How to Fix NVIDIA Driver Issues on Ubuntu (Dell Vostro 3521)

If your NVIDIA GPU isn’t detected properly on Ubuntu, or nvidia-smi shows an error like "couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver", this guide will walk you through how to fix that.

This was tested and confirmed working on a Dell Vostro 3521 with an NVIDIA GeForce MX350 GPU.

🧩 Step 1: Detect Your GPU

Open a terminal and run:

lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'

You’ll see something like:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation ...
	Kernel driver in use: i915
01:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP107M [GeForce MX350]
	Kernel driver in use: nouveau

✅ This means your system has both Intel integrated graphics and an NVIDIA discrete GPU.

🧪 Step 2: Check OpenGL Renderer

Install Mesa utilities:

sudo apt install mesa-utils
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

You’ll likely see:

OpenGL renderer string: Mesa Intel(R) Xe Graphics

This shows the system is currently using the Intel GPU for rendering — not NVIDIA.

🚧 Step 3: Check Available NVIDIA Drivers

Run:

sudo ubuntu-drivers devices

You’ll see a list like:

driver   : nvidia-driver-550 - distro non-free recommended
...
driver   : xserver-xorg-video-nouveau - distro free builtin

✅ Make note of the recommended driver (e.g. nvidia-driver-550).

🧼 Step 4: Clean Up Old Drivers (If Any)

Let’s purge conflicting or broken drivers:

sudo apt purge 'nvidia-*'
sudo apt remove --purge xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
sudo apt autoremove

Then update:

sudo apt update

💾 Step 5: Install the Correct NVIDIA Driver

Install the recommended version:

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-550 nvidia-prime

🔐 Step 6: Disable Secure Boot (IMPORTANT!)

If Secure Boot is enabled in BIOS, the NVIDIA kernel module may be rejected silently, even if installation succeeded.

Disable Secure Boot on Dell Vostro 3521:

1. Reboot your system.
2. Press F2 repeatedly to enter BIOS.
3. Go to Boot or Security tab.
4. Set Secure Boot to Disabled.
5. Save and exit.

🔁 Step 7: Reboot and Verify

Now reboot:

sudo reboot

After boot, check if the driver is working:

nvidia-smi

You should see output like:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 550.120       Driver Version: 550.120       CUDA Version: 12.4  |
| GPU  Name        | Bus-Id | Memory-Usage | GPU-Util |
|------------------+--------+--------------+----------|
| GeForce MX350    | 01:00.0| 5MiB / 2048MiB| 0%       |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

✅ Success! Your NVIDIA GPU is now live.

⚙️ Step 8: Use NVIDIA on Demand (prime-run)

If prime-run doesn't exist, create it:

sudo nano /usr/bin/prime-run

Paste:

#!/bin/bash
__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia __GL_VRR_ALLOWED=0 "$@"

Save and make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/prime-run

Now test:

prime-run glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

You should see:

OpenGL renderer string: NVIDIA GeForce MX350 ...

🚀 Bonus: Run Apps Using NVIDIA GPU

Launch apps like this:

prime-run firefox
prime-run blender
prime-run vlc

These will run on the NVIDIA GPU only, saving power when not needed.

🧠 Common Issues

✅ Final Notes

• Use prime-select query to check current mode (intel, nvidia, or on-demand).
• Switch modes:

  sudo prime-select nvidia  # Always use NVIDIA
  sudo prime-select intel   # Use Intel only
  sudo prime-select on-demand  # Default hybrid mode

• Reboot after switching modes.

✨ Conclusion

Getting your NVIDIA GPU working on Ubuntu (especially on hybrid laptops like the Dell Vostro 3521) can be tricky — but once you follow the right steps, it’s smooth sailing. Disabling Secure Boot and using the correct driver is key.