Any error messages? Is your system up-to-date otherwise? Do you have Secureboot enabled?

Quoting: tuxintuxedoAny error messages? Is your system up-to-date otherwise? Do you have Secureboot enabled?

Hey tuxintuxedo ! Secure boot is disabled yes. Here the process I use :

UNSINSTALLING DRIVERS :

Then before installing I try to start from a clean status so I search for the nvidia related installed stuff :

dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia
and then I remove them :

sudo apt-get remove --purge '^nvidia-.*'

as Ubuntu setup might have been removed I reinstall it :

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

Purging might blacking the standard display driver “nouveau” so I add it again :

echo 'nouveau' | sudo tee -a /etc/modules

To make sure the nvidia driver is really uninstalled I run :

sudo nvidia-uninstall

This runs a GUI and go to the end saying that it has been uninstalled.



INSTALLING DRIVERS :

Option 1 :

In “Software & Updates” I click on “Additional Drivers” and try to select several drivers proposed and then click on “Apply”:
- the first one called “*470” does not work and show a Server issue
- the 2nd one called “*510-server” at least does not show an error when I click “Apply” but I am wondering what “server” means in the name.. my machine is basically not a server

Did you try adding the updated gpu drivers PPA?
Graphics PPA

Quoting: tuxintuxedoDid you try adding the updated gpu drivers PPA?
Graphics PPA

Hello Tux, not sure what you mean with the gpu drivers PPA ?

Here what I tried but still get issues:

---

- anyways, I reboot my machine
- but then when I run:
nvidia-smi
to see which driver is installed I get the following error:
“NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.”

Option 2 :

I download the driver for my Graphic card (GeForce RTX 3060) from the NVIDIA website and run the installation script:

sudo sh ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-460.56.run


I get the below error :

ERROR: Failed to run `/usr/sbin/dkms build -m nvidia -v 460.56 -k
5.15.0-46-generic`:
Kernel preparation unnecessary for this kernel. Skipping...

Building module:
cleaning build area...
'make' -j12 NV_EXCLUDE_BUILD_MODULES=''
KERNEL_UNAME=5.15.0-46-generic IGNORE_CC_MISMATCH='' modules.....(bad
exit status: 2)
ERROR (dkms apport): binary package for nvidia: 460.56 not found
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel:
5.15.0-46-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/nvidia/460.56/build/make.log for more
information.

Then I download the latest driver version and try to install it :

sudo sh ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-515.57.run

then I get the below error:

ERROR: Unable to load the 'nvidia-drm' kernel module.


Option 3 : AUTOINSTALL

I run:
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

but get the below error:

E: Failed to fetch http://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/ubuntu1804/x86_64/./nvidia-settings_510.47.03-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb File has unexpected size (893670 != 893668). Mirror sync in progress? [IP: 152.199.20.126 80]
Hashes of expected file:
- SHA512:c54667544235f3342527d1192c8899343cfae1b942394078cda60881bcd17b5927020b85279bd3c68ad4939e1738e08c6c3346d3f7be98ade1d72007df040e43
- SHA256:ff5e5d25fa3c4e1b40768352b35bd392cc68bd95fedfb6961465be8a3ef46f6a
- SHA1:082254299c70f2224ddffaa3cca4506e4e8b2f07 [weak]
- MD5Sum:eba37f44334d0788f30b135f06ca7fea [weak]
- Filesize:893668 [weak]
E: Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing?


- so I run :
sudo apt-get update

- I get the below error:

W: GPG error: http://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/ubuntu1804/x86_64 InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY A4B469963BF863CC
E: The repository 'http://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/ubuntu1804/x86_64 InRelease' is no longer signed.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
E: The repository 'https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Emulators:/Wine:/Debian/xUbuntu_20.10 ./ Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
W: An error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 4EB27DB2A3B88B8B


- so looking at the web :
https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/updating-the-cuda-linux-gpg-repository-key/

- I see that the signatures issue can be solved somehow :
sudo apt-key del 7fa2af80

- I install the new cuda-keyring package :

sudo wget https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/ubuntu2004/x86_64/cuda-keyring_1.0-1_all.deb

sudo dpkg -i cuda-keyring_1.0-1_all.deb
- Then I run again :

sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
- Installation seems to run until the end, even entry in boot menu is added :

Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings
done
Trying to select the on-demand PRIME profile
Info: selecting the on-demand profile
Writing /lib/modprobe.d/nvidia-runtimepm.conf
Updating the initramfs. Please wait for the operation to complete:
Done

- but running :
nvidia-smi

- is still showing an error:
“NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.”

- probably because the computer has to be rebooted so I run:
reboot

- but when I run :
nvidia-smi

- I still get :

“NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.”

- but now at least when I start the “Other drivers” in Ubuntu I see the latest NVIDIA driver selected :


















- now looking at the web, it seems that the newest versions of the driver does not work:
https://gist.github.com/espoirMur/65cec3d67e0a96e270860c9c276ab9fa


- so I go again in “Other drivers” and select the 470 version and reboot














- but still :

“NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.”

