How to fix my video driver problems?

[citizen]

Not sure why you moved from the Nvidia driver to Nouveau. The Nvidia driver is probably a better choice than Nouveau, even if there isn't much difference. What does the Driver Manager screen show, or better yet what does ubuntu-drivers in CLI show?

Unlike every other Linux install I have ever done, 18.04 did not (and I have read, will not) download and ask to install the 304 drivers. It is no longer supported. Usually I would just get asked by the system if I wanted to install it and be given 3 options. You make a choice and it's done. So I never had it to begin with. As far as the system is concerned, there is not an Nvidia card on my system.

ubuntu-drivers shows nothing at all, it wont run a list, I tried devices and get nothing as well.

[citizen]

I had a problem-- Changed video card: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the info but I can't really upgrade this machine. I was hoping to just get a fix so my font issues and random flashing stops. Eventually I will just replace this box, it's not worth upgrading.

[jglen490]

Long story short, I have an nvidia (I hear you groaning already...) and it requires the 304.135, it's a Geforce 7300. As long as I chose the "Recommended" driver I had no problems. But we have problems with Noveau in 18.04.2. I am using the NV46 2.1 Mesa 18.2.8 that installed when I did a fresh 18.04.2 install.

Some updates seemed to have helped but I still have a bad font problem. Fonts on the Launcher, Panels and SysTray have little black or yellow squares instead of the digits. And it's not always the same number/letter that it hides. I tried to reset the fonts, themes, and window decorations back to default, but it all got worse.
The screen tearing is not nearly as bad as the original install, but still happens randomly or lack of redrawing chunks of the screen.

Web pages and office documents/text files do not have an issue with fonts, just Plasma parts. Pictures on some webpages cause horrific stuttering when scrolling in Firefox, including this site. And the other weird thing is, I can log out and come back, and it will be much better that it was from my original 1st boot of the day, but not fixed or gone.

I have tried to install the nvidia driver once and killed my system, I had to reinstall again from disc. I am a pro at killing systems with video drivers.

1. What can I do to get Noveau to function normal? Do I need a different Noveau driver or a tweak at some settings?
2. Is it really possible to install nvidia 304 and not kill my system? It removed parts of Kubuntu last time and it was a mess. Then again I suck at this task more than any other.

Not sure why you moved from the Nvidia driver to Nouveau. The Nvidia driver is probably a better choice than Nouveau, even if there isn't much difference. What does the Driver Manager screen show, or better yet what does ubuntu-drivers in CLI show?

[phantom011]

I had a problem-- Changed video card: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[citizen]

Long story short, I have an nvidia (I hear you groaning already...) and it requires the 304.135, it's a Geforce 7300. As long as I chose the "Recommended" driver I had no problems. But we have problems with Noveau in 18.04.2. I am using the NV46 2.1 Mesa 18.2.8 that installed when I did a fresh 18.04.2 install.

Some updates seemed to have helped but I still have a bad font problem. Fonts on the Launcher, Panels and SysTray have little black or yellow squares instead of the digits. And it's not always the same number/letter that it hides. I tried to reset the fonts, themes, and window decorations back to default, but it all got worse.
The screen tearing is not nearly as bad as the original install, but still happens randomly or lack of redrawing chunks of the screen.

Web pages and office documents/text files do not have an issue with fonts, just Plasma parts. Pictures on some webpages cause horrific stuttering when scrolling in Firefox, including this site. And the other weird thing is, I can log out and come back, and it will be much better that it was from my original 1st boot of the day, but not fixed or gone.

I have tried to install the nvidia driver once and killed my system, I had to reinstall again from disc. I am a pro at killing systems with video drivers.

1. What can I do to get Noveau to function normal? Do I need a different Noveau driver or a tweak at some settings?
2. Is it really possible to install nvidia 304 and not kill my system? It removed parts of Kubuntu last time and it was a mess. Then again I suck at this task more than any other.