NVidia 340 video driver in Bookworm?

[Van Snyder]

Has anybody been able to install the NVidia 340.108 video driver in
Debian 12?

The messages I found said "Support for it ended in 2019. Use nouveau."

But I seem to have trouble with nouveau. When I was running Debian 10
on a Dell Vostro 1700 laptop with NVidia GeForce 8400M graphics, I had
been able to install the driver, and had no trouble. I made the mistake
of installing Debian 12.5 on the same partition, so I don't have the
Debian 10 install anymore. It freezes so completely that the keyboard
doesn't work, so I can't switch to a TTY screen. Even if I "ssh" to it
from my desktop, I can't kill and restart the graphics. I have a script
to restart KDE, but it does nothing. Even "init 3" doesn't do the
trick. I have to hold down the power key to reboot. I don't think it's
a hardware problem that amazingly manifested simultaneously with a new
install.

Here's some too-late advice I've given to myself: Never blow away your
old install that appears to be working. If you don't have a new disk,
and you have room on the old one, make new boot and root partitions.
Mark only the new boot partition as the bootable one. Hook both boot
partitions to grub.

[Hans]

Am Freitag, 7. Juni 2024, 22:29:30 CEST schrieb Van Snyder:
Hi! Sadly to tell, that I treid hard to get 340.xx running in Bookworm. The
problem is: You can not get it build with the actual kernel sources.

I checked and the developers missed some dependencies, the NVidia driver needs
at build time.

You can get running it, if you are using an old kernel, like th eone from
buster, maybe bullseye. In these kernels the dependencies and the libs, the
sources are searching, are existent.

However, maybe you can trick the build by adding the needed dependencies and
things, the driver is searching. But I dunno, if this is a good idea.

I also tried the orginal sources from nvidia.com, but here the same dependency
problem appeared.

In some former mails I asked the kernel developers for help, but there was no
big interest in fixing things with closed source drivers (however, the kernel
module is not closed source as far as I know).

Most people are pointing to nouveau, but this is pita. Development in nouveau
is also not much any more people told.

Thus, with this old graphics card in linux is a problem, although they are in
many notebooks people still use (I am running a Lenovo T520, several years
old, but still fast enough). It has also a NVidia-card built in which needs
340.xx but I can not use it due to the lack of the kernel driver.

Just a hint: Sometimes the nvidia-config module says, you need 340.xx, but
this is not always true. My card (with th eolder kernel) was running 390.xx,
although th esystem told me, I have to use 340.xx. 390.xx was running like a
charm, 340.xx crashed. So it lied.

Sorry, that I can help no further and for the bad news, but do not try too
much - I fear, you will fail!

Have a nice day!

Hans

Post by Van Snyder
Has anybody been able to install the NVidia 340.108 video driver in
Debian 12?
The messages I found said "Support for it ended in 2019. Use nouveau."
But I seem to have trouble with nouveau. When I was running Debian 10
on a Dell Vostro 1700 laptop with NVidia GeForce 8400M graphics, I had
been able to install the driver, and had no trouble. I made the mistake
of installing Debian 12.5 on the same partition, so I don't have the
Debian 10 install anymore. It freezes so completely that the keyboard
doesn't work, so I can't switch to a TTY screen. Even if I "ssh" to it
from my desktop, I can't kill and restart the graphics. I have a script
to restart KDE, but it does nothing. Even "init 3" doesn't do the
trick. I have to hold down the power key to reboot. I don't think it's
a hardware problem that amazingly manifested simultaneously with a new
install.
Here's some too-late advice I've given to myself: Never blow away your
old install that appears to be working. If you don't have a new disk,
and you have room on the old one, make new boot and root partitions.
Mark only the new boot partition as the bootable one. Hook both boot
partitions to grub.

[Toni Mas Soler]

El Fri, 07 Jun 2024 14:56:23 -0700

Post by Hans
Just a hint: Sometimes the nvidia-config module says, you need
340.xx, but this is not always true. My card (with th eolder
kernel) was running 390.xx, although th esystem told me, I have to
use 340.xx. 390.xx was running like a charm, 340.xx crashed. So it
lied.
Sorry, that I can help no further and for the bad news, but do not
try too much - I fear, you will fail!

