How to Install Latest Nvidia Driver on Linux Mint 13 (Maya)
Installing the Graphics Card driver is the first thing that you will like to do just after installing Linux. Though nowadays you are provided with general drivers to meet your needs, you will find many features and desktop enhancements missing.
Now here we will be going through a brief guide to install Nvidia Driver manually on Linux Mint 13. This is the simplest non conventional guide I could figure out and will help specially first timers to Linux Mint. Why non conventional? Because I will be skipping Some steps from the traditional Method. You can say taking advantage of improved Linux.
[alert-announce] The tips below can be used with any Linux, Just the commands will change. With the guide you can install nvidia driver with just 2 commands. [/alert-announce]Installing Nvidia Driver Manually on Linux
1) Download the Latest Nvidia Driver from Official Nvidia Website suiting your needs.
On the next screen you will be provided with the latest available driver, Download it. If you have 32 bit OS change Operating System to Linux 32-bit.
Once it is downloaded, open the download folder and copy the file in home directory. The file name will be NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-304.43.run. Remember 304.43 is the version, it will change as new versions are released.
So, you have copied the file to home directory. Now rename it to 1.run. Nothing specific just write any small name for convenience.
Q) Why did I move and renamed the file?
A) Well, it’s really not necessary. By doing the above step I reduced 1 command to go to location of file and also saved myself from typing a big name while installing.
You are now ready with every thing you needed before installing the Nvidia Driver.
2) Installing Nvidia Driver
By default you have the Noveau Driver installed in Mint/ Ubuntu and also in others that I have not tried yet. So to install the Nvidia driver this Noveau driver has to be stopped first. There are commands to manually stop this driver but I personally never used them. As my target is to reduce commands as much as possible, I will be using a so called 2 phase method.
Q) What the heck is this 2phase method?
A) There is nothing called as a 2 phase method officially in installing the driver. It’s basically using the setup twice.
First run: Just to disable the Noveau Driver.
Second run: Install Nvidia Driver.
Now lets move on with the installation. First thing you need to do is disable the X server. So you need to switch to text only or ttyl mode. Press ALT+CTRL+F1 to switch mode to text only if you need to come back to GUI press ALT+CTRL+F8. Login with your details. To stop X server use:
sudo service mdm stop
Xserver is stopped. Now to remove Noveau Driver (we are starting the 2 phase method)
First run:
sudo sh 1.run
(1 is the renamed file, it will be anything you renamed the file to be)
Nvidia driver will detect the Noveau driver and create a file to stop it in next run. At last it will fail to install. Just use
sudo reboot
to reboot your computer. After reboot, again go to text only mode ALT+CTRL+F1. Stop the xserver and
Second run: Install Nvidia Driver
sudo sh 1.run
Go through the instructions and you are done. Reboot system by command.
To access the Nvidia X Server settings, go to menu and search for Nvidia. The application will appear in search list.
[alert-success] TIP: Paste the required commands in your terminal once and execute. Then in text mode you will not even be required to type them. Just use arrow keys to bring up past commands. Anyways its just 2 commands and really easy ones.[/alert-success]
