[TIP] Install NVIDIA dirver 185.xxx on Ubuntu 9.04 how to

Accelerated Computing CUDA CUDA Programming and Performance
1

This is a how to install nvidia driver 185.xxx on your Ubuntu 9.04… Maybe this is useful to other versions, but it was tested by me on 9.04 and developed focused on it.

This is a translated version from the original pt-br version: [url=“http://www.vivaolinux.com.br/dica/Instalar-driver-NVIDIA-185.19-no-Ubuntu-Linux/”]http://www.vivaolinux.com.br/dica/Instalar...o-Ubuntu-Linux/[/url]
Author: brunomacagnani

  1. First step: you must reset the Xorg to its default conf. Before, you should backup it, to avoid any mistakes.

In the Terminal:

$ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.original
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

  1. Installing packages and dependencies:

$ sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-uname -r

  1. Remove old version drivers:

$ sudo apt-get --purge remove $(dpkg -l | grep nvidia | awk ‘{print $2}’)

Download the driver from nvidia website. You must repect your system architecture (x86, 64…)

  1. In my case: Ubuntu 32:

$ wget [url=“http://ftp%3a%2f/download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/185.19/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-185.19-pkg1.run”]ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x...185.19-pkg1.run[/url] -O NVIDIA-Linux-185.pkg.run

  1. Now, move the installer to /usr/src and link it. Follows:

$ sudo install NVIDIA-Linux-185.pkg.run /usr/src/
$ sudo ln -s /usr/src/NVIDIA-Linux-185.pkg.run /usr/src/nvidia-driver

Kill X:
6) Time to stop X e o GDM. So, press “Ctrl+Alt+F1”, login and stop gdm:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop

Instalação NVIDIA
7) Installing:

$ sudo sh /usr/src/nvidia-driver

  1. When it is done, restart your computer:

$ sudo reboot

After boot up, go to terminal and:

$ sudo nvidia-xconfig
(I didn’t need to do this, but this step is in the origial step-by-step)

Thats’ is all!

2

You are freakin awesome. I’ve been fighting with the 185 Nvidia driver since it came out. Followed these steps line by line and it worked perfectly. Just have to do the same on my home computer now. Thanks so much for posting this.

3

I need help following these instructions. X is turned off and the install app run succesfully in ctrl-alt-f1 mode. I had to adjust the directory to home/username from usr/source due to write permission or otherwise inaccessibility of the latter.

Everything works fine except for step 2 generates and error stating that "the package ‘build essential’ was not found or similar. This results (I believe) in the NVIDIA installer reporting that no kernel interface is found and the ftp server for downloading one is unavailable because I am also having problems accessing NetworkManager.
(its not where the documentation says it is even though my networking hardware is detected in Network)

I will update with exact error messages at a later date. Thanks for any assistance,

  • a seasoned PC user yet Ubuntu set-up noob running 9.04, ubuntu studio…
4

@Rodrigo,

God job, this worked out for me running Ubuntu 9.04 64bit.

Other than the new drivers not shwoing up when I run System >> Administration >> Hardware Drivers, everything seems great.

@MacGyverinSpace,

I did this whole thing using the ‘root’ username.

You can disable the GUI interface during boot by going to:

System >> Administration >> Services >> Unlock (button)

Then uncheck the ‘Graphical Login Manager’.

When you reboot you will start in a text based OS.

BTW, BEFORE starting all of this… copy down the instructions and place them in your home folder for you to read while you are installing.

Then you should be able to login and follow the prompts.

IF you need the root login, simply change the root password and enable it to login via the System >> Administration >> Login Window >> Security (tab)

Thank check the box to enable administrative login.

God bless,
Johnathan

5

This looks useful (I want to install 9.04 on a Dell Dimension 4550) but I don’t know what a 185.xxx driver covers.

$ lspci | grep -i nvidia

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV17 [GeForce4 MX 420] (rev a3)

Is there an equivalent driver for this, and will the procedure you describe work for it?

///Peter

6

@Peter,

Check out the drivers on the nVidia site. They ‘might’ have a different driver set than with the 185.xxx drivers.

Actually… let me check for you… just a sec…

OK, Peter, it depends on whether you are running 32bit or 64bit.

32bit = 185.18.36 = http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display…_185.18.36.html

64bit = 96.43.13 = http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display…4_96.43.13.html

Simply download from the above of which version you have installed.

God bless,

Johnathan

7

A bit of a noob here, please excuse my noobness. I am trying to download the proper driver via console and am unsure how to access the right driver from the nvidia site I was planning on using wget, and found this post. The only problem is i am using a different video card and my system is 64bit. How do I tell wget the proper URL to use to acquire the driver I need. I went on the Nvidia site and according to the site I need “NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-260.19.36.run” just not sure how to tell wget to navigate to this driver on the Nvidia site.

Thanks in advance for your help,

8

Try this:

http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/260.19.36/NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-260.19.36.run

OR

Use ftp:

ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/

eg ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/260.19.36/NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-260.19.36.run

9

ljbadenz,

Thanks for the help that worked perfectly, now if I can just get through the rest of this procedure. External Image

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