So far, this is the best advice, so don't apologize.
I had assumed that when NVidia said I need 340 that it is undoubtedly
true. I'll try 390.

Have you tried "nvidia-detect" package? This tells you what driver you
need.

In my machine, I installed nvdia-tesla-470-driver and it works fine.

[Hans]

No, the NV6800M needs 340xx driver, not 390xx as I prior posted. However, I
have a GF-119 in my Lenovo T520, where nvidia-detect says, it needs 340xx.
But, although I got 340xx compiled for the kernel, it did not start.

I then build 390xx, which worked like a charm. This happened on my notebook
and also on an older graphics card in my desktop pc (forgot, which graphic
chip it was).

The 340xx I never got compiled in bookworm, even when downloaded the sources
from bullseye and downgraded compiler and other things (except of kernel).

The issue: During build, the nvidia-sources were looking for some files, which
were no more existent in the kernel headers since that version. So the build
failed.

I asked the developers of the kernel headers, to fix this, but they claimed,
that NVidia has to fix it, not the developers.

One can now argument for both sides.

1. Either tell Nvidia, "hey fix your old drivers to our new headers, we
removed some libs!"

or

2. Tell the developers "Hey, please put back the libs, so that the kernel
module of this old driver can be build again!"

In real life no one wants to care of it! Nvidia not, because this costs money
and the developers not, because this is Nvidia and proprietrary (what is not
quite correct, because the kernel-module, which is the part, that can not be
build, is open-source).


Before you try: It is also not possible, to download the driver from the
NVidia site directly, because you will run into the same issue again: It can
not be build!

Personally I can not understand, why this is not beeing fixed. It is not a
problem with the kernel-module itself (I mean, no bug in the function), but it
just can not be build. This is the least, I would expect! However, this is
just my own very personal Opinion and no one shall be feel blamed here with!

Hope, this makes a little bit clearer.

Oh, and of course, modern cards supported by 470 and higher, of course this
can be build! But they do not support older cards (legacy cards).

Best

Hans

Did the 470 driver work for the GeForce 8600M? I tried to install the
390 driver, but it said "This driver will ignore your GPU" so I didn't
finish the installation.

[Stefan Monnier]

Post by Hans
In real life no one wants to care of it! Nvidia not, because this
costs money and the developers not, because this is Nvidia and
proprietrary (what is not quite correct, because the kernel-module,
which is the part, that can not be build, is open-source).

Since you say it's "open source", then "anyone" should be allowed to
update the code to adapt to the new kernel code. IOW *you* can fix it,
or if you don't have the time/energy you may be able to find someone
else to fix it (potentially paying them for it).


Stefan

[Max Nikulin]

Post by Van Snyder
Has anybody been able to install the NVidia 340.108 video driver in
Debian 12?

I am not aware of current state of affairs. Several years ago it was
possible to rebuild the .deb package (that uses DKMS) with additional
patches to make the code compatible with changed kernel API. On that
machine I had Ubuntu installed, but the procedure should be similar
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers-304/+bug/1737750
You may try to find patches for newer kernels.

I do not remember graphics card model. The noveau driver caused more
image artifacts that time.

[Felix Miata]

Post by Van Snyder
Has anybody been able to install the NVidia 340.108 video driver in
Debian 12?
The messages I found said "Support for it ended in 2019. Use nouveau."

It should have said more. Some of what it should have included appears following.

# aptitude search veau
i A libdrm-nouveau2 - Userspace interface to nouveau-specific kernel DRM service
p xserver-xorg-video-nouveau - X.Org X server -- Nouveau display driver
# dpkg-query -W | grep veau
libdrm-nouveau2:amd64 2.4.114-1+b1
# lsmod | sort | grep veau
button 24576 1 nouveau
drm 614400 7 drm_kms_helper,drm_display_helper,drm_ttm_helper,ttm,nouveau
drm_display_helper 184320 1 nouveau
drm_kms_helper 212992 2 drm_display_helper,nouveau
drm_ttm_helper 16384 1 nouveau
i2c_algo_bit 16384 1 nouveau
mxm_wmi 16384 1 nouveau
nouveau 2433024 2
ttm 94208 2 drm_ttm_helper,nouveau
video 65536 1 nouveau
wmi 36864 3 video,mxm_wmi,nouveau
#
A new nouveau module, 2433024 here, comes with every individual kernel, not any
separate package. It is the base level nouveau for KMS to function using drm
services. What you see that is not installed is the optional nouveau display
driver that is "experimental", "reverse-engineered", and carries the baggage
of unreliability. That baggage is optional, as above shows clearly I don't have
it installed....

