nVidia driver won't load anymore

[Styno]

Upgraded to 12.04 beta about a week ago, display worked fine. Performed an apt-get upgrade yesterday and now the nVidia driver won't load anymore (both available versions in Jockey). Xorg tries to determine the monitor on startup but fails (see attached screenshot).

Machine is Asus M50Vm laptop with nVidia GeForce 9600m GS with 1GB ram.

[ 40.850] (II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
[ 40.850] (II) Loading /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/xorg/extra-modules/nvidia_drv.so
[ 41.198] (II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[ 41.242] compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[ 41.242] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 41.401] (EE) NVIDIA: Failed to load the NVIDIA kernel module. Please check your
[ 41.401] (EE) NVIDIA: system's kernel log for additional error messages.
[ 41.401] (II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
[ 41.401] (II) Unloading nvidia
[ 41.401] (EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module-specific error, 0)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+10ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-18.28-generic 3.2.9
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-18-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.94.1-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,place,move,imgpng,session,mousepoll,snap,grid,unitymtgrabhandles,regex,vpswitch,gnomecompat,resize,wall,animation,workarounds,fade,expo,scale,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Wed Mar 7 20:37:27 2012
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2012-03-04 11:48:09.339228
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation G96 [GeForce 9600M GS] [10de:0648] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:1892]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. M50Vm
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=nl_NL.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-18-generic root=UUID=0412ec01-0252-40ab-ac6e-75161a189e88 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UnitySupportTest:
 Error: command ['/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test', '-p', '-f'] failed with exit code 5: Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0".
 Error: GLX is not available on the system
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-03-04 (3 days ago)
XorgConf:
 Section "Device"
  Identifier "Default Device"
  Option "NoLogo" "True"
 EndSection
dmi.bios.date: 07/24/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 206
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: M50Vm
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr206:bd07/24/2008:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnM50Vm:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnM50Vm:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: M50Vm
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.0~bzr2995-0ubuntu5
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu33
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.30-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.1-0ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.1-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.99.901+git20120126-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Styno (styno)]

Apport did not include the Jockey logfile but it might contain relevant information as Jockey-gtk is unable to activate any of the two nVidia drivers. Jockey logfile is attached.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Looks like it isn't finding the kernel nvidia driver. Guess when you upgraded it updated the kernel but for whatever reason didn't rebuild the nvidia driver. Probably if you go into grub and boot an earlier kernel it'd work.

Try `sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*` and then reinstalling nvidia-current via jockey. That should force it to rebuild against the current kernel.

It would be interesting to see a make.log or something to see why the kernel module didn't get built. Have you manually installed kernels during this timeframe?

[Styno (styno)]

Using the tool nvidia-xconfig I was able to reactivate the nVidia driver in Xorg. But after rebooting the tool nvidia-settings still complained:
"You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver. Please edit your X configuration file (just run `nvidia-xconfig` as root), and restart the X server."

After that I tried to enable a driver using Jockey and selected the first driver without success (could not activate the driver). Jockey log says:

--2012-03-08 19:18:11,635 WARNING: modinfo for module fglrx_updates failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module fglrx_updates
2012-03-08 19:18:11,858 WARNING: modinfo for module fglrx failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module fglrx
2012-03-08 19:18:12,015 WARNING: modinfo for module ath_pci failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module ath_pci
2012-03-08 19:18:12,020 WARNING: modinfo for module vmxnet failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module vmxnet
2012-03-08 19:18:12,036 WARNING: modinfo for module wl failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module wl
2012-03-08 19:18:12,065 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_96 failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_96
2012-03-08 19:18:12,085 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_current failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_current
2012-03-08 19:18:12,183 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_173_updates failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_173_updates
2012-03-08 19:18:12,209 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_173 failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_173
2012-03-08 19:18:12,229 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_96_updates failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_96_updates
2012-03-08 19:18:13,188 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_current failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_current
2012-03-08 19:18:13,237 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_173_updates failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_173_updates
2012-03-08 19:18:13,283 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_173 failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_173
2012-03-08 19:18:32,447 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_current failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_current
2012-03-08 19:18:32,447 ERROR: XorgDriverHandler.enable(): package or module not installed, aborting
2012-03-08 19:19:38,193 WARNING: modinfo for module fglrx_updates failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module fglrx_updates
2012-03-08 19:19:38,284 WARNING: modinfo for module fglrx failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module fglrx
2012-03-08 19:19:38,348 WARNING: modinfo for module ath_pci failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module ath_pci
2012-03-08 19:19:38,354 WARNING: modinfo for module vmxnet failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module vmxnet
2012-03-08 19:19:38,382 WARNING: modinfo for module wl failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module wl
2012-03-08 19:19:38,432 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_96 failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_96
2012-03-08 19:19:38,489 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_current failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidia_current
2012-03-08 19:19:38,665 WARNING: modinfo for module nvidia_173_updates failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module nvidi...

[Styno (styno)]

Bryce thank you for your comment. I hadn't noticed it, but as it happens I just rebooted after doing:

sudo aptitude reinstall nvidia-current

Now the video card is working again and the display is automatically using the correct resolution, although my display still isn't recognised.

I did not install manual kernels, everything I've done since the dist-upgrade was apt-get update, apt-get upgrade except for the aptitude call I mention in this comment. I don't see any "make.log*" in /var/log.

If there is something that I can do to help, just let me know.

[Styno (styno)]

Although the nVidia driver is now loaded successfully I still have two problems when logging in for the first time after a reboot:

- The screen corrupts for a short while (a few seconds). I see a white background with lots of differently colored pixels everywhere. After a few seconds the screen appears normally.

- Xorg still claims it cannot correctly apply the configured display setting, see attached screenshot.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

I'll go ahead and close out this bug report since the original issue is resolved and we like to keep one issue per bug report. :-)

The screen corruption is a unity-greeter bug. Known issue, and not driver-specific.

As to the error dialog, I think that is GNOME not Xorg. Try deleting your ~/.config/monitors.xml. GNOME is probably not recognizing that the nvidia driver is setting up the modes in this case. If that doesn't solve it, file a bug against gnome-settings-daemon.