:78.7.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 1:78.8.1+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), python3-problem-report:amd64 (2.20.11-0ubuntu27.16, 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.17), r-cran-survival:amd64 (3.2-10-1cran1.2004.0, 3.2-11-1cran1.2004.0), libatopology2:amd64 (1.2.2-2.1ubuntu2.3, 1.2.2-2.1ubuntu2.4), nvidia-kernel-source-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2)

Then this morning I had done the following updates:

Upgrade: intel-microcode:amd64 (3.20201110.0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 3.20210216.0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-compute-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-compute-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-encode-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-encode-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-kernel-common-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-gl-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-gl-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-fbc1-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-fbc1-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-decode-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-decode-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-cfg1-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-utils-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-dkms-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libxnvctrl0:amd64 (460.39-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-compute-utils-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-ifr1-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-ifr1-460:i386 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-driver-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-common-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), libnvidia-extra-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-kernel-source-460:amd64 (460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2, 460.80-0ubuntu0.20.04.1), nvidia-settings:amd64 (460.39-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1)

So, thinking maybe it was some strange error due to the 460.80 version or something, I decided to manually download and install the 460.73.01 driver version. (steps summarized here here under section “Manual install using the official Nvidia.com driver step by step instructions”)

Upon doing that, and reboot, everything is working perfectly again. I’m just looking for an idea as to why the official release/update through graphics-drivers/ppa seems to be failing/causing system crash while (what seems to be) the same version installed manually is working fine?

Thanks for any help provided, and again I’m running Kubuntu 20.04 and here is my output of lsb_release -a

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS
Release: 20.04
Codename: focal

2

I also noticed, near the bottom of the update list that resulted in the crash today, it lists:

nvidia-settings:amd64 (460.39-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1)

Whereas, when I run do apt list | grep “nvidia-settings” I get the following right now:

nvidia-settings/focal 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64
nvidia-settings/focal 460.73.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 i386

Could that nvidia-settings 460.39 be the issue?

Other information- I also tried all the steps listed at https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/black-screen-after-install-of-nvidia-driver-ubuntu/109312/2 (none worked) before rolling back my driver…

1 Like
3

Problems with 460.80 also occur when “Software&Updates” >> AdditionalDrivers >> nvidia-driver-460 is used. When selecting nvidia-driver-460-server the problems disappear. nvidia-driver-460-server is 460.73.01 - supporting your observation

1 Like
4

I also have issues with 460.80. I installed 460.80 manually, as I often do, and I got a black screen with a white cursor. Then I uninstalled it and installed the distro provided package which was 460.xx where xx was less than 80 (don’t remember exactly the version). Everything was working fine until an update which installed 460.80. Then black screen again. I did a clean Ubuntu install and the issue remained. Finally, I installed 450.119 manually and it works.

TL;DR version: Something is off with 460.80 for both nVidia and Ubuntu provided installations.