removing Nvidia 470 driver

[oldgeek]

Today my updates message wants me to remove my whole Nvidia 470 driver package. As noted in an earlier post, I can't use the driver with the most recent Linux image, but can with the previous image. If I allow the updater to remove the Nvidia package, does that mean I can longer use the driver on my computer, even with the kernel image I'm using now (6.8.0-78)? I did not see this coming and am surprised that the LTS dos not seem to support this driver anymore. Without this driver, all I get is a Nouveau driver that won't accept any resolution beside 1024 x 768. Will I have to get a new graphics card now?

[skyfishgoo]

you are using an older kernel, i would suggest upgrading to the hwe kernel and then trying the proprietary drivers again... the updated ones may require the newer kernel.

however it's also possible that nvidia has dropped support for your GPU in which case an older driver installed manually or the free drivers are you only alternatives to buying a new GPU.

[oldgeek]

I checked, and yes, Nvidia has dropped support for the 470 driver, which is why I'm using the older kernel image, which still uses it. So I guess my best bet for now is to keep the setup the way it is, don't uninstall Nvidia and hope that I can get a more supportable graphics card soon Any suggestions on Nvidia cards which have the same benefits as GEForcce 730 but has a Linux driver and is compatible with Wayland? Or maybe another company's card?

[claydoh]

you are using an older kernel, i would suggest upgrading to the hwe kernel and then trying the proprietary drivers again..

The 470 driver for his old card does not support new kernels past 6.8
or maybe 6.11

Today my updates message wants me to remove my whole Nvidia 470 driver package.

I suspect that something is broken, in terms of packaging and updates. The 470 driver wouldn't be removed without user action otherwise.

Will I have to get a new graphics card now?

I'd hope not, but it sure would be easier, lol


What we are missing is exactly what wants to be removed, specifically and any sort of messaging.

So let's get some basics:

Have you added any PPAs?

Let's see what apt is saying:

• Check for updates:
  

  sudo apt update

• Simulate installing any updates
  

  sudo apt full-upgrade -s

• Show any errors or messaging that you think might be relevant, as well as the list of things it says it will remove.
• run sudo

  apt autoremove

  and show us what it is offering, without preceding to uninstall things at this point.

Next, use the ubuntu-driver

• Check what the driver manager sees:
  

  ubuntu-drivers devices

• Paste this here.

This will show what is available, installed, and what it is suggesting.

Then we can take some more steps.


Also show us what your basic system info is, which will include graphics info
You can take a screenshot of the 'About this System' in System Settings, or use the “copy" option there.


I am suspecting that yours might show something other than 'nvidia' or 'nouveau' or similar in the "Graphics Processor" line, and be showing 'llvmpipe'. Possibly.
The nouveau driver definitely can show other resolutions than 1024×768, even it can perform poorly. This single available resolution screams to me that something is broken or missing.

[oldgeek]

The update command answered no updates available.(all up to date)
The autoremove command gave this:
sudo apt autoremove
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
libnvidia-cfg1-470 libnvidia-common-470 libnvidia-decode-470 libnvidia-decode-470:i386
libnvidia-egl-wayland1 libnvidia-encode-470 libnvidia-encode-470:i386
libnvidia-extra-470 libnvidia-fbc1-470 libnvidia-fbc1-470:i386 libnvidia-gl-470
libnvidia-gl-470:i386 libnvidia-ifr1-470 libnvidia-ifr1-470:i386 libxnvctrl0
nvidia-compute-utils-470 nvidia-kernel-source-470 nvidia-prime nvidia-settings
nvidia-utils-470 screen-resolution-extra xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-470
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 22 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 504 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue?

the ubuntu drivers command gave this:
$ ubuntu-drivers-devices
ubuntu-drivers-devices: command not found

The system info is at the top.
Thanks yet again for your trouble.

[oldgeek]

I redid the ubuntu-drivers command correctly this time and got:
ubuntu-drivers devices
udevadm hwdb is deprecated. Use systemd-hwdb instead.
udevadm hwdb is deprecated. Use systemd-hwdb instead.
== /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0 ==
modalias : pci:v000010DEd00001287sv00001462sd00008E96bc03sc00 i00
vendor : NVIDIA Corporation
model : GK208B [GeForce GT 730]
manual_install: True
driver : nvidia-driver-470 - distro non-free recommended
driver : nvidia-driver-470-server - distro non-free
driver : xserver-xorg-video-nouveau - distro free builtin

The Driver Manager in settings says I'm using a manually installed driver (fbefore it showed the Mvidia 470 driver).

[claydoh]

I *think* manually installed here is the manual installation of a package, not the old-school; manual installation of the driver.

I am noting that the meta-package that depends on all this stuff is NOT offered for removal: nvidia-driver-470, nor are the related DKMS packages.

So I don't see:
libnvidia-compute-470
libnvidia-compute-470:i386
nvidia-dkms-470
nvidia-driver-470
nvidia-kernel-common-470

The last three are the really important ones.


So, there are a couple of things to try here.

Try installing nvidia-driver-470

either by

ubuntu-drivers install nvidia:470

or

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-470

And see if that pulls in these packages, if not a few more (like DKMS itself)
Or provides error messages that might point to why they won't insta;;.


OR
nuke Nvidia and go back to Nouveau, at least temporarily, to try re-doing the Nvidia after cleaning up, if the open source driver is still crap ( it HAS been improved in recent kernels, or so I hear.)

Something like this:
https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-unins...ellyfish-linux
I will guess that the process is the same today, as it was the same way back in the day the last time I had this hardware (A gt 610) before 2016.

[oldgeek]

The apt command worked, and now I have a functioning 470 driver on the most recent kernel update, and it also shows on the driver manager. Thanks for your help in getting this problem solved. But it's still a mystery to me why it even happened in the first place.