What is it with updates?

[claydoh]

My input here, from some experience with Nvidia cards, up to a GTX 1050 ( that I very recently replaced with an RX 560), is to either update a fresh install before installing the stockNvidia-390 driver, and only upgrade to the still beta 396 once everything is working fine. It usually is a smooth upgrade from 390 to 396, if things are working well with the stable driver, and any tweaks will carry over.

Another thing that I sometimes see is some leftovers from the 390 driver after installing the 396, or downgrading to the 390, that can be problematic.
Running sudo apt autoremove usually clears up these files that can keep xorg from starting or running.

[This is because different groups of people are packaging things in slightly different ways between the PPA and the stock repo, I think]

Another thing that can happen is a super low screen resolution, which can mean that the kernel modules did not get built or rebuilt for some reason.
running sudo apt install nvidia-dkms-390 --reinstall ###or -396, as appropriate
This will rebuild modules for the kernels(s) you have, and show any errors if they don't build. I have not seen build failures happen in ages, just once in a while they don't seem to get built, the scripts are not run, or something. I have not investigated as re-running the dkms scripts by reinstalling the package has worked in those cases without fail. (when switching drivers, not when installing fresh, this seems to be an artifact of using the PPA, mainly with downgrading )

I usually use the driver manager to swap drivers, and only do the command line fu if there is a problem present.

I also have never had to edit a grub setting for nomodeset, not in ages, and in older cards. I have done little to no tweaking, as I have not had any tearing issues or the like. I have tried turning on Force Full Composition Pipeline in Nvidia Settings, with some usefulness, though this is debatable on it being overkill. You can set some options in the settings app, but be sure to save them, they will be added to an xorg.conf so they work between reboots.

This Reddit thread has some recent experiences specific to Plasma users
https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comment...ietary_nvidia/

But note that everyone has a different experience, even with similar or the same GPUS, so YMMV. Anything you want to try, make sure there is a reason why this is supposed to help, that is is very recent , and don't tweak until you have things running as well as it can beforehand. Some gui tweak settings may not be present in the 390 driver.

[woodsmoke]

hiccough...

LOVE it!

woody

[Scorpa54]

xorg was the only hiccough, all else went smoothly. Some slight strangeness with task manager's update readout compared to discovery's readout, but that straightened out as updates were applied.

[Scorpa54]

Had a freeze this morning at the display manager, this was after installing xorg update. Was able to get in after a hard reboot.
I have noticed that any/all updates dealing with pango have mysteriously disappeared before I had gotten to them and they were security updates. Very strange.

[Scorpa54]

Well, so much for that theory. Reinstall this morning.
I did find that adding "Option Touch "off"" to the 70wacom.conf file locks me out on reboot and may have been the only reason for the reinstall this morning.
I am trying with Nvidia 396 drivers installed first and going through the arduous task of separately installing all updates to see which, if any, cause problems.
I will get back to you with the results in a few days (hopefully, only 89 more system updates to go)

[Scorpa54]

OK ,,see how that goes then .

if you want to try the newest driver 396 (witch is what the nvidiad website is recommending as of now) then add the PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
sudo apt-get update

then

sudo apt install nvidia-396

VINNY

Thank you, much appreciated

[vinnywright]

OK ,,see how that goes then .

if you want to try the newest driver 396 (witch is what the nvidiad website is recommending as of now) then add the PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
sudo apt-get update

then

sudo apt install nvidia-396

VINNY

[Scorpa54]

OK .

lets check the state of the system as far as updates goes

post this one just the bottom 10 lines or so to see the suggestions

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get  dist-upgrade

you can select(type) n to not go through with it if you so wish

VINNY

I did 122 updates with this mornings install, yesterday there was 119, and all is running okay as Nvidia was the last thing to go in.

drew@scorpa54:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for drew: 
Hit:1 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic InRelease
Get:2 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security InRelease [83.2 kB]
Get:3 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates InRelease [88.7 kB]       
Get:4 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports InRelease [74.6 kB]
Fetched 247 kB in 1s (206 kB/s)    
Reading package lists... Done
drew@scorpa54:~$

drew@scorpa54:~$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
drew@scorpa54:~$

[vinnywright]

OK .

