Arch Linux

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

[SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

I've been trying to update my 3050 Ti's drivers. I've installed the nvidia-driver package and all of its dependencies, but right as I was getting ready to reboot I realized that the wiki said that

Note: If you are using Wayland you should not restart until after following #DRM kernel mode setting or you may end up with a black screen.

, so I went ahead and ran the given command in the terminal, even though DRM is probably enabled since my nvidia-utils package's version is higer than "560.35.03", but instead of getting a Y or an N instead I got

cat: /sys/module/nvidia_drm/parameters/modeset: No such file or directory

but then I realized that I had to make a configuration for wayland after installing the drivers so I opened this link to configure it, but I guess it's done by default since I've got the nvidia utils package?

So can someone please help me? What am I doing wrong?

Last edited by Moanteq (2025-02-12 12:03:30)

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,877

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

If you just installed the nvidia packages the nvidia_drm kernel module will not be loaded and the nouveau kernel module is probably in use. In theory you could unload the nouveau module and manually load the nvidia modules but that could well result in the black screen you are attempting to avoid. I would advise rebooting if you are using the current nvidia packages.
Edit:
You can set module options using the kernel command line if you do have to change the option and are confronted by a black screen.

Last edited by loqs (2025-02-11 21:05:48)

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

If you just installed the nvidia packages the nvidia_drm kernel module will not be loaded and the nouveau kernel module is probably in use. In theory you could unload the nouveau module and manually load the nvidia modules but that could well result in the black screen you are attempting to avoid. I would advise rebooting if you are using the current nvidia packages.
Edit:
You can set module options using the kernel command line if you do have to change the option and are confronted by a black screen.

I don't know if I'm running nvidia or nouveau modules. Here's what I got

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-P GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics] (rev 0c)
        Subsystem: Dell Device 0b64
        Kernel driver in use: i915
        Kernel modules: i915, xe
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GA107BM [GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile] (rev a1)
        Subsystem: Dell Device 0b64
        Kernel driver in use: nouveau
        Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,877

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Kernel driver in use: nouveau
Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia

'Kernel driver in use' is self-explanatory while 'Kernel modules' are modules the kernel is aware of that can be used by that device.
Edit:
You can check this using the output of `lsmod` or looking in /sys/module/ at which kernel modules are loaded.

Last edited by loqs (2025-02-11 21:18:08)

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Kernel driver in use: nouveau
Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia

'Kernel driver in use' is self-explanatory while 'Kernel modules' are modules the kernel is aware of that can be used by that device.
Edit:
You can check this using the output of `lsmod` or looking in /sys/module/ at which kernel modules are loaded.

I ran the command that you gave me and only the nouveau module is being used. I've installed every package that I need, and also gained additional info about my GPU drivers, but I still don't know how to use the nvidia-open package as my GPU driver. Could you please help me? I feel lost.

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,877

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

I still don't know how to use the nvidia-open package as my GPU driver.

What nvidia packages are currently installed on your system?

pacman -Qs nvidia

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

I still don't know how to use the nvidia-open package as my GPU driver.

What nvidia packages are currently installed on your system?

pacman -Qs nvidia

local/egl-gbm 1.1.2-1
    The GBM EGL external platform library
local/egl-wayland 4:1.1.17-1
    EGLStream-based Wayland external platform
local/egl-x11 1.0.0-1
    NVIDIA XLib and XCB EGL Platform Library
local/libvdpau 1.5-3
    Nvidia VDPAU library
local/nvidia-open 570.86.16-5
    NVIDIA open kernel modules
local/nvidia-utils 570.86.16-2
    NVIDIA drivers utilities
local/xf86-video-nouveau 1.0.18-1 (xorg-drivers)
    Open Source 3D acceleration driver for nVidia cards

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,877

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Having nvidia-open and nvidia-utils installed is enough to use nvidia-open.

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Having nvidia-open and nvidia-utils installed is enough to use nvidia-open.

I know, but the question I have is how can I delete the nouveau drivers and start using the nvidia drivers. Should I reboot my pc? Because I haven't rebooted since I've installed the nvidia packages. I just don't want to find myself staring at a black screen after the reboot.

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,877

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Why do you believe unloading the nouveau module then loading the nvidia modules is less likely to result in a black screen as soon as the nouveau module is unloaded?

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Why do you believe unloading the nouveau module then loading the nvidia modules is less likely to result in a black screen as soon as the nouveau module is unloaded?

I'm scared because of my lack of knowledge about installing nvidia drivers on arch. I mean I do have every package installed on my system, but I don't really know what to do. Should I restart?

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,877

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Should I restart?

That was my suggestion in post #2.  In my edit to that post I pointed out you can set kernel module options on the kernel command line.  You can also boot using the installation media, chroot in then to fix any issues.

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Should I restart?

That was my suggestion in post #2.  In my edit to that post I pointed out you can set kernel module options on the kernel command line.  You can also boot using the installation media, chroot in then to fix any issues.

I rebooted the pc and ran the command to see the modules and here's the output:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Alder Lake-P GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics] (rev 0c)
        Subsystem: Dell Device 0b64
        Kernel driver in use: i915
        Kernel modules: i915, xe
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GA107BM [GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile] (rev a1)
        Subsystem: Dell Device 0b64
        Kernel driver in use: nvidia
        Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia

I assume the problem has been solved now right? Do I still remove the nouveau module? If so, how?

mackin_cheese

Member

Registered: 2025-01-07

Posts: 477

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

noveau should already be blacklisted once nvidia is in use, you really need to read up on the wiki, you're bordering on "help vampire" territory

Moanteq

Member

Registered: 2025-02-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

noveau should already be blacklisted once nvidia is in use, you really need to read up on the wiki, you're bordering on "help vampire" territory

I didn't mean to do that. I'm a little stressed since I'm new to arch, sorry. Thanks a lot for helping me.

mackin_cheese

Member

Registered: 2025-01-07

Posts: 477

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Installing arch shouldn't be stressful. If it's stressing you out, it's a big indicator that you are likely not ready for Arch, perhaps a more beginner friendly distro is more suitable such as Linux Mint.

If you are a beginner and want to use Arch, you must be willing to invest time into learning a new system, and accept that Arch is designed as a 'do-it-yourself' distribution; it is the user who assembles the system.

Before asking for help, do your own independent research by searching the Web, the forum and the superb documentation provided by the Arch Wiki. There is a reason these resources were made available to you in the first place. Many thousands of volunteered hours have been spent compiling this excellent information.

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,877

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

Perhaps I should stop posting in any thread you post in mackin_cheese it is too much stress.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,428

Re: [SOLVED]Cannot complete Nvidia driver installation please help

What's the status of this wrt https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=303344 - still open issue?
If not and please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

@mackin_cheese,

I'm scared because

Not everybody responds the same when confronted with obstacles or just new situations - or expresses it matching your definition of the terms.

@Moanteq, try t o not be scared. Even if you screw up the computer will not explode into your face (well, unless of course there's a battery inside and you took a power drill to it…) and you can just boot the install iso or a life distro like grml and fix it offline if you ever really can no longer boot it. You will most likely survive no matter what (but be careful with that power drill)

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