Guides 11792 Published by Philipp Esselbach 0

The guide explains how to switch from default VESA or Mesa graphics to the proprietary NVIDIA driver on Debian 10 and 11, detailing why each step is crucial for a smooth setup. It begins by purging old NVIDIA packages, enabling non‑free repositories, installing kernel headers and build tools, then choosing an appropriate driver version that matches the GPU model. After installing the chosen driver with apt, which automatically configures DKMS hooks, you reboot and confirm functionality with `nvidia-smi`, while the text also warns about common pitfalls such as black screens or mixed Mesa/NVIDIA modules. Finally, it suggests using the handy `nvidia-detect` script for quick compatibility checks and offers troubleshooting tips that point to logs like `/var/log/Xorg.0.log` and `dmesg` for diagnosing issues.

Guides 11792 Published by Philipp Esselbach 0

The article explains how to get NVIDIA drivers up and running on Linux Mint 21 or 20, highlighting why the default firmware and xserver packages are often too old to support modern GPUs. It walks readers through identifying the exact GPU model with lspci, purging any previous NVIDIA packages, optionally adding a graphics PPA, installing the appropriate driver either from apt or directly from NVIDIA’s website, configuring Xorg with nvidia‑xconfig, rebooting, and confirming success with nvidia‑smi. The guide also details common hiccups such as kernel mismatches, Secure Boot rejecting unsigned modules, and display‑manager configuration issues, offering practical ways to dodge each one. In short, it stresses the importance of cleaning out old drivers, choosing a driver version that matches both hardware and kernel, and exercising patience so the system can deliver reliable 3D performance.