lets check the state of the system as far as updates goes

post this one just the bottom 10 lines or so to see the suggestions

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get  dist-upgrade

you can select(type) n to not go through with it if you so wish

VINNY

[Scorpa54]

first lets see what you have installed for nvidia

sudo dpkg -l | grep nvidia

drew@scorpa54:~$ sudo dpkg -l | grep nvidia
[sudo] password for drew: 
ii  libnvidia-cfg1-390:amd64                        390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA binary OpenGL/GLX configuration library
ii  libnvidia-common-390                            390.48-0ubuntu3                             all          Shared files used by the NVIDIA libraries
ii  libnvidia-compute-390:amd64                     390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA libcompute package
ii  libnvidia-compute-390:i386                      390.48-0ubuntu3                             i386         NVIDIA libcompute package
ii  libnvidia-decode-390:amd64                      390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA Video Decoding runtime libraries
ii  libnvidia-decode-390:i386                       390.48-0ubuntu3                             i386         NVIDIA Video Decoding runtime libraries
ii  libnvidia-encode-390:amd64                      390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVENC Video Encoding runtime library
ii  libnvidia-encode-390:i386                       390.48-0ubuntu3                             i386         NVENC Video Encoding runtime library
ii  libnvidia-fbc1-390:amd64                        390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA OpenGL-based Framebuffer Capture runtime library
ii  libnvidia-fbc1-390:i386                         390.48-0ubuntu3                             i386         NVIDIA OpenGL-based Framebuffer Capture runtime library
ii  libnvidia-gl-390:amd64                          390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA OpenGL/GLX/EGL/GLES GLVND libraries and Vulkan ICD
ii  libnvidia-gl-390:i386                           390.48-0ubuntu3                             i386         NVIDIA OpenGL/GLX/EGL/GLES GLVND libraries and Vulkan ICD
ii  libnvidia-ifr1-390:amd64                        390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA OpenGL-based Inband Frame Readback runtime library
ii  libnvidia-ifr1-390:i386                         390.48-0ubuntu3                             i386         NVIDIA OpenGL-based Inband Frame Readback runtime library
ii  nvidia-compute-utils-390                        390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA compute utilities
ii  nvidia-dkms-390                                 390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA DKMS package
ii  nvidia-driver-390                               390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA driver metapackage
ii  nvidia-kernel-common-390                        390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        Shared files used with the kernel module
ii  nvidia-kernel-source-390                        390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA kernel source package
ii  nvidia-prime                                    0.8.8                                       all          Tools to enable NVIDIA's Prime
ii  nvidia-settings                                 390.42-0ubuntu1                             amd64        Tool for configuring the NVIDIA graphics driver
ii  nvidia-utils-390                                390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA driver support binaries
ii  xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-390                   390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA binary Xorg driver
drew@scorpa54:~$

then lets make sure dkms is installed

dpkg -l | grep dkms

post these back and we will go from their

VINNY

drew@scorpa54:~$ dpkg -l | grep dkms
ii  dkms                                            2.3-3ubuntu9.2                              all          Dynamic Kernel Module Support Framework
ii  nvidia-dkms-390                                 390.48-0ubuntu3                             amd64        NVIDIA DKMS package
drew@scorpa54:~$

[vinnywright]

Figured as much about the drivers, thanks. I no longer have grub because I removed my Windows partition, never used it.
One of the things I love about Linux is that I don't lose any info after a re-install as long as I don't format my home drive, even my app configuration is there when the apps are re-installed.

you still have "the grub bootloder installed" it just dose not show it's self if you only have the 1 install ,,,to see it at boot , as soon as you powere up the box keep taping the "shift" key

VINNY

[vinnywright]

your Nvidia driver may need to be reinstalled especially after and kernel upgrade or Xord up grade.
in order to get to the desktop you may have to add nomodeset to the boot line in grub.

the dkms package is for rebuilding the kernel modules as needed

VINNY

[Scorpa54]

your Nvidia driver may need to be reinstalled especially after and kernel upgrade or Xord up grade.
in order to get to the desktop you may have to add nomodeset to the boot line in grub.

Figured as much about the drivers, thanks. I no longer have grub because I removed my Windows partition, never used it.
One of the things I love about Linux is that I don't lose any info after a re-install as long as I don't format my home drive, even my app configuration is there when the apps are re-installed.

[vinnywright]

first lets see what you have installed for nvidia

sudo dpkg -l | grep nvidia

then lets make sure dkms is installed

dpkg -l | grep dkms

post these back and we will go from their

VINNY

[kc1di]

your Nvidia driver may need to be reinstalled especially after and kernel upgrade or Xord up grade.
in order to get to the desktop you may have to add nomodeset to the boot line in grub.