Post by Van Snyder
But I seem to have trouble with nouveau. When I was running Debian 10
on a Dell Vostro 1700 laptop with NVidia GeForce 8400M graphics, I had

According to Wikipedia, 8400M is a code named G86 Tesla device on TSMC 80nm
process. I have nearly the same, a Tesla G84 80nm, though not laptop variety.
Output shown above and below is from it. Release date of mine was April 2007,
one month before your 8400M.

Post by Van Snyder
been able to install the driver, and had no trouble. I made the mistake
of installing Debian 12.5 on the same partition, so I don't have the
Debian 10 install anymore. It freezes so completely that the keyboard
doesn't work, so I can't switch to a TTY screen. Even if I "ssh" to it
from my desktop, I can't kill and restart the graphics. I have a script
to restart KDE, but it does nothing. Even "init 3" doesn't do the
trick. I have to hold down the power key to reboot. I don't think it's
a hardware problem that amazingly manifested simultaneously with a new
install.

# inxi -CMSz --vs --zl --hostname
inxi 3.3.35-01 (2024-06-18)
System:
Host: big41 Kernel: 6.1.0-22-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
Desktop: TDE (Trinity) v: R14.1.2 Distro: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
Type: Desktop Mobo: BIOSTAR model: T41 HD serial: N/A
BIOS: American Megatrends v: 080015 date: 09/22/2009
CPU:
Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 Duo E7600 bits: 64 type: MCP cache:
L2: 3 MiB
Speed (MHz): avg: 1603 min/max: 1603/3066 cores: 1: 1603 2: 1603
# inxi -Gaz
Graphics:
Device-1: NVIDIA G84 [GeForce 8600 GT] vendor: XFX Pine driver: nouveau
v: kernel non-free: series: 340.xx status: legacy (EOL~2019-12-xx) last:
release: 340.108 kernel: 5.4 xorg: 1.20 arch: Tesla process: 40-80nm
built: 2006-2013 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16 ports:
active: DVI-I-1,DVI-I-2 empty: none bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:0402
class-ID: 0300 temp: 70.0 C
Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: Twin v: 3.0 driver: X:
loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: nouveau gpu: nouveau
display-ID: :0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3600x1200 s-dpi: 120 s-size: 762x254mm (30.00x10.00")
s-diag: 803mm (31.62")
Monitor-1: DVI-I-1 pos: primary,left model: NEC EA243WM serial: <filter>
built: 2011 res: 1920x1200 hz: 60 dpi: 94 gamma: 1.2
size: 519x324mm (20.43x12.76") diag: 612mm (24.1") ratio: 16:10 modes:
max: 1920x1200 min: 640x480
Monitor-2: DVI-I-2 pos: right model: Dell P2213 serial: <filter>
built: 2012 res: 1680x1050 hz: 60 dpi: 90 gamma: 1.2
size: 473x296mm (18.62x11.65") diag: 558mm (22") ratio: 16:10 modes:
max: 1680x1050 min: 720x400
API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: nvidia nouveau platforms: device: 0 egl: 1.4
drv: nouveau device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: egl: 1.4 drv: nouveau surfaceless:
egl: 1.4 drv: nouveau x11: egl: 1.4 drv: nouveau inactive: wayland
API: OpenGL v: 3.3 vendor: nouveau mesa v: 22.3.6 glx-v: 1.4 es-v: 3.0
direct-render: yes renderer: NV84 device-ID: 10de:0402 memory: 474.6 MiB
unified: no
#
I count 9 instances of string "nouveau" in that output. Some of them
represent duplication, but my point is "nouveau" does not have one
single meaning. In my case, the unreliable "experimental", "reverse-engineered"
nouveau is excluded from use. As result, my old NVidia cards, 3 Tesla and
2 Fermi, overall run X just as well as do my Intel and AMD/ATI GPUs do for their
generations. When I see complaints about "nouveau", I usually wonder what the
real problem is, and have often done as I'm doing here, trying to clarify:

1: nouveau does not have a monolithic meaning
2: based on my experience, "nouveau" need not be any impediment to competent X functionality

xserver-xorg-video-nouveau is an optional fly in the X ointment. Don't install
it, purge it if necessary, and your old NVidia GPU just might do OK.

