Troubleshooting NVIDIA Issues

If you're facing issues with NVIDIA graphics or the proprietary NVIDIA driver on Snigdha OS, follow these steps to properly install, configure, and troubleshoot your NVIDIA driver setup.

1. Ensure Your System is Updated 🖥️🔄

Before installing or troubleshooting drivers, make sure your system is fully updated to avoid compatibility issues.

Update your system:
```
sudo pacman -Syu
```
Reboot your system after the update:
```
sudo reboot
```

2. Check for Existing NVIDIA Drivers 🕵️‍♂️

First, verify if the NVIDIA driver is already installed or partially installed.

Check for the installed NVIDIA package:
```
pacman -Qs nvidia
```
If you see packages like nvidia, nvidia-utils, or nvidia-dkms, it indicates the driver is installed.

3. Install the Proprietary NVIDIA Driver 🖱️🖥️

Install NVIDIA Drivers on Snigdha OS

Snigdha OS, being based on Arch Linux, supports the proprietary NVIDIA drivers provided by nvidia package, which provides full support for gaming, rendering, and GPU acceleration.

For NVIDIA 390xx Legacy Cards (older models):
```
sudo pacman -S nvidia-390xx
```
For Latest NVIDIA Drivers (most common):
```
sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils
```
For the NVIDIA Optimus (Hybrid Graphics): If you have a laptop with both Intel and NVIDIA graphics (Optimus), you may want to install the bumblebee or nvidia-prime package:
- For Bumblebee (for better battery life and automatic switching):
```
sudo pacman -S bumblebee primus
sudo systemctl enable bumblebeed
sudo systemctl start bumblebeed
```
- For NVIDIA Prime (useful for newer systems):
```
sudo pacman -S nvidia-prime
```

4. Configure Xorg for NVIDIA 🖥️⚙️

Snigdha OS should automatically configure Xorg to use the NVIDIA driver upon installation. If it doesn’t work, you can manually configure it by creating or modifying the Xorg configuration.

Create the NVIDIA configuration file:
```
sudo nvidia-xconfig
```
Restart the Xorg server or reboot the system:
```
sudo reboot
```

5. Verify the Installation ✅

After installing or reconfiguring the NVIDIA drivers, verify the installation using the following commands:

Check if NVIDIA modules are loaded correctly:
```
lsmod | grep nvidia
```
Check the NVIDIA driver version:
```
nvidia-smi
```

This will show you information about the installed NVIDIA driver, including the GPU model, driver version, and usage statistics.

6. Troubleshooting Common Issues 🛠️

No Display / Blank Screen 💻❌

Ensure that the driver is properly loaded by checking the Xorg log:
```
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep nvidia
```
If you still have no display, try booting into recovery mode and reinstall the drivers.

Optimizing Hybrid Graphics (Optimus) 🖥️🔋

If you're using an Optimus laptop with both Intel and NVIDIA, ensure that you're using either Bumblebee or nvidia-prime to manage the GPU switching.

Test if Bumblebee is working with the optirun command:
```
optirun glxgears
```

For NVIDIA Prime, you can switch between the Intel GPU and the NVIDIA GPU using:

sudo prime-select nvidia  # To use the NVIDIA GPU
sudo prime-select intel   # To switch back to the Intel GPU

Black Screen After Boot 💻❌

If the system boots into a black screen, try the following:
- Boot into a terminal or recovery mode and check the Xorg logs for errors.
- Check the logs at /var/log/Xorg.0.log or dmesg for NVIDIA driver-related errors.
If needed, you can remove the NVIDIA drivers:
```
sudo pacman -Rns nvidia nvidia-utils
```
And then reinstall or switch to nouveau (open-source NVIDIA driver):
```
sudo pacman -S xf86-video-nouveau
```

7. Reinstall or Update NVIDIA Drivers 🔄

If you encounter persistent issues, try reinstalling the drivers:

Uninstall the NVIDIA drivers:
```
sudo pacman -Rns nvidia nvidia-utils
```
Reinstall the drivers:
```
sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils
```

8. Check for Kernel Compatibility 🐧🛠️

The NVIDIA driver requires a compatible kernel. If you recently updated your kernel or switched to a custom one, you may need to install the correct kernel modules.

For the Zen Kernel (often used in Snigdha OS):
```
sudo pacman -S linux-zen
```
For other kernel versions, such as linux-lts (Long Term Support):
```
sudo pacman -S linux-lts
```
After installing a new kernel, you will need to rebuild or reinstall the NVIDIA kernel module:
```
sudo pacman -S nvidia-dkms
```

Conclusion 🚀

By following these steps, you should be able to install, configure, and troubleshoot NVIDIA drivers on Snigdha OS. If you continue to experience issues, checking the NVIDIA and Arch Wiki documentation, as well as visiting Snigdha OS community forums, might help. Happy computing! 😄🎮

1. Ensure Your System is Updated 🖥️🔄​

2. Check for Existing NVIDIA Drivers 🕵️‍♂️​

3. Install the Proprietary NVIDIA Driver 🖱️🖥️​

Install NVIDIA Drivers on Snigdha OS​

4. Configure Xorg for NVIDIA 🖥️⚙️​

5. Verify the Installation ✅​

6. Troubleshooting Common Issues 🛠️​

No Display / Blank Screen 💻❌​

Optimizing Hybrid Graphics (Optimus) 🖥️🔋​

Black Screen After Boot 💻❌​

7. Reinstall or Update NVIDIA Drivers 🔄​

8. Check for Kernel Compatibility 🐧🛠️​

Conclusion 🚀​