- nevertheless when checking this website it seems that the driver is installed..? :

https://linuxconfig.org/graphics-driver-check-ubuntu-20-04-focal-fossa

- because when running :
sudo lshw -c video

- it shows :
*-display
description: VGA compatible controller
product: NVIDIA Corporation
vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
logical name: /dev/fb0
version: a1
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller cap_list fb
configuration: depth=32 latency=0 mode=1920x1080 visual=truecolor xres=1920 yres=1080
resources: iomemory:420-41f iomemory:410-40f memory:4200000000-43ffffffff memory:4100000000-4101ffffff ioport:5000(size=128) memory:b1280000-b12fffff



- but here also an Intel Card is shown as long as NVIDIA so which one is used ?

- I found this website :
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1297454/working-nvidia-drivers-for-ubuntu-20-04

- still the same issue’

- but now I had a look in the UEFI (push DEL at boot to get the MSI UEFI menu) and saw that secure boot was actually enabled!

- so I disable it

- I install again version 515 :
“sudo sh ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-515.57.run”
but still get:
“ERROR: Unable to load the 'nvidia-drm' kernel module.”

Okay.
Something was messed up on your system. You have added a repo for Ubuntu 18.04 at some point in time. It is possible, that it affected the packages.
Do you have a backup or would it be a hassle to reinstall the system? Because it would be wise to start things from the beginning, with logical and traceable steps.
Just to add. If things are working normally, you shouldn't try to install the driver downloaded directly from Nvidia. Only use the system menu.

Last edited by tuxintuxedo on 11 September 2022 at 9:18 am UTC

Quoting: tuxintuxedoOkay.
Something was messed up on your system. You have added a repo for Ubuntu 18.04 at some point in time. It is possible, that it affected the packages.
Do you have a backup or would it be a hassle to reinstall the system? Because it would be wise to start things from the beginning, with logical and traceable steps.
Just to add. If things are working normally, you shouldn't try to install the driver downloaded directly from Nvidia. Only use the system menu.

Hey Tux, thanks a lot!

Yes this is exactly what I thought, I saw those Ubuntu 18.04 related packages and was wondering..
I will reinstall Ubuntu from scratch I guess with a live USB key.

Do you recommend ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 for gaming ? Thanks again! Alex

Quoting: VeynacalDo you recommend ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 for gaming ? Thanks again! Alex

I'd recommend either Mint or Pop_OS, to be honest. But if you're passionate about sticking to the vanilla Ubuntu install, then the latest LTS is your go-to: the 22.04 install, definitely. I can't think of any reason to go with the one that's two years older.

After a massive commitment to Ubuntu of nearly 15 years, when they ditched Unity in 2017, the writing was on the wall. I used 18.04 for a while, but the gnome desktop was a painful transition, and the graphics drivers were still way behind what other distros were offering. So I jumped to Mint for 2019 and 2020, then jumped again to Pop_OS in June 2020 and used it for two years. Finally found myself on EndeavourOS for the last 6 months, but I'll probably head back to Pop_OS or Siduction some time in the near future. Widen those horizons and all that!

Good luck with the re-install, whatever you decide!

Quoting: scaine

Quoting: VeynacalDo you recommend ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 for gaming ? Thanks again! Alex

I'd recommend either Mint or Pop_OS, to be honest. But if you're passionate about sticking to the vanilla Ubuntu install, then the latest LTS is your go-to: the 22.04 install, definitely. I can't think of any reason to go with the one that's two years older.

After a massive commitment to Ubuntu of nearly 15 years, when they ditched Unity in 2017, the writing was on the wall. I used 18.04 for a while, but the gnome desktop was a painful transition, and the graphics drivers were still way behind what other distros were offering. So I jumped to Mint for 2019 and 2020, then jumped again to Pop_OS in June 2020 and used it for two years. Finally found myself on EndeavourOS for the last 6 months, but I'll probably head back to Pop_OS or Siduction some time in the near future. Widen those horizons and all that!

Good luck with the re-install, whatever you decide!

Thanks a lot ! Well the reason using Ubuntu was just because ROS a robotic middleware I am using and at the time the best compatible OS was Ubuntu.

Quoting: VeynacalThanks a lot ! Well the reason using Ubuntu was just because ROS a robotic middleware I am using and at the time the best compatible OS was Ubuntu.

Makes sense! Both Mint and Pop_OS use Ubuntu LTS as their base, however, so unless your software relies specifically on Snaps, then you definitely have options. They both use the normal Ubuntu PPAs, and repositories, so the versions will all be the same, for example.

The main difference is that Pop_OS has their own repo for graphics drivers, I believe, which updates much more frequently, often within hours of a new driver release. So that might be a consideration.

I'd just like to add, if you're considering switching distro after you've fixed your current installation, give them spin in a virtual machine first. It'll give you a good feel of the OS and also the available software packages, while keeping your current working setup, well, working.

I pretty much always do this if I'm trying a distro for the first time. It's useful to find out if software A works with OS B

In any case, don't limit yourself to only one distro every time, try different ones as often they all have their own pros and cons, and it's always good to have options.

Libvirt and virt-manager are pretty much universally available on every distro, so it may be your easiest VM manager to test them with.

In any case, I hope you get your issue resolved and continue to enjoy FOSS!

Last edited by BlackBloodRum on 11 September 2022 at 12:46 pm UTC