nvidia-173(-updates) driver hangs on startup

[Oscar Andreis]

Introduction: upgrading my system to precise 12.04, the upgrade procedure removed nvidia proprietary drivers (nvidia-173-updates) because the version on the repository had some broken dependency with new version of xserver. After the upgrade my 12.04 system worked with nouveau drivers (but slowly than proprietary drivers).

Today (27/7/2012) the repositories was updated with new version of nvidia-173(-updates) drivers, rebuilded to gain xserver compatibility.
I do the same procedure as the older ubuntu versions (see https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/hardware/C/jockey.html) to install proprietary drivers, but after reboot the graphic environment doesn't start anymore: after some seconds with the Ubuntu logo, the system returns at the shell with login prompt. If I try to launch "startx" command manually, I see some daemons to start (with [ok] in the right side of the screen) and then the execution stopped without any error message, the keyboard freeze (the numlock key doesn't work anymore...)

Tried to uninstall and reinstall nvidia-173 and nvidia-173-updates manually more times (eg. sudo apt get install nvidia-173)
If I simply uninstall the nvidia proprietary driver, the system returns to work with no problems...

Perhaps a nvidia-173(-updates) package bug?
What else can I check?

SYSTEM INFO:
>lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Release: 12.04

>apt-cache policy nvidia-173
nvidia-173:
  Installato: (nessuno)
  Candidato: 173.14.35-0ubuntu0.1
  Tabella versione:
     173.14.35-0ubuntu0.1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/restricted i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     173.14.30-0ubuntu11 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/restricted i386 Packages

>apt-cache policy nvidia-173-updates
nvidia-173-updates:
  Installato: (nessuno)
  Candidato: 173.14.35-0ubuntu0.1
  Tabella versione:
     173.14.35-0ubuntu0.1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/restricted i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     173.14.30-0ubuntu7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/restricted i386 Packages

[ZOkI ZuAn (zoki)]

First off uninstall nvidia driver .
reboot
go to system setting .In hardware section go to Additional drivers
and automatically the best driver,probably the latest nvidia driver 302 would be installed and configured auotomatically

[Oscar Andreis (oscarand77)]

I tryed yet this procedure: the driver installation go on to the end and
ask me to reboot.
But after reboot the system hangs.
The nvidia drivers version (automatically showed by 'Additional drivers')
for my graphics card (GeForce FX5700) are nvidia-173. This is the version
always worked for me until 11.10....
Thanx

2012/7/27 Z0kI <email address hidden>

> First off uninstall nvidia driver .
> reboot
> go to system setting .In hardware section go to Additional drivers
> and automatically the best driver,probably the latest nvidia driver 302
> would be installed and configured auotomatically
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1030149
>
> Title:
> nvidia-173(-updates) driver hangs on startup
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1030149/+subscriptions
>

--
Oscar Andreis
<email address hidden>

[Oscar Andreis (oscarand77)]

[SOLVED]
I've downloaded and installed from repositorty the new kernel 3.2.0.30. After that, I tried again to install Nvidia drivers from 'Additional drivers': same failure, but reading XOrg log in /var/log and check xorg.conf file I found the real problem: the Nvidia proprietary driver installation doesn't set the 'Driver "nvidia"' line, but leave the old value "nouveau".
In my old ubuntu versions I didn't set manually that value, all did set automatically...
Now the driver nvidia-173-updates is CORRECTLY LOADED and my framerate (tested with glxgears) is passed from 2400 to 10000.