How to install a NVIDIA driver for 11.10

Question

I have a Thinkpad T61p with Quadro FX570M. I just installed the Ubuntu 11.10. I have tried to download the driver LINUX DISPLAY DRIVER - X86 version 295.20 from NVIDIA, but I do not manage to install it. If I open System > Screens, there is an unknovn screen driver.

My installation works fine except, fails on resume with a black and white pattern all over the screen and I have difficulties detecting an external monitor.

Please, if you have any clue - help me out.

Solution

You can install the latest drivers for NVidia doing this:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current nvidia-settings

if anything goes wrong, simply purge the ppa:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge
sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates

Comments

[David]

Thank you for your fast reply, my file ( NVIDIA-Linux-x86-295.20.run ) is in the downloads folder - what is the command I must use? Sorry, but I'm totally new to Linux and Ubuntu.

[d_inevitable]

Usually you should not download the driver like that, but instead install it with jockey-gtk. Only if it is not available there you should install it manually.

[d_inevitable]

@ whoever downvoted my answer, would please revise your down-vote or at least have the decency to give a reason for it?

[David]

Thanks, using jockey-gtk I discover that the NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver version 173 is activated while NVIDIA has the above driver set for my hardware. What should I do - use the driver recommended by NVIDIA - use the current driver or the Ubuntu driver. I see many struggling with their NVIDIA drivers.

[d_inevitable]

This means that you already have the NVIDIA drivers installed! To change display settings you need to use nvidia-settings and not the other tool. Unfortunately it is not that uncommon for new hardware to fail on resume in Linux. Yes it is a driver problem, but I don't think your downloaded driver will be any different.

[David]

Thanks, any way to solve the issue and is disper the right tool for switching monitors?

[d_inevitable]

nvidia-settings is the right tool.