I have checked an rechecked if the nvidia packages are purged, and the repository is set as disabled. The output of the zypper se -si nvidia is none.
But,As I noted,the SDB I referenced seems to describe how to fix problems I think you described in your original post(s) were your reasons for even installing the nVidia driver in the first place.
So, unless you originally ran nouveau before installing the nVidia driver so you know that the nouveau driver won’t cause those problems and you agree those problems are described in the SDB, I’d think you should consider re-installing the nVidia driver and trying those configuration changes described in the SDB
This may be the right way to fix things, but I hav installed the nvidia driver once before, and it didn’t work. What about the files in the initrd? Should they be there?
Ordinarily, only one graphics driver can be assigned to be used with a display device at a time, and if each driver is written correctly there is no way that one can access anything in the other.
From what I can see, nouveau is the default regardless whether nVidia is installed or not so that nVidia is used only when nouveau is blacklisted. Remove nouveau from the blacklist, and it should be your driver regardless whether nVidia is installed or not.
As for re-installing the nVidia driver,
If as I speculated the small part installed into the initrd is only a shim, and especially if you re-install what was previously installed only hours earlier, there should not be an issue… In fact, if you’re installing nVidia “the hard way” you may not even need to run that mkinitrd step because that part is already there.
If you find a problem using the nVidia driver, then post which package you’re installing, a description of what isn’t working and we’ll take a look at that (you’ve already posted your hardware info which is the other part needed for initial troubleshooting). Note again though, I think the problems you described are mentioned in the SDB article in the Configuration section with how to fix.
I read what you say, and you ar probably right about the system not using some of the files for from nVidia and som from nouveau, but I tried to install the nVidia driver once before. I may have done something wrong in installing:
Installing with YaST or Zypper requires logging in as root. - SBD article regarding nVidia driver installation
Does this means that I use Yast in terminal mode before logging into the graphical interface, or log into Plasma using root, or logging in as user and use Yast as with root privileges?
The former time I installed the nvidia driver I could not log into plasma. It was only the cursor and the screen was black. That was the message i understood this was broken in some way. If I go there again, I will interpret this is as moving several days back in time. Time travel is not my thing, but if this is the only way I do it I will go there.
I therfore ask you if you advice me to do this the “hard way” or with Yast? I will be more comfortable with Yast. Must I do the mkinitrd step if I use Yast? The last question I have is if nouveau is working good, why is’t the card with driver working as it should? The card is five years old, and should be supported by nouveau.
I would blacklist the nouveau and install the proprietary Nvidia Drivers from the Repository, remember that yast also works in text mode in case something doesn’t work
This thread is becoming a little messy IMHO, so let’s recap.
OK, so you have successfully uninstalled any Nvidia package from the repos…
…and no kernel modules left around by any former install “the hard way” either.
This may be the right way to fix things, but I hav installed the nvidia driver once before, and it didn’t work. What about the files in the initrd? Should they be there?
But apparently you have not rebuilt the initrd, since those nvidia files in the initrd should not be there after a successful uninstall (and I wonder what other leftovers might still be there).
Please run as root:
dracut --hostonly --force
to force rebuild of the initrd (as already suggested by malcolmlewis a few posts back).
On a somewhat similar GPU (GTX960M) using the nouveau kernel driver I saw that some applications may not like the default modesetting DDX driver, so trying with or without the xf86-video-nouveau package installed may or may not show a difference.
Also, playing with the compositing options in Plasma may (or may not) make a difference.
Hope this doesn’t add to the noise…
The proprietary Nvidia drivers are superior and much more than the Nouveau drivers, so they are preferable, then everyone does what they want. Some time ago there was a problem that resolved in Yast> Users and groups> and adding video to your user, this is the case … I don’t know but you can try, it doesn’t hurt , good job
ls -l /lib/modules/4.12.14-lp151.28.36-default/updates/
Was the Nvidia driver installed “the hard way” by the <NVIDIA*.run> executable? And maybe the uninstall was not done by “# sh <NVIDIA*.run> --uninstall” as suggested here SDB:NVIDIA the hard way - openSUSE Wiki or it didn’t complete without errors?
