Ubuntu Gnome 16.04 LTS | Flashing text on boot with proprietary nvidia-340 driver.

[quenz]

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)
Model #: A1278
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256MB)

The open-source driver works fine, but it is slow. I ran tests from GpuTest on both Mac OS and Ubuntu Gnome (with the open source driver), as well as some tests from browserbench.org with the latest version of Firefox in each OS. Ubuntu is consistently slower than Mac OS. So I want to try the proprietary Nvidia driver, to see if it's any faster.

I get a flashing log of text when I try to boot after selecting the nvidia-340 driver, with some green [ OK ]'s or something like that. I can get into shell with Ctrl+Alt+F1 sometimes, but sometimes it's difficult, or impossible.

Here are some logs I gave to someone trying to help me on IRC, they said I should show them to others trying to help to avoid them reinventing the wheel: http://termbin.com/g584 http://termbin.com/yjab

[Bashing-om]

quenz; Hey ;

As I am somewhat familiar with your issue - I will pick it back up here .

Post back the outputs of terminal commands:

lsb_release -a
uname -r
dpkg -l | grep linux-
dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia
cat /var/log/gpu-manager.log

with the thought in mind to revert the kernel to xenial's default ( OR fresh install 16.04.1

it's a thought

[quenz]

quenz@quenz-MacBookPro:~$ lsb release -a
No command 'lsb' found, did you mean:
 Command 'jsb' from package 'jsonbot' (universe)
 Command 'msb' from package 'mysql-sandbox' (universe)
 Command 'lsw' from package 'suckless-tools' (universe)
 Command 'sb' from package 'lrzsz' (universe)
 Command 'lsh' from package 'lsh-client' (universe)
 Command 'lb' from package 'live-build' (main)
 Command 'lsx' from package 'suckless-tools' (universe)
 Command 'ls' from package 'coreutils' (main)
lsb: command not found
quenz@quenz-MacBookPro:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:    Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS
Release:    16.04
Codename:    xenial

quenz@quenz-MacBookPro:~$ uname -r
4.13.0-31-generic

quenz@quenz-MacBookPro:~$ dpkg -l |grep linux-
ii  linux-base                                  4.0ubuntu1                                   all          Linux image base package
ii  linux-firmware                              1.157.11                                     all          Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
ii  linux-generic-hwe-16.04                     4.13.0.31.51                                 amd64        Complete Generic Linux kernel and headers
ii  linux-headers-4.10.0-28                     4.10.0-28.32~16.04.2                         all          Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.10.0
ii  linux-headers-4.10.0-28-generic             4.10.0-28.32~16.04.2                         amd64        Linux kernel headers for version 4.10.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-headers-4.13.0-31                     4.13.0-31.34~16.04.1                         all          Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.13.0
ii  linux-headers-4.13.0-31-generic             4.13.0-31.34~16.04.1                         amd64        Linux kernel headers for version 4.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-headers-generic-hwe-16.04             4.13.0.31.51                                 amd64        Generic Linux kernel headers
ii  linux-image-4.10.0-28-generic               4.10.0-28.32~16.04.2                         amd64        Linux kernel image for version 4.10.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-4.13.0-31-generic               4.13.0-31.34~16.04.1                         amd64        Linux kernel image for version 4.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-extra-4.10.0-28-generic         4.10.0-28.32~16.04.2                         amd64        Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.10.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-extra-4.13.0-31-generic         4.13.0-31.34~16.04.1                         amd64        Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-generic-hwe-16.04               4.13.0.31.51                                 amd64        Generic Linux kernel image
ii  linux-libc-dev:amd64                        4.4.0-87.110                                 amd64        Linux Kernel Headers for development
ii  linux-signed-generic-hwe-16.04              4.13.0.31.51                                 amd64        Complete Signed Generic Linux kernel and headers
ii  linux-signed-image-4.13.0-31-generic        4.13.0-31.34~16.04.1                         amd64        Signed kernel image generic
ii  linux-signed-image-generic-hwe-16.04        4.13.0.31.51                                 amd64        Signed Generic Linux kernel image
ii  linux-sound-base                            1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu5                         all          base package for ALSA and OSS sound systems
ii  syslinux-common                             3:6.03+dfsg-11ubuntu1                        all          collection of bootloaders (common)
ii  syslinux-legacy                             2:3.63+dfsg-2ubuntu8                         amd64        Bootloader for Linux/i386 using MS-DOS floppies

