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Thread: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

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    O)9(yo&# is offline Gee! These Aren't Roasted!
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    Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    Hi, my question is about Lubuntu. My 8400GS video card died recently, putting my Gateway GT5656 desktop back to on-board graphics (6150SE n430). I have been experimenting with various lite distros, the most recent being Lubuntu. I chose 16.04 because it will let me install Nvidia drivers on it (304, the last one that supports these graphics). However, before I switched to them, I decided to update immediately for security. but that put me on a kernel (4.15) which is too recent for Nvidia to work. If I find I need Nvidia drivers, I could reinstall and stay with an earlier kernel (I'm not sure which one that would be, most likely 3.x). For comparison, I have Linux Lite 3.0 working well with Nvidia 304, but I have not updated to the next point release (3.2). The reason I may do better with Nvidia vs Nouveau is that I get display freezes with Nouveau. It hasn't happened yet with Lubuntu 16.04, but when I tried 18.04 earlier, it did. And I could not install Nvidia drivers on 18.04.

    I use Vivaldi as my browser, and I disable acceleration and several other things that may cause problems. So, the question is, if I find I need to use Nvidia, should I reinstall and avoid updating to the 4.x kernel? Is that safe to do? Another option may be to choose which kernel to boot from. Would that be better to do?

    Thanks,

    Mike

  2. #2
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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    should I reinstall and avoid updating to the 4.x kernel? Is that safe to do? Another option may be to choose which kernel to boot from. Would that be better to do?
    Simply consider how much threat you are willing to accept. If you want to browse websites, then you might want the most secure stable kernel. But if you want higher performance and do not care to browse as many websites (say you know the owners of the websites you browse), then you won't need to care so much about kernel security patches, since the likelihood of having a browsing session take over your computer is less.

    Something else you can consider, you may want to add attack mitigation to your browsing habits. So you can use browser applications that allow you to visit a website, disable javascript, and then enable javascript based on your browsing habits.

    I recommend ublock and umatrix for this.

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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    Quote Originally Posted by michael_diemer View Post
    I chose 16.04 because it will let me install Nvidia drivers on it (304, the last one that supports these graphics). However, before I switched to them, I decided to update immediately for security. but that put me on a kernel (4.15) which is too recent for Nvidia to work.
    If you install the linux-generic metapackage rather than the HWE (hardware enablement) one, you'll be on the 4.4 kernel branch rather than 4.15. That will still get security updates for the full support period of 16.04. I couldn't tell you for sure if that will work with the legacy nvidia driver you need to use.
    None but ourselves can free our minds

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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    The Nvidia 6150SE n430 is a special case and the problem is exactly as you describe: Most Geforce cards of the same age run fine with Nouveau but this one needs Nvidia closed source drivers which are not supported by newer kernels.

    I suggest that you try to find a used graphics card to replace the 8400.
    Bringing old hardware back to life. About problems due to upgrading.
    Please visit Quick Links -> Unanswered Posts.
    Don't use this space for a list of your hardware. It only creates false hits in the search engines.

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    Lightbulb Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    I've some information about my experiments with an nForce® slimline. During my prepwork on an emachines®/acer® EL1210-09 (2.4 Ghz Advanced Micro Devices® Athlon® LE-1620 (Socket AM2), nVIDIA® nForce® 785 chipset w/ integrated 64-bit geForce® GPU C77) anticipating installation at a house of worship, I went through a number of low-profile geForce® VDA's after replacing the stock LITEON® PSU with a Shuttle® PC6300001, eventually settling on an msi® N610GT-MD1GD3/LP (nVIDIA® 64-bit GPU GF119) - the Fermi is one of the last generations of nVIDIA GPU's not requiring initial microcode load (required for Maxwell, Pascal, Volta, Turing, and likely Ampére). The EL1210 with its nF785 chipset shuts down and reboots properly on the nVIDIA® CUDA™ driver suite for GPU's up to Kepler; I have reason therefore to estimate that your nF430 will so do with an upgrade GPU.
    Last edited by bcschmerker; February 17th, 2020 at 04:16 AM.
    nVIDIA® nForce® chipsets require discrete GPU's up to Pascal and appropriate nVIDIA Kernel modules.
    Most intel® ExpressSets™ and AMD® RS-Series are fully supported in open source.