I’m not much worried by stale nvidia modules still around since, as tsu2 suggested, if libraries were mixed you would get a black screen, not just “wobbly pages”.
But there may still be some config, xorg.conf file or such that were meant for Nvidia and that are not so good with nouveau.
Additional commands that may be useful to understand your current situation are:
sudo lspci -nnk | egrep 'VGA|3D' -A3
and
lsmod |grep -E 'nou|nvi'
I’m not commenting on nouveau vs. nvidia at the moment, because if you did something wrong installing nvidia in the first place there is no use repeating the same mistakes without understanding what the current situation actually is.
IMHO nouveau is adequate for your use case (tested with a less capable GTX960M) but since there were some quirks in the past for the GTX970, I’m not sure that the fix is already included in the stock Leap 15.1 kernel.
I did not install or unistall nvidia “tha hard” way. I loaded the nvidia repository and installed the packages, and used the MO described in the article (SDB) to remove the packages.
So the packages were removed but (at least) some files are still there, but I think those modules are not doing any harm since:
dagr@opensuse:~> sudo sudo lspci -nnk | egrep ‘VGA|3D’ -A3
[sudo] passord for root:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GM204 [GeForce GTX 970] [10de:13c2] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. [MSI] Device [1462:3160]
** Kernel driver in use: nouveau**
Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia
dagr@opensuse:~> sudo lsmod |grep -E ‘nou|nvi’ nouveau 2150400 17
video 45056 2 asus_wmi,nouveau
mxm_wmi 16384 1 nouveau
i2c_algo_bit 16384 1 nouveau
drm_kms_helper 204800 1 nouveau
ttm 126976 1 nouveau
drm 491520 20 nouveau,ttm,drm_kms_helper
wmi 28672 4 asus_wmi,wmi_bmof,mxm_wmi,nouveau
button 16384 1 nouveau
I did not install or unistall nvidia “tha hard” way. I loaded the nvidia repository and installed the packages, and used the MO described in the article (SDB) to remove the packages.
Dag R
there are no nvidia modules actually in use. I would leave those nvidia modules alone at the moment.
Please check if you still have an /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, possibly referring to a Nvidia configuration; if so, I would rename it since it is normally not needed in a default (nouveau) configuration, unless you have unusual monitors etc.
Please also check if you have anything referring to Nvidia in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ directory and look for any line reading ‘Driver “nvidia”’ in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf file.
Also check if there is something reading “nvidia” in the /usr/lib64/xorg/modules/drivers directory: if so, check in the Xorg log that no nvidia module is actually in use.
The log should be in /home/<your user name>/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log but might also be elsewhere (cannot check at the moment); an attempt at loading a nvidia module is OK if followed by “Unload nvidia” several lines after that.
Sorry for a complex reply, but if the uninstall didn’t complete as is apparently the case this is the only alternative I see to a clean reinstall.
/etc/X11/xorg.conf file - none
/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf - nvidia not mentioned
/usr/lib64/xorg/modules/drivers - nvidia not mentioned
It seems the path of searching for nvidia modules or other dust from the nvidia installation is not going anywhere. The last question for me is iit’s possible to use snapper to revert the system to another stage before I installed the nvidia driver so the system should be free of any traces of this driver messup? If I have understood you guys the GeForce GTX 970 should run nice on the nouveau driver if everything was optimal?
I had the choice of doing a clean install or try to install nvidia driver again. I managed to install the nVidia driver, and it works fairly well. Now I have the nVidia control panel, and try to adjust some of the effects. Browsing on the internet is not a smooth experience, but I make a new thread and ask about settings if needed.
Thanks for all help with this. It have been very educational for me.