Arch Linux

shanemagic

Member

Registered: 2013-09-10

Posts: 4

Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

I was using Ubuntu, and after an update, my PC would not boot.
I kept getting a black screen only.
I figured it was time to upgrade to Arch
However, I am having the same issue.
Installation goes well, until I try install Nvida drivers.
When I blacklist the Nouveau kernel from loading (either manually, or allowing the Nvidia installer to do it for me),
then I am unable once again to boot my PC.
I have to remove the blacklist comment in /etc/modprobe.d, to boot again.
Please can someone help.

Many thanks
Shane

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

Any errors in the logs? What hardware are you using?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Nv … grated_GPU ?

Last edited by karol (2013-09-10 11:36:04)

Xabre

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2009-03-19

Posts: 750

Re: Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

I'm guessing it's not a laptop (hybrid graphics), but he just forgot to add nomodeset to kernel line.

shanemagic

Member

Registered: 2013-09-10

Posts: 4

Re: Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

The Xorg log file says, NVIDIA: Failed to load NVIDIA kernel module. Then goes on to say . No devices detected. Fatal server error: no screens found(EE)
Its a Geforce GTS250 Nvidia card on my desktop PC.
I have not read anywhere about adding nomodeset.
How do I do that ?

Thanks for feedback

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

I have not read anywhere about adding nomodeset.
How do I do that ?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Kernel_parameters

shanemagic

Member

Registered: 2013-09-10

Posts: 4

Re: Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

have tried to add nvidia.modeset=0 at the end of the "linux" line in grub, still nothing

When I type lspci -k | grep -A 2 -i "VGA" , it tells me that Kernel driver in use: nouveau, even after i have edited grub on boot.
Have also tried in the grub "nomodeset"
I am probably just missing something in the procedure???
Not sure what to do next.

Shane

shanemagic

Member

Registered: 2013-09-10

Posts: 4

Re: Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

Have made some progress. Have gotten the NVIDIA drivers installed.
The nomodeset edited into grub on boot, has allowed me to boot in and install the drivers.
But still getting blank screen when I boot. (when I dont edit grub with nomodeset)
Do I need to permanently set the option nomodeset somewhere ?

Thanks in advance.

tcmdvm

Member

From: Columbia, TN USA

Registered: 2007-06-12

Posts: 40

Website

Re: Nvidia Install - PC boots to black screen when I blacklist Nouveau

You may already have got it working, but I ran into the same thing with a new install. I installed the nvidia package and rebooted. I was unable to log in with startx. I viewed the log messages for Xorg and it was trying to load nouveau and nvidia. The nouveau was supposed to be blacklisted, but it was still loaded.

Finally found some information in the nvidia wiki and checked the /etc/mkinitcpio.conf file. Nouveau was listed in the modules so I removed it and rebuild the initramfs with mkinitcpio -p linux.

I rebooted and it loaded normally then with the nvidia module.

I have never seen the nouveau module listed here before. I wonder if this something new that has been added.

This will is a major problem if installing the nvidia driver and the nouveau module is loaded from the /etc/mkinitcpio, even though it is blacklisted. It prevents the nvidia module from loading properly.