Testing Open Souce and Nvidia Drivers after installation

[rogerio]

Hello everyone.

Recently, I’ve been interesting in trying Garuda, so I proceeded to install a VM for testing the system and even a bootable drive for better performance while doing so.

But, I’ve seen that there’s proprietary and open source drivers for Nvidia (my GPU is a 1060 3gb), so I’ve been wondering if, after really installing, I would be able to test between those, as I’ve seen that there’s options to uninstall and install them in the Hardware configuration, but I wasn’t able to properly test how it works in the live environment, I know there’s the two options for booting proprietary or open source, but I would like to understand how this can be done after the full installation.

Sorry if the question is already answered somewhere, I searched but didn’t find anything specific on this topic.

I’m glad for any help provided

[filo]

Hi there, welcome to the forum.
Please provide your garuda-inxi from the live USB (for your real hw).

[rogerio]

Thanks for the welcome!

Sorry for not providing early, I thought it wasn’t necessary.

System:
  Kernel: 6.5.9-zen2-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1 clocksource: tsc
    available: hpet,acpi_pm parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-x86_64 lang=en_US keytable=us
    tz=UTC misobasedir=garuda root=miso:LABEL=GARUDA_DR460NIZED_RAPTOR quiet systemd.show_status=1
    ibt=off driver=free nouveau.modeset=1 i915.modeset=1 radeon.modeset=1
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.9 tk: Qt v: 5.15.11 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2 dm: SDDM
    Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASRock model: H110M-HG4 serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI-[Legacy]: American Megatrends v: P7.40 date: 06/22/2018
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-7400 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Kaby Lake gen: core 7 level: v3
    note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 9
    microcode: 0xF4
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 256 KiB desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB
    L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 6 MiB desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2800 min/max: 800/3500 scaling: driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave
    cores: 1: 2800 2: 2800 3: 2800 4: 2800 bogomips: 24000
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 3GB] driver: nouveau v: kernel non-free: 535.xx+
    status: current (as of 2023-09) 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: HDMI-A-1
    empty: DP-1,DVI-D-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1c02 class-ID: 0300 temp: 37.0 C
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.9 with: Xwayland v: 23.2.2 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X:
    loaded: nouveau unloaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,nv,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: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-1 model: LG (GoldStar) FULL HD built: 2016 res: 1920x1080
    hz: 60 dpi: 102 gamma: 1.2 size: 480x270mm (18.9x10.63") diag: 551mm (21.7") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: nvidia nouveau platforms: device: 0 drv: nouveau device: 1 drv: swrast
    gbm: drv: nouveau surfaceless: drv: nouveau x11: drv: nouveau inactive: wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.5 compat-v: 4.3 vendor: mesa v: 23.2.1-arch1.2 glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes
    renderer: NV136 device-ID: 10de:1c02 memory: 2.92 GiB unified: no
  API: Vulkan v: 1.3.269 layers: 3 device: 0 type: cpu name: llvmpipe (LLVM 16.0.6 256 bits)
    driver: mesa llvmpipe v: 23.2.1-arch1.2 (LLVM 16.0.6) device-ID: 10005:0000 surfaces: xcb,xlib
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 100 Series/C230 Series Family HD Audio vendor: ASRock driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_avs bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:a170 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP106 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 1
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:10f1
    class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.5.9-zen2-1-zen status: kernel-api tools: N/A
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.83 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: ASRock driver: r8169
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168
    class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.04 TiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Lexar model: 128GB SSD size: 119.24 GiB block-size:
    physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: 1A scheme: MBR
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Seagate model: ST1000DM010-2EP102 size: 931.51 GiB
    block-size:

[filo]

@rogerio

NVIDIA GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 3GB] driver: nouveau v: kernel non-free: 535.xx+
    status: current

I’m not an Nvidia user, but, given for granted that the kernel (nouveau) driver works (most likely with worse performance than the proprietary driver), that proprietary driver 535.xx is available only in the AUR repository (so it will not be installed by the Garuda tool, you’ll have to do it manually after system installation and update).
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-535xx-dkms
The current version (535.129.03) is the same proposed for your model by the NVIDIA’s driver download site.
You can install it with:

paru nvidia-535xx-dkms nvidia-535xx-utils

You’ll be presented with a preview of the PKGBUILD, that you can quit with button q and confirm installation.
If it works, you’d better ask here to add it to the Chaotic-AUR repo, so, after reinstalling it from there, you won’t have to rebuild it at every update.

[rogerio]

Thanks for the information.

So, the open source drivers are already built-in, so I can’t broke my system even if I want to uninstall proprietary?

[SGS]

Just install Garuda with Nvidia drivers, no need to remove something,
The GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) work fine.
Old garuda-inxi

System:
  Kernel: 6.5.8-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1 clocksource: tsc
    available: hpet,acpi_pm parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=cfe93033-525c-4209-bf64-584214ef666e rw rootflags=subvol=@ rd.udev.log_priority=3
    vt.global_cursor_default=0 loglevel=3 ibt=off
  Console: pty pts/0 DM: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: P8Z77-V DELUXE v: Rev 1.xx serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: American Megatrends v: 2104 date: 08/13/2013
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-3770K bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Ivy Bridge gen: core 3 level: v2
    built: 2012-15 process: Intel 22nm family: 6 model-id: 0x3A (58) stepping: 9 microcode: 0x21
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 8 MiB desc: 1x8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2658 high: 4224 min/max: 1600/4100 scaling: driver: intel_cpufreq
    governor: schedutil cores: 1: 1600 2: 4224 3: 1600 4: 1600 5: 4224 6: 2200 7: 1600 8: 4223
    bogomips: 57684
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] vendor: ZOTAC driver: nvidia v: 535.113.01
    alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: 535.xx+ status: current (as of 2023-09) 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 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1c03 class-ID: 0300

[rogerio]

So I can already install with the right drivers?

And if you can tell me, how can I handle possible future driver updates?

Thanks.

[SGS]

In terminal

garuda-update

or update or upd.

[rogerio]

Just a little question regarding to packages installation/updating, does the garuda-update approach compiles it everytime or does it use something like chaotic-aur?

Sorry for the noobie question, but I managed to find only that paru does the installation without the need of using all the commands, but I’m unsure about the updates after.

[filo]

garuda-update updates arch and chaotic-AUR packages, which do not need to be compiled.
If you add option -a it updates also AUR packges with paru, and in that moment they are compiled locally.
Chaotic-AUR is a collection of packages pre-built from AUR, so that they won’t need to be compiled locally.

Garuda Update

[rogerio]

Thanks friend.

I thought chaotic-aur was something I would need to setup, but now I see why I need to ask for someone to add there.

[SGS]

@rogerio

I thought chaotic-aur was something I would need to setup, but now I see why I need to ask for someone to add there.

This is already included.
It’s best to just get started, most questions will then be superfluous.

Start live ISO, open terminal, upd, enter.
If you post the garuda-inxi next time copy all and paste here, or just use garuda-assistant, System Infos.

[rogerio]

Yeah, I will do further tests with the live boot, not necessarily related to drivers as I prefer not messing with these

I was wondering how Pacman chooses the repository used, I’ve seen it done by the GUI, but not terminal, so how could I be sure that it’s being installed from chaotic-aur or just AUR

[SGS]

Since pacman.conf goes in order, from top to bottom, it takes chaotic first, then the rest.

This thread is solved
I closed.