How To Install Nvidia Drivers on Linux Mint 22

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Nvidia Drivers on Linux Mint 22. Linux Mint 22, codenamed “Wilma,” is the latest release of the popular Linux distribution known for its user-friendliness and stability. This version brings a host of new features, improved hardware support, and updated software packages. One crucial aspect for users with Nvidia graphics cards is ensuring the proper installation and configuration of Nvidia drivers.

When it comes to Nvidia drivers on Linux, there are two main options: open-source drivers (Nouveau) and proprietary Nvidia drivers. The open-source Nouveau drivers are developed by the community and are included by default in most Linux distributions. While they provide basic functionality, they may not offer the best performance or support for the latest features.

On the other hand, proprietary Nvidia drivers are developed and maintained by Nvidia itself. These drivers are known for their superior performance, especially for gaming and graphics-intensive applications. They also provide access to advanced features like CUDA and OpenCL support.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Nvidia Drivers on Linux Mint 22.

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: Linux Mint 22.
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• While we’ll guide you through the process, a basic understanding of the command line will be beneficial. If you’re new to the CLI, you might want to acquaint yourself with some fundamental commands.
• An active internet connection.
• Administrative privileges are essential for installing and configuring software on your system. Ensure that you have superuser or sudo access.

Install Nvidia Drivers on Linux Mint 22

Step 1. Update Your Linux Mint System.

First, make sure your Linux Mint 22 system is up to date. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

These commands will refresh the package list and upgrade any outdated packages to their latest versions, ensuring compatibility with the Nvidia drivers.

Step 2. Check Current Driver.

To check if any Nvidia driver is already installed on your system, run the following command in the terminal:

lspci -k | grep -A 2 -i "nvidia"

This command will display information about your Nvidia graphics card and the currently loaded driver. If you see “nouveau” listed, it means the open-source driver is in use.

Step 3. Installing Nvidia Drivers.

• Method 1: Installing via Terminal.

Linux Mint 22 includes the Nvidia drivers in its official repositories. Open a terminal and run the following command, replacing XXX with the desired driver version (e.g., 515 for the latest stable release):

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-XXX

Press Enter and wait for the installation process to complete. The package manager will handle the download and setup of the Nvidia driver.

To verify that the Nvidia driver is installed and working correctly, run the following command in the terminal:

nvidia-smi

This command will display information about your Nvidia graphics card, including the driver version, GPU utilization, and memory usage. If you see the expected output, the driver is successfully installed.

• Method 3: Installing from Nvidia’s Website.

In some cases, you may want to install the latest Nvidia driver directly from the official Nvidia website. This method is useful if you require a specific driver version that is not available in the repositories.

Visit the Nvidia driver download page and select your graphics card model, operating system (Linux), and architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). Download the appropriate driver package for your system.

Before installing the driver, you need to stop the X server and switch to a virtual console. To do this, press Ctrl+Alt+F1 and log in with your username and password. Then, stop the display manager by running one of the following commands, depending on your system:

sudo systemctl stop lightdm

Navigate to the directory where you downloaded the Nvidia driver package (e.g., ~/Downloads) and run the following command, replacing NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-XXX.run with the actual filename:

sudo bash NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-XXX.run

After the installation is finished, restart the display manager by running one of the following commands:

sudo systemctl start lightdm

Finally, reboot your system to ensure the changes take effect.

Step 4. Troubleshooting.

If you encounter any issues during or after the Nvidia driver installation, here are some common problems and their solutions.

Common Issues and Fixes.

• Black screen after installation: If you experience a black screen after installing the Nvidia driver, try booting into recovery mode and uninstalling the driver. To do this, reboot your system and select “Advanced options for Linux Mint” from the GRUB menu. Choose “Recovery Mode” and then “Root – Drop to root shell prompt.” Run the following commands to remove the Nvidia driver and revert to the open-source Nouveau driver:

sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

Reboot your system, and you should be able to log in using the Nouveau driver.

• Poor performance or glitches: If you notice poor performance or graphical glitches after installing the Nvidia driver, try updating to the latest driver version or switching to a different driver version. You can use the Driver Manager or the terminal method to install a different driver version.

Checking Logs

If you’re still experiencing issues, checking the system logs can provide valuable information for troubleshooting. To view the logs related to the Nvidia driver, run the following command in the terminal:

dmesg | grep -i nvidia

This command will display any messages or errors related to the Nvidia driver. You can use this information to search for solutions online or seek help from the Linux Mint community forums.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Nvidia Drivers. Thanks for using this tutorial to install the latest version of the Nvidia Drivers on the Linux Mint system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Nvidia website.