NVIDIA 750 Install Failed and Botched My Machine

[incubus158]

Hello there, I need help recovering my ubuntu box. I am on 14.4 ubuntu.

I downloaded an NVIDIA GeForce 64 bit 750 driver and installed it because it was stating that when I plugged in a second monitor that I didnt have enough graphics memory.

Several times rebooting I was able to get it where I see my login screen, but now it just goes to a terminal and kind of freezes.

I took out the drive and mounted in windows and here is my .xsession_errors file:

/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGL.so.1: file too short
Script for ibus started at run_im.
Script for auto started at run_im.
Script for default started at run_im.
init: hud main process (3213) terminated with status 127
init: at-spi2-registryd main process ended, respawning
init: at-spi2-registryd main process ended, respawning
init: at-spi2-registryd main process ended, respawning
init: gnome-session (Unity) main process (3217) terminated with status 1
init: at-spi2-registryd main process ended, respawning
init: unity-settings-daemon main process (3199) killed by TERM signal
init: logrotate main process (3084) killed by TERM signal
init: update-notifier-crash (/var/crash/_opt_google_chrome_chrome.1000.crash) main process (3122) killed by TERM signal
init: update-notifier-crash (/var/crash/_usr_bin_compiz.1000.crash) main process (3126) killed by TERM signal
init: update-notifier-crash (/var/crash/_usr_bin_skype.1000.crash) main process (3127) killed by TERM signal
init: update-notifier-crash (/var/crash/_usr_bin_Xorg.0.crash) main process (3128) killed by TERM signal
init: update-notifier-crash (/var/crash/_usr_lib_ibus_ibus-ui-gtk3.1000.crash) main process (3129) killed by TERM signal
init: update-notifier-crash (/var/crash/_usr_lib_x86_64-linux-gnu_indicator-application_indicator-application-service.1000.crash) main process (3130) killed by TERM signal
init: unity-panel-service main process (3226) killed by TERM signal
init: xsession-init main process (3195) killed by TERM signal
init: Disconnected from notified D-Bus bus

Does anyone have any ideas of commands I can try running to get rid of this crap NVIDIA stuff?

I tried running NVIDIA.run --uninstall and it says I dont have it installed. I also tried sudo apt-get uninstall nvidia* and I think that got me to my login screen, but now I cant login!

Please help me with your wise 'nix wizardry and experience!!!

[v3.xx]

Are you sure its crap nvidia stuff and not a crap install :)

Most find it better to install from the ppa if the driver is not offered in driver upgrade tab.

http://askubuntu.com/questions/478014/new-nvidia-graphics-card-drivers

https://launchpad.net/~graphics-drivers/+archive/ubuntu/ppa?field.series_filter=

[efflandt]

The default nouveau driver or nvidia-current package do not work for nvidia cards with the new Maxwell chip, or at least they did not work in Ubuntu 14.04.1 when I installed that with a GTX 750 Ti.

If you ran a .run file earlier, when you tried to do NVIDIA.run --uninstall are you sure that the error was not "file not found"? I have never used a .run file from nvidia.com, but judging from another post, the name of the run file is probably longer including the driver version and you have had to use "sudo " prefix for something like: sudo ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-355.06.run --uninstall

If you have Ethernet that can connect automatically or configured WiFi during install, I would suggest doing the following:
- Boot a (recovery mode) kernel.
- When the menu comes up, Enable Networking (which also remounts the read-only file system read-write). If you get any errors about unidentified hardware, wait a while for it to return to the menu.
- Choose Root Console (as root you will not need to use sudo where you normally would)
- cd to the directory where you have that .run file, then with ./ prefix attached to it run that .run file with --uninstall after it like: ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-355.06.run --uninstall
- Just in case you did try to install any nvidia package do: apt-get purge nvidia*
- Then do
apt-get update
apt-get install nvidia-331-updates
reboot

The nvida-331-updates package currently installs a 340 version driver. That should at least get you up and running unless you have other issues.

One possible remaining issue might be if you did not use nomodeset boot parameter when booting the live/install iso (for anything with nvidia except a laptop). That can temporarily be added by hitting e during the grub menu and inserting nomodeset in the line that includes "quiet splash". Then insert nomodeset inside of the quotes in the line in /etc/default/grub that contain "quiet splash", and run: sudo update-grub