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How to Check if NVIDIA Drivers Are Installed and Working on Linux (Pop!_OS, Ubuntu)

#linux #ubuntu #popos

If you're seeing black windows, sluggish performance, or relying on CPU rendering, your system might be using the open-source nouveau driver instead of the proprietary NVIDIA driver. This guide will help you confirm your GPU driver setup and properly install NVIDIA's official drivers — especially on distributions like Pop!_OS that use systemd-boot instead of GRUB.

🔍 Step 1: Check What GPU You Have

Open a terminal and run:

lspci -nnk | grep -A3 -E 'VGA|3D'
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Look for something like:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation TU117 [GeForce GTX 1650] (rev a1) Kernel driver in use: nouveau Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidiafb
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If it says Kernel driver in use: nouveau, you're not using the proprietary NVIDIA driver.

⚠️ Signs That You're Not Using the NVIDIA Driver

  • Kernel driver in use says nouveau or nothing at all
  • Your app window is black or glitchy (especially under Wayland)
  • 3D apps are sluggish or crash
  • glxinfo reports llvmpipe or software rendering

✅ Step 2: Check What Driver Is Running

Install GPU utilities if needed:

sudo apt install mesa-utils pciutils
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Then run:

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"
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If it says something like:

OpenGL renderer string: llvmpipe (LLVM x.y)
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You're using software rendering = bad.

If it says:

OpenGL renderer string: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650/PCIe/SSE2
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You're using the proprietary driver = good.

Also check which kernel modules are loaded:

lsmod | grep nvidia
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You should see something like:

nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia_uvm nvidia
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🧰 Step 3: Install the Proprietary NVIDIA Driver

On Pop!_OS or Ubuntu, install the driver like this:

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-535
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(Replace 535 with the version that matches your GPU if needed.)

Then reboot:

sudo reboot
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🛠️ Step 4: Set Boot Parameters (Pop!_OS Only)

Pop!_OS uses systemd-boot, not GRUB. You must set nvidia-drm.modeset=1 for Wayland support.

Edit the kernel stub config:

sudo nano /etc/kernelstub/configuration
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Find the kernel_options line and add the mode setting:

"kernel_options": [ "quiet", "splash", "nvidia_drm.modeset=1" ],
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Then apply the config:

sudo kernelstub
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Reboot again:

sudo reboot
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✅ Step 5: Confirm Everything Is Working

Re-run:

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer" lsmod | grep nvidia
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If all looks good, you're now running the proprietary NVIDIA driver with hardware acceleration!

🧯 Troubleshooting

❓ Still Seeing llvmpipe?

  • Check for Secure Boot in your BIOS — it must be disabled
  • Reinstall the driver with: 
sudo apt purge nvidia* sudo apt install nvidia-driver-535
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❓ Still Using nouveau?

  • Remove it: 
sudo apt purge xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
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Then reboot and reinstall the NVIDIA driver.

🧼 Final Tip

You can verify driver status visually with:

nvidia-smi
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If it returns a table showing your GPU and processes using it, you're good to go.

Happy computing! If you’re still seeing black windows or using WebKit apps, try removing the WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 workaround — now that GPU compositing should work.

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