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    O)9(yo&# is offline Gee! These Aren't Roasted!
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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    Quote Originally Posted by ruze View Post
    Simply consider how much threat you are willing to accept. If you want to browse websites, then you might want the most secure stable kernel. But if you want higher performance and do not care to browse as many websites (say you know the owners of the websites you browse), then you won't need to care so much about kernel security patches, since the likelihood of having a browsing session take over your computer is less.

    Something else you can consider, you may want to add attack mitigation to your browsing habits. So you can use browser applications that allow you to visit a website, disable javascript, and then enable javascript based on your browsing habits.

    I recommend ublock and umatrix for this.
    Thanks, some very good points there. As for browsing, I have a handful of forums I visit daily, maybe 5-10 most days. Then there is research, tutorials, etc. My general habits are safe, so I may get away fine on an older kernel. to my knowledge, I have never had a virus on windows or linux. The only bad experience was on a BSD system. I was on a music forum, left my computer for a bit, and when I came back someone had opened up a terminal and was typing. I caught them just as they were attempting to change root. I shut down immediately, uninstalled the system, and ran a cleaner to thoroughly erase any crap they might have planted. No idea who it was, or how they got in, but I have avoided BSD ever since. Which may be an over-reaction, but it scared the heck out of me. I will check into adding an extension as you suggested. I've been wondering about that anyway.

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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    Quote Originally Posted by CatKiller View Post
    If you install the linux-generic metapackage rather than the HWE (hardware enablement) one, you'll be on the 4.4 kernel branch rather than 4.15. That will still get security updates for the full support period of 16.04. I couldn't tell you for sure if that will work with the legacy nvidia driver you need to use.
    I'm guessing it won't. Every system I have tried lets me switch to 304.135 or 304.137 after installing, but after updating it becomes non-functional (everything looks like Vesa drivers, 3X the size it should, and no way to change resolution). I'm hoping I saved the Nvidia forum thread that discussed this, it may have the last kernel that it will work on (I was on another Linus system at the time; I'm going to see if I saved it).

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    O)9(yo&# is offline Gee! These Aren't Roasted!
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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    morgaes said:

    The Nvidia 6150SE n430 is a special case and the problem is exactly as you describe: Most Geforce cards of the same age run fine with Nouveau but this one needs Nvidia closed source drivers which are not supported by newer kernels.

    I suggest that you try to find a used graphics card to replace the 8400.


    Yep, I'm planning on keeping my eyes peeled for a good deal. In the meantime, things are working well enough with Nouveau on Lubuntu and Linux Lite 3.0. At least I have a year of support left on those systems. They have been the best so far and will likely be my keepers for the time being. Who knows, the computer may die anyway soon, it came out around 2008.

  9. #9
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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    Quote Originally Posted by bcschmerker View Post
    I've some information about my experiments with an nForce® slimline. During my prepwork on an emachines®/acer® EL1210-09 (2.4 Ghz Advanced Micro Devices® Athlon® LE-1620 (Socket AM2), nVIDIA® nForce® 785 chipset w/ integrated 64-bit geForce® GPU C77) anticipating installation at a house of worship, I went through a number of low-profile geForce® VDA's after replacing the stock LITEON® PSU with a Shuttle® PC6300001, eventually settling on an msi® N610GT-MD1GD3/LP (nVIDIA® 64-bit GPU GF119) - the Fermi is one of the last generations of nVIDIA GPU's not requiring initial microcode load (required for Maxwell, Pascal, Volta, Turing, and likely Ampére). The EL1210 with its nF785 chipset shuts down and reboots properly on the nVIDIA® CUDA™ driver suite for GPU's up to Kepler; I have reason therefore to estimate that your nF430 will so do with an upgrade GPU.
    Wow, this looks to be way beyond my level of expertise. I'm not sure what you are talking about here. Do you mean installing another card, or a program that boosts the on-board graphics?

  10. #10
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    Re: Lubuntu 16.04 and Nvidia drivers.

    I booted the 4.4 kernel, and it runs the Nvidia 304 fine. But the 4.15 kernel won't, so 4.4 appears to be the last one it works on. I have it running and everything seems fine. And as CatKiller said, 4.4 will be supported for the duration of 16.04. So, For now I'm good, but I will be on the lookout for a cheap card.
    Last edited by O)9(yo&#; February 13th, 2020 at 08:24 PM.

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