PS: Once an attempt to install an NVidia proprietary driver is made, whether
actually supported or not, subsequent success using nouveau far more often
than not fails prior to perfect purging of the NVidia software by following
the installation instructions provided with it, and often fails anyhow. IOW,
once NVidia driver installation is attempted, a clean Debian installation,
absent xserver-xorg-video-nouveau, is the typical path to nouveau success.

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

Post by Felix Miata

Post by Van Snyder
The messages I found said "Support for it ended in 2019. Use nouveau."

This is support from Nvidia, with official Nvidia proprietary drivers

Post by Felix Miata

Post by Van Snyder
been able to install the driver, and had no trouble. I made the mistake
of installing Debian 12.5 on the same partition, so I don't have the
Debian 10 install anymore. It freezes so completely that the keyboard
doesn't work, so I can't switch to a TTY screen. Even if I "ssh" to it
from my desktop, I can't kill and restart the graphics. I have a script
to restart KDE, but it does nothing. Even "init 3" doesn't do the
trick. I have to hold down the power key to reboot. I don't think it's
a hardware problem that amazingly manifested simultaneously with a new
install.

It's a software problem: Nvidia drivers conflict with nouveau in interesting
ways and, as Felix says, are very hard to remove once installed. This is
particularly a problem on high end laptops with more than one GPU - where
you need Optimus?? drivers.

Post by Felix Miata
PS: Once an attempt to install an NVidia proprietary driver is made, whether
actually supported or not, subsequent success using nouveau far more often
than not fails prior to perfect purging of the NVidia software by following
the installation instructions provided with it, and often fails anyhow. IOW,
once NVidia driver installation is attempted, a clean Debian installation,
absent xserver-xorg-video-nouveau, is the typical path to nouveau success.
--

I'd almost go further. A clean Debian install allowing the installation
to pick files should "just work". You might have lost some video
accelleration compared to the proprietary drivers but it should be fine.

If you need to install for something with dual GPUs, do a text only install
without installing any graphical environment _then_ and only then add
the appropriate magic to get dual GPUs to work.

You are using TDE. Do a text only install, uncheck all graphical desktops
- you might need to install network manager if you are using wifi to
install with. Reboot. Use nmtui or nmcli to connect to wireless.

At that point, install TDE - which is not currently a desktop supported
in the main Debian installer.

Resolve never to buy Nvidia again :)

All the very best, as ever

Andy

Post by Felix Miata
Evolution as taught in public schools is, like religion,
based on faith, not based on science.
Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!
Felix Miata

[Bret Busby]

Post by Andrew M.A. Cater
Resolve never to buy Nvidia again :)

1) On my brother's antique Dell Vostro 1700 laptop, the NVidia G68M
(GeForce 8400M GS) is soldered to the motherboard.
2)I'm running NVidia in two desktops because my erstwhile SA gave them
to me when computers were decommissioned. At the time they were a big
step up. Now NVidia doesn't support them in Debian. What do you
recommend for them? Multiple monitors. No gaming but an occasional
video. And some features of the KDE Kinfocenter, especially the System
Monitor, either don't work at all, or just make a mess, without a
graphic accelerator.

I suggest that (and, this might not be liked on this list) you install
on one of your computers, alongside Debian, so that you can choose which
operating system to boot, Linux Mint (I run Linux Mint Mate), which has
the drivers for NVIDIA graphics.

About ten years ago, I bought an Acer Aspire 773G (you might be able to
find reference to this, in the list archives), and, it had (has) MS
Windows 8 on it, that I could not use - too difficult.

It took me 18 months to get the computer going.

Only two non-MS operating systems had drivers for the CPU; dragonflyBSD,
and Ubuntu Linux. The CPU is an i7, the name of the architecture of the
CPU, is something like Haskell.

Of those two OS's, dragonflyBSD did not have the driver for the NVIDIA
Optimum, and, the response that I got from the dragonflyBSD mailing
list, was "Get Stuffed - we will not have drivers for NVIDIA - we are
not here to provide a usable operating system!"

