Can I install extra drivers via the command prompt?

Question

Since I can't seem to open the Additional Drivers program? And how do I know what driver I need to install?

Solution 1

For 12.04 and below

The additional drivers program has a command line interface, jockey-text:

Use

jockey-text --list

to get a list of available drivers and their status, then use

# the init lines are required only for graphics drivers
sudo init 1
jockey-text --enable=DRIVER
sudo init 2

where DRIVER is the one you got from the list. For example:

jockey-text --enable=firmware:b43

To install the Broadcom B43 wireless driver.

For your graphics card, you will get a choice of the proprietary driver from the manufacturer and a free alternative. You have to either restart the display server (log out and back in) or restart the system entirely (recommended).

Solution 2

For 14.04 and above

sudo ubuntu-drivers list

Will show all the driver packages which apply to your current system. You can then

sudo ubuntu-drivers install      # on modern Ubuntu, or
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall  # on older versions.

to install all the packages you need, or you can do:

sudo ubuntu-drivers devices

to show you which devices need drivers, and their corresponding package names.

Solution 3

For 12.04 and below

The internal name of the "additional drivers" program is jockey-gtk. There's a console version with the same functionality called jockey-text in the eponymous package. It should be installed by default.

You should be able to use

jockey-text -l

to list the available drivers and something like

jockey-text -e xorg:nvidia-185

to install one of the options listed. You should select the most appropriate driver listed.

Solution 4

If you have a Nvidia graphics card:

You need to run

sudo apt-get install nvidia-current
sudo nvidia-xconfig

Then reboot:

sudo reboot

and you should have a working system.

Solution 5

After install nvidia driver you can regenerate xorg config for your nvidia adapter:

sudo nvidia-xconfig

Also, you can download the driver from www.nvidia.com and install it manually:

sudo sh ./downloads/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-xxx.xx.xx.run

View more solutions

Comments

[landroni]

But how do you install a specific driver? Assume that sudo ubuntu-drivers list outputs fglrx and fglrx-updates. How do you install fglrx-updates?

[alainsanguinetti]

sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall is deprecated so you have to sudo apt install the package corresponding to the driver you want, and then probably restart your computer

[Oli]

@alainsanguinetti ish... the --help suggests that you can just use sudo ubuntu-drivers install (not specify which driver) and that has the same behaviour as the old autoinstall.

[Max N]

Is creating an xorg file still recommended? forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/…