Resolving NVIDIA-Related Boot Issues on Ubuntu: A Comprehensive Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction

Encountering boot issues on Ubuntu after installing or updating NVIDIA drivers can be a frustrating experience. These issues can manifest in various ways, such as a black screen, login loop, or system freeze. This guide provides step-by-step instructions to troubleshoot and resolve common NVIDIA-related boot issues on Ubuntu.

Step 1: Boot into Recovery Mode

If your system fails to boot normally, the first step is to access Recovery Mode:

• Restart your computer.

• Hold the Shift key as the system starts up to access the GRUB menu.

• In the GRUB menu, select Advanced options for Ubuntu.

• Choose a Recovery Mode option (typically the one with the latest kernel).

Once in Recovery Mode, you can either proceed with troubleshooting commands from the root shell or try to boot normally with a minimal set of services.

Step 2: Check for Driver Issues

A common cause of boot problems is an incompatible or broken NVIDIA driver. To check and potentially revert to an open-source driver:

• From the root shell in Recovery Mode, run:

sudo ubuntu-drivers list
   

This command will list the available drivers, including proprietary NVIDIA drivers and open-source alternatives.

• To uninstall the current NVIDIA driver, run:

sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*
   

• Install the open-source Nouveau driver (if it's not already in use):

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
   

• Reboot your system:

sudo reboot
   

If the system boots successfully with the Nouveau driver, the issue is likely related to the NVIDIA driver.

Step 3: Reinstall or Update NVIDIA Drivers

If you determine that the NVIDIA driver is necessary, you can attempt to reinstall or update it:

• Add the official NVIDIA PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
   sudo apt-get update
   

• Install the recommended driver:

sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
   

• Reboot your system:

sudo reboot
   

This should install the appropriate driver for your NVIDIA GPU. If the issue persists, you might need to try different versions of the driver.

Step 4: Check and Update GRUB Configuration

Sometimes, the boot issue might be related to GRUB not passing the correct parameters to the kernel:

• Edit the GRUB configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub
   

• Locate the line starting with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT and add nomodeset to the parameters. It should look something like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"
   

• Update GRUB:

sudo update-grub
   

• Reboot your system:

sudo reboot
   

Adding nomodeset disables the kernel mode setting, which can help if the NVIDIA driver is causing the display to malfunction during boot.

Step 5: Blacklist Nouveau Driver (If Necessary)

If you need to ensure that the Nouveau driver is not loaded, especially when using the NVIDIA driver:

• Create a blacklist file:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
   

• Add the following lines:

blacklist nouveau
   options nouveau modeset=0
   

• Regenerate the initramfs:

sudo update-initramfs -u
   

• Reboot your system:

sudo reboot
   

This will prevent the Nouveau driver from loading and may resolve conflicts with the NVIDIA driver.

Step 6: Check for Kernel Compatibility Issues

NVIDIA drivers may sometimes conflict with the latest kernel versions. To troubleshoot:

• Boot into an older kernel from the GRUB menu (under "Advanced options for Ubuntu").

• If the system boots successfully with an older kernel, you may need to use that kernel until a new NVIDIA driver update is released or apply patches.

Step 7: Examine Logs for Additional Clues

If the issue persists, checking system logs can provide more insight:

• View the Xorg log:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log
   

• Check the systemd journal:

journalctl -b
   

Look for any errors related to NVIDIA or the GPU.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to identify and resolve most NVIDIA-related boot issues on Ubuntu. If you continue to experience problems, consider seeking help from the Ubuntu or NVIDIA communities, providing them with detailed logs and descriptions of the issue.