Ubuntu Linux was the only non-MS operating system, that had the nouveau
driver, for the NVIDIA Optimum.

So, I switched to Ubuntu Linux (I believe that I was using Debian on my
computers, up to then).

And then, Ubuntu Linux went wonky, a couple of years ago, with its
snapcrap and mandatory fully automated updates, to eliminate usefulness
and productivity, and other user-hostile stuff, and then I found out
about Linux Mint, with the release of version 21, which is based on
Ubuntu, but without the snapcrap and other Ubuntu wonkiness.

So, Linux Mint has the NVIDIA drivers; both native drivers, and,
nouveau. I am using the NVIDIA drivers, on my computers.

I have four of my five computers, that have NVIDIA graphics

Now, having said that Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, the more common
version is based on Ubuntu Linux - see
https://www.linuxmint.com/
but, a version of Linux Mint, is available, that is based on Debian - see
https://www.linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php

Whether the LMDE version has the drivers for NVIDIA, I do not know, but,
I do know that the version that is based on Ubuntu, does have the
drivers, and, I have been using it with (mostly) no problems.

..
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
(UTC+0800)
..............

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

Post by Andrew M.A. Cater
Resolve never to buy Nvidia again :)

1) On my brother's antique Dell Vostro 1700 laptop, the NVidia G68M
(GeForce 8400M GS) is soldered to the motherboard.

As above: if all else fails, install in text mode and then install a
desktop environment. Don't try to install the Nvidia proprietary drivers.

2)I'm running NVidia in two desktops because my erstwhile SA gave them
to me when computers were decommissioned. At the time they were a big
step up. Now NVidia doesn't support them in Debian. What do you
recommend for them? Multiple monitors. No gaming but an occasional
video. And some features of the KDE Kinfocenter, especially the System
Monitor, either don't work at all, or just make a mess, without a
graphic accelerator. 

Same here. 2 x Nvidia machines here - neither using Nvidia proprietary
drivers both using nouveau - difference being that these are running
GNOME. I got given one Nvidia card - one's a 1050, one's a 1060 from
memory.

All the very best, as ever,

Andy
(***@debian.org)

[Hans]

Tried again, somehow there was no subject sent with my last mail.



So, well, I believe I got a solution. However, not everyone might be happy with it, but maybe it
will work.


I am running the kernel 6.7.12+bpo-amd64 on my system. This is a backport kernel, but
it might also work with other kernels, too.


You also need to install the build environment, the easiest way is to use module-assistant.


If you got this set and installed linux-headers and so on, then do the following:


First, enter the line for sid into your /etc/apt/sources.list


deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/[1] sid main contrib non-free non-free-firmware


then do


apt update


apt install nvidia-legacy-340xx-driver firmware-misc-nonfree


This should install all necessary files and build the kernel module. Here it did work. However, I
had to use 390xx instead of 340xx, but both built here fine.


After it, reboot and try again if it is working.


Sometimes, nvidia-detect says, use 340xx-legacy, but I had some cases, where I in real had to
use 390xx. So, if 340xx is not working, try 390xx.


Note: Do NOT upgrade any other files! I suggest, after installing both packages as above,
remove the sid entry from sources.list and do again an
apt update. Thus you are not going into the danger, to install any more packages from sid.


If you need bumblebee or primusrun, because you have two GPUs (one in the CPU and one
extern), then use the packages from stable. This will work!


My notebook is a Lenovo T520 with Intel CPU (and internal Intel GPU) and also NVidia GPU as
external GPU (soldered on mainboard). I have to use optimus, to get my external GPU.

I got my information from this site.

https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers[2][1]


Hope, this helps.


Ah, and last but not least: Big thanks to the lads and guys, who made 340xx and 390xx
buildable again, great work! Big big thank you!!!


Here on my system, 390xx is working like a charm.


Good luck!


Hans


--------
[1] https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

--------
[1] http://deb.debian.org/debian/
[2] https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

[Hans]

Hi van Snyder,

I believe I got a solution. However, you may not be happy with it, but maybe it will work.



I am running the kernel 6.7.12+bpo-amd64 on my system. This is a backport kernel, but it
might also work with other kernels, too.

