After Nvidia driver install: (No GUI) sddm error cannot connect to driver

[Trunglao]

Greetings. I decided to nuke my last remaining Windows install on a nice laptop. Rebooted after install of Nvidia drivers on MX 23 and X wouldn't start (No GUI). Was getting some error about 'sddm error device could not connect to driver'. Seems a fairly common issue with 'Nvidiot' GPU's, big surprise. My apologies, but I could not find an example that seemed to fit in these forums.

I couldn't be bothered with trying to fix it yesterday so I just re-installed and have not (may will never) installed Nvidia GPU drivers.

Any advice on preemptively creating the conditions where I can perhaps prevent this (and still install Nvidia drivers perhaps)? This seems to be fairly well known, so maybe I should try older drivers? It seems the MX Utility just forces the latest driver, which makes sense. Maybe driver version has nothing to do with it.

I thought maybe it was because this unit has integrated intel gpu/cpu and discrete Nvidia graphics. But when I lspci | grep im only getting one GPU in the output (1070M). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Operating System: MX Linux 23
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.103.0
Qt Version: 5.15.8
Kernel Version: 6.1.0-10-amd64 (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: X11
Processors: 8 × Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz
Memory: 31.3 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: NV134 (1070M)
Manufacturer: Notebook
Product Name: P65_67HSHP
System Version: Not Applicable

Quick System Info - GPU: Graphics:
Device-1: NVIDIA GP104BM [GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile] vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK driver: nouveau v: kernel
non-free: 530.xx+ status: current (as of 2023-03) arch: Pascal code: GP10x process: TSMC 16nm
built: 2016-21 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s ports:
active: eDP-1 empty: DP-1,DP-2,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1be1 class-ID: 0300
temp: 46.0 C
Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.9 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X:
loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: nouveau gpu: nouveau display-ID: :0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22") s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: LG Display 0x046c built: 2014 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 128 gamma: 1.2
size: 382x215mm (15.04x8.46") diag: 438mm (17.3") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 800x600
API: OpenGL v: 4.3 Mesa 23.1.2-1~mx23ahs renderer: NV134 direct-render: Yes

I used MX Tools from the application menu to install the Nvidia driver

[dolphin_oracle]

please post the quick-system-info. it will give a little more information on the graphics card.

also, did you install nvidia drivers with the tool included on the iso, or some other way?

[Trunglao]

please post the quick-system-info. it will give a little more information on the graphics card.

also, did you install nvidia drivers with the tool included on the iso, or some other way?

Thanks for your reply. I've updated my post to include the details you've asked for.

[dolphin_oracle]

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I don’t suppose you still have the log file from the attempt.

/var/log/ddm.log

If you try again, you can revert with

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sudo ddm-mx -p nvidia

[Trunglao]

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I don’t suppose you still have the log file from the attempt.

/var/log/ddm.log

If you try again, you can revert with

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sudo ddm-mx -p nvidia

*Sorry, I don't have the log, I needed to get this machine up and running quickly so I just installed again. Thanks for this info. I may try it again, but perhaps there is some other method I will try with an older driver. IDK.

[Eadwine Rose]

When sharing your QSI, share everything please. Do not cherry pick.

[dolphin_oracle]

Code: Select all

I don’t suppose you still have the log file from the attempt.

/var/log/ddm.log

If you try again, you can revert with

Code: Select all

sudo ddm-mx -p nvidia

*Sorry, I don't have the log, I needed to get this machine up and running quickly so I just installed again. Thanks for this info. I may try it again, but perhaps there is some other method I will try with an older driver. IDK.

the output of the tool should tell you what other available drivers are compatible with your card, and how to force the tool to use them. usually something like

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sudo ddm-mx -i nvidia -f nvidia-driver-package-name

where nvidia-driver-package-name is the actual name of the package presented.

running

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nvidia-detect-mx

will also show you without running the full install tool.

and echoing what Eadwine Rose stated, posting the entire quick-system-info is useful in ways that some folks find surprising. For instance, we can tell what you used for install media, any commandline boot parameters in use, the mode of booting, model and make of the PC, repositories in use, and many other things.

[Trunglao]

Code: Select all

I don’t suppose you still have the log file from the attempt.

/var/log/ddm.log

If you try again, you can revert with

Code: Select all

sudo ddm-mx -p nvidia

*Sorry, I don't have the log, I needed to get this machine up and running quickly so I just installed again. Thanks for this info. I may try it again, but perhaps there is some other method I will try with an older driver. IDK.

the output of the tool should tell you what other available drivers are compatible with your card, and how to force the tool to use them. usually something like

Code: Select all

sudo ddm-mx -i nvidia -f nvidia-driver-package-name

where nvidia-driver-package-name is the actual name of the package presented.

running

Code: Select all

nvidia-detect-mx

will also show you without running the full install tool.

and echoing what Eadwine Rose stated, posting the entire quick-system-info is useful in ways that some folks find surprising. For instance, we can tell what you used for install media, any commandline boot parameters in use, the mode of booting, model and make of the PC, repositories in use, and many other things.

Thanks, will try this. Sorry, but I hope you can understand/respect why I don't want to share everything. The rationale offered clearly doesn't apply in this particular case anyway.

[Stevo]

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non-free: 530.xx+ status: current (as of 2023-03) arch: Pascal code: GP10x process: TSMC 16nm

Hmmm...since we only have up to

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$ apt policy nvidia-driver
nvidia-driver:
  Installed: 525.125.06-2.1
  Candidate: 525.125.06-2.1

available in MX 23 AHS, the indication that you may have 530.xx raises some questions!

[Trunglao]

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non-free: 530.xx+ status: current (as of 2023-03) arch: Pascal code: GP10x process: TSMC 16nm

Hmmm...since we only have up to

Code: Select all

$ apt policy nvidia-driver
nvidia-driver:
  Installed: 525.125.06-2.1
  Candidate: 525.125.06-2.1

available in MX 23 AHS, the indication that you may have 530.xx raises some questions!

Wouldn't 530.xx be normal for MX 23 AHS?
*I think I should just install 525.125.06-2.1 no? Instead of messing with 530