Black Screen after nVidia Driver Installation

[Rufus]

I installed Linux Mint 11 Katya RC. It runs fine at first. But as soon as I install the nVidia graphics driver recommended by Katya, and reboot Linux Mint 11 RC, the screen stays black. The desktop does not load, or at least nothing is visible. I installed LM 11 RC a second time, and also the nvidia driver a second time. Same thing happened again.

[Linuxexperte (andrea-koeth)]

@ Rufus:

there is already a help existing.

What you have to do:

after having installed the nvidia-driver throguh the control-center, go to your Terminal and type in this:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Then scroll down until the end of the list. And at the end of the very last line, press Enter to put in a new line.
Then put in these two lines:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu natty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu natty main

Then save these changes and close your cources.list. Then return back to the Terminal and type in this:

sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com AF1CDFA9

This will import the key for this ppa-repository. Then wait until the key is imported.

Then type in these two commands:

sudo apt-get update (let it run through completely)

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade (also let it run through completely)

Then reboot your machine and everything should run normal again. For me it does. It also solved a sreen-resolution-problem for me with my graphiccard.

Greetings
Linuxexperte

[Rufus (balaenoptera-rufus)]

@ Linuxexperte

Thanks for helping

[Thomas Nehrlich (thomasneh)]

That did not work for me.

[Thomas Nehrlich (thomasneh)]

i installed LM 11 from scratch 3 times each time trying different ways to enable NVidia drivers, installing from the restricted driver instalation program, directly from Synaptic or installing .run from NVidia web, nothing works. I can still boot in recovery mode even with graphics.
I am using 64 bit version and I have a NVidia 7300 Go.

[Rufus (balaenoptera-rufus)]

Apart from what Linuxexperte writes, you can try another approach. There are
2 different proprietary nVidia drivers available, "version 173" and "version
current". I tried both. Version current results in the black screen problem.
Version 173 runs without próblems, at least on my system. I have a nVidia
730i chipset with integrated 9300 graphics card.

2011/5/18 Thomas Nehrlich <email address hidden>

> i installed LM 11 from scratch 3 times each time trying different ways to
> enable NVidia drivers, installing from the restricted driver instalation
> program, directly from Synaptic or installing .run from NVidia web, nothing
> works. I can still boot in recovery mode even with graphics.
> I am using 64 bit version and I have a NVidia 7300 Go.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/781377
>
> Title:
> Black Screen after nVidia Driver Installation
>
> Status in The Linux Mint Distribution:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> I installed Linux Mint 11 Katya RC. It runs fine at first. But as soon
> as I install the nVidia graphics driver recommended by Katya, and
> reboot Linux Mint 11 RC, the screen stays black. The desktop does not
> load, or at least nothing is visible. I installed LM 11 RC a second
> time, and also the nvidia driver a second time. Same thing happened
> again.
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/781377/+subscribe
>

[Thomas Nehrlich (thomasneh)]

@Rufus

Yes, you are right. I just started Mint in safe graphic mode (from the recovery mode), went to "Additional drivers" and unchecked current version, waited for it to uninstall, and then checked "version 173". Then I restarted and is was working just fine!
Thank you very much for taking the time to help :)·

[Rufus (balaenoptera-rufus)]

After installing the final version of Linux Mint 11 Katya, the bug is still there. I hoped it would be solved, but it is not. I tried the workaround recommended by Linuxexperte, but with no success on my machine (Zotac Geforce 9300 mainboard with nVidia nForce 730i chipset). The display stays black after booting with nVidia current drivers. nVidia 173 drivers are also not of much help. They boot fine, but after suspend and resume the display content is totally unreadable.
I deinstalled nouveau and blacklisted nouveau. It doesn't help.
Has anyone an idea how to install the current nVidia drivers manually on Linux Mint 11 Katya? Or any other workaround?

[Rufus (balaenoptera-rufus)]

Ubuntu Bugs #771594 and #770559 seem to be duplicates of this bug. Users of Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal have similar problems with nVidia drivers in combination with Geforce 9300 / nForce 730i.