Nvidia on Ubuntu/commands

Mode setting e.g. nomodeset

Linux kernels since 2012 have moved the video "mode setting" into the kernel. Programming of the hardware specific clock rates and registers on the video card happen in the kernel rather than in the X driver when the X server starts. This makes it possible to have high resolution, nice looking splash (boot) screens and flicker free transitions from boot splash to login screen. Unfortunately, on some cards this doesnt work properly and you end up with a black screen. Adding the nomodeset parameter instructs the kernel to not load video drivers and use BIOS modes instead until X is loaded.

https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/understanding-nvidia-drm-modeset-1-nvidia-linux-driver-modesetting/204068

mode setting (arch linux wiki)

wp:Direct Rendering Manager Note that DRM in this context is Direct Rendering Manager

DKMS stands for Dynamic Kernel Module System

#!/bin/bash
# some CLI commands used while installing / removing the NVIDIA driver version 570 on a Debian-based system.
# most commands should be executed as root

# RTFM
# less /usr/share/doc/nvidia-driver-570/README.txt.gz


# switch to root user
sudo su -

# echo "Disabling nouveau driver"
# bash -c "echo 'blacklist nouveau' >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-nouveau.conf"
# bash -c "echo 'options nouveau modeset=0' >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-nouveau.conf"
# update-initramfs -u


# what is the current kernel version?
uname -r

# is secure boot enabled?
mokutil --sb-state

# what certificates are installed?
mokutil --list-enrolled

# Are there any dynamic kernel module support (dkms) packages installed?
dkms status

# what nvidia hardware do I have?
lspci | grep -i nvidia
# show a tree in both numeric and text format
lspci -nntv

# any nvidia modules loaded?
lsmod | grep -i nvidia
# any nvidia packages installed?
dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia

# NVIDIA System Management Interface
nvidia-smi

# If you have the cuda compiler (cuda-toolkit) installed, check its version
nvcc -V

# Are there any nvidia services running?
systemctl list-units --type=service --all | grep nvidia 

# What version of xrandr is installed?
# xrandr is a command-line interface to the X11 Resize and Rotate extension (RandR).
# It is used to set the size, orientation and/or reflection of the outputs for a
# screen. It can also set the screen size and provide information about the outputs
# and their capabilities.
xrandr --version
# xrandr program version       1.5.2
# Server reports RandR version 1.6


# remove everything nvidia
# apt-get remove -y --purge '^libnvidia-.*'
# apt-get remove -y --purge '^nvidia-.*'
# apt-get remove -y --purge '*570*'
# apt -y autoremove

# # reboot
# shutdown -r now

Basic Input Output System. The part that executes when a computer is first booted and hardware is detected.

Digital Restrictions Management = Electronic methods to control what you can and can't do. In the context of video graphics, it means Direct Rendering Manager.