You also need to install the build environment, the easiest way is to use module-assistant.

If you got this set and installed linux-headers and so on, then do the following:

First, enter the line for sid into your /etc/apt/sources.list

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ sid main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

then do

apt update

apt install nvidia-legacy-340xx-driver firmware-misc-nonfree

This should install all necessary files and build the kernel module. Here it did work. However, I
had to use 390xx instead of 340xx, but both built here fine.

After it, reboot and try again if it is working.

Sometimes, nvidia-detect says, use 340xx-legacy, but I had some cases, where I in real had to
use 390xx. So, if 340xx is not working, try 390xx.

Note: Do NOT upgrade any other files! I suggest, after installing both packages as above,
remove the sid entry from sources.list and do again an
apt update. Thus you are not going into the danger, to install any more packages from sid.

If you need bumblebee or primusrun, because you have two GPUs (one in the CPU and one
extern), then use the packages from stable. This will work!

My notebook is a Lenovo T520 with Intel CPU (and internal Intel GPU) and also NVidia GPU as
external GPU (soldered on mainboard). I have to use optimus, to get my external GPU.

I got my information from this site.

https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers[1]

Hope, this helps.

Ah, and last but not least: Big thanks to the lads and guys, who made 340xx and 390xx
buildable again, great work! Big big thank you!!!

Here on my system, 390xx is working like a charm.

Good luck!

Hans

--------
[1] https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

[Van Snyder]

Post by Hans
Hi van Snyder,
I believe I got a solution. However, you may not be happy with it, but maybe it will work.

The solution did indeed allow to install the driver. But.... it removed
at least KDE, and now it won't enter run level 5. I added
nouveau.modeset=0 to the "linux" line in grub.cfg, but it's still
running the nouveau driver, or at least that's what inxi -G reports:

# inxi -G
Graphics:
Device-1: NVIDIA G86M [GeForce 8400M GS] driver: N/A
Device-2: OmniVision OV2640 Webcam driver: uvcvideo type: USB
Display: unspecified server: X.org v: 1.21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.0
driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: nouveau gpu:
N/A
API: EGL v: N/A drivers: N/A platforms: N/A
API: OpenGL Message: GL data unavailable for root.

I tried "apt install kde\*" but it refused, saying "you have held
broken packages."

I've been told that Mint includes NVidia drivers, so I'll try that
next. I don't have a choice for my laptop, where the NVidia graphic
chip is soldered to the mother board, but for my desktop if Mint
doesn't work out, I'll give serious consideration to getting a
supported video card from *not* NVidia.

Post by Hans
I am running the kernel 6.7.12+bpo-amd64 on my system. This is a
backport kernel, but it might also work with other kernels, too.
You also need to install the build environment, the easiest way is to use module-assistant.
First, enter the line for sid into your /etc/apt/sources.list
 deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ sid main contrib non-free non-
free-firmware
then do
apt update
apt install nvidia-legacy-340xx-driver firmware-misc-nonfree
This should install all necessary files and build the kernel module.
Here it did work. However, I had to use 390xx instead of 340xx, but
both built here fine.
After it, reboot and try again if it is working.
Sometimes, nvidia-detect says, use 340xx-legacy, but I had some
cases, where I in real had to use 390xx. So, if 340xx is not working,
try 390xx.
Note: Do NOT upgrade any other files! I suggest, after installing
both packages as above, remove the sid entry from sources.list and do
again an
apt update. Thus you are not going into the danger, to install any more packages from sid.
If you need bumblebee or primusrun, because you have two GPUs (one in
the CPU and one extern), then use the packages from stable. This will
work!
My notebook is a Lenovo T520 with Intel CPU (and internal Intel GPU)
and also NVidia GPU as external GPU (soldered on mainboard). I have
to use optimus, to get my external GPU.
 
I got my information from this site.
 
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers
Hope, this helps.
Ah, and last but not least: Big thanks to the lads and guys, who made
340xx and 390xx buildable again, great work! Big big thank you!!!
Here on my system, 390xx is working like a charm.
Good luck!
Hans

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

Post by Van Snyder

Post by Hans
Hi van Snyder,
I believe I got a solution. However, you may not be happy with it,
but maybe it will work.