Nothing happened here:

quenz@quenz-MacBookPro:~$ dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia

quenz@quenz-MacBookPro:~$ cat /var/log/gpu-manager.log
log_file: /var/log/gpu-manager.log
last_boot_file: /var/lib/ubuntu-drivers-common/last_gfx_boot
new_boot_file: /var/lib/ubuntu-drivers-common/last_gfx_boot
can't access /run/u-d-c-nvidia-was-loaded file
can't access /run/u-d-c-fglrx-was-loaded file
Looking for fglrx modules in /lib/modules/4.13.0-31-generic/updates/dkms
Looking for nvidia modules in /lib/modules/4.13.0-31-generic/updates/dkms
Is nvidia loaded? no
Was nvidia unloaded? no
Is nvidia blacklisted? no
Is fglrx loaded? no
Was fglrx unloaded? no
Is fglrx blacklisted? no
Is intel loaded? no
Is radeon loaded? no
Is radeon blacklisted? no
Is amdgpu loaded? no
Is amdgpu blacklisted? no
Is nouveau loaded? yes
Is nouveau blacklisted? no
Is fglrx kernel module available? no
Is nvidia kernel module available? no
Vendor/Device Id: 10de:863
BusID "PCI:2@0:0:0"
Is boot vga? yes
Skipping "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "nouveau"
Skipping "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "nouveau"
Found "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "nouveau"
output 0:
    card0-LVDS-1
Number of connected outputs for /dev/dri/card0: 1
Skipping "/dev/dri/card0", driven by "nouveau"
Does it require offloading? no
last cards number = 1
Has amd? no
Has intel? no
Has nvidia? yes
How many cards? 1
Has the system changed? No
main_arch_path x86_64-linux-gnu, other_arch_path i386-linux-gnu
Current alternative: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/mesa/ld.so.conf
Current core alternative: (null)
Current egl alternative: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/mesa-egl/ld.so.conf
Is nvidia enabled? no
Is nvidia egl enabled? no
Is fglrx enabled? no
Is mesa enabled? yes
Is mesa egl enabled? yes
Is pxpress enabled? no
Is prime enabled? no
Is prime egl enabled? no
Is nvidia available? no
Is nvidia egl available? no
Is fglrx available? no
Is fglrx-core available? no
Is mesa available? yes
Is mesa egl available? yes
Is pxpress available? no
Is prime available? no
Is prime egl available? no
Single card detected
Kernel Module is not loaded
Nothing to do
No change - nothing to do

[quenz]

I've reinstalled again (before typing the above commands). I tried to enable the proprietary Broadcom wireless driver, because the open-source one doesn't work any good, but when I select it, then click apply, it just reverts back to "Do not use this device".

[Bashing-om]

quenz; well.

The only issue I see is that old EOL kernel - 4.10.0-28 that presently we can not do a thing about.

Have you tried building the nvidia driver on this new 4.13.0-31 kernel ? Maybe the -25/26 kernel issues with nvidia are now resolved
Or - see what we can do on the xenial 4.4.0-109-generic kernel ??


As to broadcom:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wi...Driver/bcm43xx
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2343228

sometimes I do wonder

[quenz]

The only issue I see is that old EOL kernel - 4.10.0-28 that presently we can not do a thing about.

But as you can see in uname -r, I'm on 4.13.0-31-generic, and like I said I'm on a fresh install, so I've never used 4.10 on this one.

Have you tried building the nvidia driver on this new 4.13.0-31 kernel ? Maybe the -25/26 kernel issues with nvidia are now resolved

By building, do you just mean installing? I'm not sure what the -25/26 issues are.

I don't actually remember if I tried to enable nvidia-340 on this fresh install yet, I'll check soon.

As to broadcom:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wi...Driver/bcm43xx
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2343228

sometimes I do wonder

I guess I can try from terminal, but I did it fine in the Additional Drivers GUI last install.

[quenz]

Or - see what we can do on the xenial 4.4.0-109-generic kernel ??

I don't quite follow.

[Bashing-om]

quenz; K;

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...x/+bug/1742302 ( Kernel 4.13.0-25 broke nvidia driver)
One of several reports .
In your case we can not go to a later generation graphic's driver. The recommended driver for your card is the 340 version.
As this is older hardware, an older kernel ( 16.04.1 ) may be the more suitable ?

As to BCM no direct experience, so can not comment further.

but a know it all, I am not

[quenz]

As this is older hardware, an older kernel ( 16.04.1 ) may be the more suitable ?

In grub, I have a choice between Linux 4.13.0-31-generic and 4.10.0-28-generic. I'm not sure what 16.04.1 is referring to. If it's a kernel, I don't have that option currently.

[Bashing-om]

quenz; Hey -

Sorry that I was unclear .. the specific point release of 16.04 the .1 incorporates the 4.4 series kernels .
As of last update the version for xenial proper is :

sysop@x1604:~$ uname -r
4.4.0-112-generic
sysop@x1604:~$

As the 4.10 kernel is from the zesty release, and zesty is no longer in support - there is no support for that kernel - we do not want to do anything with that version . As you only have these 2 kernels installed there is but the one option here : See if you can install the proprietary nvidia graphic's driver on the 4.13.0-31 version:

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

Reboot the system as we may pick up new versions of installed packages ( think a new kernel !) .

Now let's install the proprietary driver:

 
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

which will install the 340 version driver .

Reboot and let's see the effect ..

Still failing I am all for a fresh new install of the 16.04.1 NOT 16.04.3 . The .3 has the HardWare Enablement (HWE) stack with the 17.10 kernel ( 3.13.XXX) . I do feel that older hardware has the better compatibility with the 4.4 kernel . And you have the less overhead and maintenance with the 4.4 series kernel .
See: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack

one way does not work

try another