Video driver Linux Mint 19.2

[fourtwentyfour]

I have set-up Mint and had it run for a day or so. Then I tried updating drivers and unfortunately chose the recommended video one*. My screen went crazy and now I cannot see the system to change it. Except, I have just thought, I am using an HDMI port, maybe if connect a second monitor to the usual port it might work?

Anyway, I can follow instructions for the command line and can boot to it using a couple of control keys on start up. I would like instructions on how to remove the old driver and replace it with the working one. I can find the names of them, but don't have them to hand just now.

I also need to understand what is the correct prompt, as I am not sure if the one offered has the right permissions or not.

I think this is a very easy task, it is just knowing it. A search hasn't been very helpful up to now. I was able to see instructions and try them but the instruction failed because it wanted a precise name for the driver, which I didn't have at the time.

Any advice please?

Thanks

* Lesson..never update drivers without making a start disc and a system back-up. How might be the next question.

[ReformedCharacter]

I have set-up Mint and had it run for a day or so. Then I tried updating drivers and unfortunately chose the recommended video one*. My screen went crazy and now I cannot see the system to change it. Except, I have just thought, I am using an HDMI port, maybe if connect a second monitor to the usual port it might work?

Anyway, I can follow instructions for the command line and can boot to it using a couple of control keys on start up. I would like instructions on how to remove the old driver and replace it with the working one. I can find the names of them, but don't have them to hand just now.

I also need to understand what is the correct prompt, as I am not sure if the one offered has the right permissions or not.

I think this is a very easy task, it is just knowing it. A search hasn't been very helpful up to now. I was able to see instructions and try them but the instruction failed because it wanted a precise name for the driver, which I didn't have at the time.

Any advice please?

Thanks

* Lesson..never update drivers without making a start disc and a system back-up. How might be the next question.

Do you get as far as the GRUB screen?

RC

[ReformedCharacter]

* Lesson..never update drivers without making a start disc and a system back-up. How might be the next question.

I use Gnome 'Disks' for which you will need a live CD with Gnome Disks included.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ho ... nome-disk/

RC

[tsr2]

* Lesson..never update drivers without making a start disc and a system back-up. How might be the next question.

Did the initial setup include configuring the timeshift system restore utility?

[fourtwentyfour]

Thank you for the replies. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

I did not make a timeshift restore copy, but will do so in future.

I have had to do some reading and experimentation to be able to understand what ‘grub’ is, and how to use it. I can now get to command line or grub.

I can start my computer normally, and when the login window appears hit (without logging in to the gui), [ctrl] + [alt] + [F1], to get to a command screen which asks for my user name and password. Then I get the prompt

me@mycomputer :~$_


Alternatively by starting and holding left shift I can boot to a screen that shows me
Linux Mint 19.2 Cinnamon
Advanced options for Linux Mint 19.2 Cinnamon
+ other memory options

Advanced options for Linux Mint 19.2 Cinnamon and ‘c’ prompt is grub> _

I could use ‘e’ for edit, and esc returns me to the previous screen.


So, now we have two choices of getting into the computer, without using the video driver for the NVIDIA C77 [GeForce 8200]. The one installed now is...

nvidia-340 (recommended)
Version 340.107-OubuntuO.18.04.3
NVIDIA binary driver- version 340.107

and the one I want to install instead is the open-source version....

xserver-xorg-video-nouveau (open-source)
Version 1:1.0.15-2
X.Org X server- Nouveau display driver

I now need instructions as to how to change the driver please.

Thanks

[I found the driver information by booting to live cd and trying an update, it gave me the only suggested update which was for the video driver.]

[fourtwentyfour]

I have spent two hours trying to remove, purge and install/reinstall the driver but to no avail.

I have used the command line and various procedures found in web pages, but unless they are fool-proof I have no means of making them work.

It seems that the command ubuntu-drivers devices gives a block of text that includes both the drivers referred to above, and I cannot get the xorg one installed. I might be referring to it by its wrong name?

The output is of the form below, but exactly, this is a copy from a web page and not from the actual installation.

== /sys/devices/......
modalias : .
vendor : NVIDIA Corporation
model :.
driver : nvidia-340 - distro non-free recommended
driver : xserver-xorg-video-nouveau - distro free builtin

[Infrasonic]

It's going to be quicker to reinstall Mint and set up timeshift/rsync (to your NAS maybe?) to regularly snapshot whilst you do the initial tweaks, than spend ages on this driver issue.

[fourtwentyfour]

Yes, it would have been, you are right. I just thought that changing a driver from the command line should be easy, once I had mastered the process. I don't like to give up, and the learning would stay with me.
Thanks

[ReformedCharacter]

I don't like to give up, and the learning would stay with me.
Thanks

sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

Perhaps!

RC

[fourtwentyfour]

Thanks again.

Yes, I have tried that and it failed. It gave a few lines of error messages, either about dependencies or wanting an alphanumeric start to the driver name.

Anyway, I have given up and in less than ten minutes had a new system running. Sadly it over-wrote my installed programmes, but no big deal. I guess I will learn more with time....

Thanks