The solution did indeed allow to install the driver. But.... it removed
at least KDE, and now it won't enter run level 5. I added
nouveau.modeset=0 to the "linux" line in grub.cfg, but it's still

Hi,

For the laptop - a clean install with nouveau _should_ work. Forget the
Nvidia proprietary driver - it's no longer supported by them and if the
Debian-packaged version is also obsolescent that's the end of it.

Post by Van Snyder
I've been told that Mint includes NVidia drivers, so I'll try that
next. I don't have a choice for my laptop, where the NVidia graphic
chip is soldered to the mother board, but for my desktop if Mint
doesn't work out, I'll give serious consideration to getting a
supported video card from *not* NVidia.

Linux Mint current version is based on Ubuntu 22.04 - so is also
unlikely to have the drivers now. LMDE is based on Bookworm.
The favoured desktop for Mint has always been Cinnamon, I think.

Some older Nvidia cards for the desktop work relatively well with
nouveau - I've got a 1050ti and a 1060? in two machines here which work
well enough under GNOME.

Post by Van Snyder

Post by Hans
 
I got my information from this site.
 
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

The above is my usual go-to for Debian and Nvidia too

Good luck and best wishes, however it all works out

Andy
(***@debian.org)

[Hans]

This should not have been happened. Maybe you dis something in a wrong way?

I treid myself and it did not deinstall kde.

It is important, not to do any upgrade while the entry for sid is in
sources.list.

Just install both packages (as told in the wiki), then after this install
remove the sid entry at once and repeat an apt update again (this will delte
all entries from the sid repo). This step is really important!

So you will only get both packages and its dependencies, nothing more.

It also will not deinstall kde, if doing so.

I suppose, you might have forgotten to do an apt update after installing the
two packages, so it looks for me, and of course, then it will deinstall
packages with missing dependencies.

Solution? Hmm, make sure, the sid entry is removed from sources.list. Then do
an apt-get update and apt-get install --reinstall task-kde-desktop (or with
your language i.e. task-german-kde-desktop).

This should reinstall all necessary packages again.

So note: If you do an apt-get update, aptitude update or apt update, you can
retrieve to the package list of only packages of the repo, which are active in
sources.list. Any of the above commands will set actualise the package lists.

Hope, this helps.

Best

Hans

Post by Van Snyder
at least KDE, and now it won't enter run level 5. I added
nouveau.modeset=0 to the "linux" line in grub.cfg, but it's still

[Felix Miata]

Post by Van Snyder
The solution did indeed allow to install the driver. But.... it removed
at least KDE, and now it won't enter run level 5. I added
nouveau.modeset=0 to the "linux" line in grub.cfg, but it's still
# inxi -G
Device-1: NVIDIA G86M [GeForce 8400M GS] driver: N/A
Device-2: OmniVision OV2640 Webcam driver: uvcvideo type: USB
Display: unspecified server: X.org v: 1.21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.0
N/A
API: EGL v: N/A drivers: N/A platforms: N/A
API: OpenGL Message: GL data unavailable for root.

inxi -G doesn't report much. For troubleshooting is needed the works: inxi -GSaz,
to include the kernel command line, to exclude privates, and show everything inxi
understands about graphics that isn't a privacy concern. If using the version
released with Bookworm, you're not getting a complete picture. It's had more
defect fixes for G since last year. It's upgradable with its -U switch if you
override the override that disables -U in /etc/inxi.conf. The current version is
about 2 weeks old. If using Bullseye's version, -G is very broken.

Disabling KMS, denying the loading of the nouveau kernel module, by including
nomodeset or nouveau.modeset=0, guarantees neither nouveau display driver nor the
default display driver modesetting can work, thus leaving you with 1280x1024 or
worse, such as no X at all, or even no video at all.

Post by Van Snyder
I tried "apt install kde\*" but it refused, saying "you have held
broken packages."

Plasma is demanding. I'm not sure it or SDDM or Wayland can run without KMS
enabled, unless a proprietary NVidia driver can be used. Tesla models need not
attempt using NVidia drivers. I think the same can be said of Fermis.

Post by Van Snyder
I've been told that Mint includes NVidia drivers, so I'll try that

Mint is due very soon for a new release based on Ubuntu 24.04. That's unlikely to
help users of old NVidia GPUs.