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Can't Change GPU Driver (Additional Drivers)
Cyba.Cowboy Sep 22, 2020
ASUS ZenBook Duo UX481FL, with an Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU under Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ("Focal Fossa")

Linux Distribution: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ("Focal Fossa")
Desktop Environment: GNOME 3.36.3
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce MX250
GPU Driver Version: 440.100 (according to Nvidia X Server Settings)

Have you checked for system updates?: Yes

If this is not Steam, you can still give us a system readout using inxi with "inxi -SbCGxx" in terminal (please put that into Pastebin/Gist as linked above!): https://pastebin.com/3aMPkneF

You can note your issue below here
When I open Software & Updates, I am told that I am using a "manually installed driver" (which is apparently not proprietary):

I'm not too sure why Ubuntu is telling me this, as I explicitly chose to use the latest version of Nvidia's proprietary driver when I "clean" installed Ubuntu on Launch Day... I installed this driver via the "Additional Drivers" tab of "Software & Updates".

I tried to remove all of the Nvidia drivers using:
sudo apt purge 'nvidia.*'

But I am told:
E: Unable to locate package nvidia.*

Here's the output of `lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'`:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation UHD Graphics (rev 02)
     DeviceName: VGA
     Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. UHD Graphics
     Kernel driver in use: i915
     Kernel modules: i915
    --
02:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP108BM [GeForce MX250] (rev a1)
     DeviceName: Second VGA
     Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. GP108BM [GeForce MX250]
     Kernel driver in use: nvidia
     Kernel modules: nvidiafb, nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia


How can I select Nvidia's proprietary driver in the "Additional Drivers" dialog box, to ensure that I am using the current (stable) version of their proprietary driver?



Note any particular steps to reproduce it below here
Open the "Additional Drivers" tab using "Software & Updates" with the same or similar hardware.
CatKiller Sep 22, 2020
Quoting: Cyba.CowboyI tried to remove all of the Nvidia drivers using:
sudo apt purge 'nvidia.*'

But I am told:
E: Unable to locate package nvidia.*

apt-get expands the * into a list of matching packages, but I don't think apt does. I can't remember if aptitude does.
CatKiller Sep 22, 2020
With regard to the stated issue, the Additional Drivers dialogue often gets confused about whether a driver is proprietary; the ones from the PPA always show as open source. It's a tagging thing. Don't worry about it.

The latest stable driver is 450.66. I use the PPA and I'm still on 18.04, so I couldn't tell you whether the 450 branch has been added to the Stable Release Updates for Focal yet. 440.100 is the latest version on the 440 branch. You could either add the PPA or just wait.
damarrin Sep 22, 2020
The nvidia packages have no dot after nvidia. Also, remove/purge requires full package names as far as I can tell, so you need to type nvidia and press tab to see the specific packages.

Last edited by damarrin on 22 September 2020 at 3:15 pm UTC
Vinouch Sep 23, 2020
Use this instead of you did :
 
sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
damarrin Sep 23, 2020
Oh, right, apt-get. :-) I was sort of bemused when apt refused to do remove nvidia*, now I know why.
Cyba.Cowboy Sep 23, 2020
Quoting: VinouchUse this instead of you did :
 
sudo apt-get purge nvidia*

Yeah, your suggestion work worked...

sudo apt-get purge nvidia*

Restart.

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get autoremove

Restart.

Re-installed the proprietary driver via "Software & Updates".

Restart.

Went back into "Software & Updates" - now it says I am using the latest proprietary driver ("450", at the time of writing).

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