Ubuntu 16.04: Which Nvidia graphics drivers to use (not nouveau)?

[mrjayviper]

So I want to install the proprietary drivers for my GTX770 and I found conflicting information.

I found this (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/Nvidia#Ubuntu_14.04_and_up) official Ubuntu page and it seems to me it uses Nvidia drivers that are provided by Ubuntu. I'm guessing I don't need to add additional entry on my repository list to access this.

But I also found this PPA (https://launchpad.net/~graphics-drivers). Multiple internet guides suggests this 3rd-party repository for Nvidia drivers.

So which one to use?

Also Is there some sort of alias to install the latest so I don't have to know which version number to use?

example:

use

sudo apt-get install nvidia-latest

instead of

sudo apt-get install nvidia-375

I tried:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-current

and it wants to install version 30x which I know is definitely not the latest.

Thanks for the help.

 

[ChadD]

The ubuntu distro uses slightly older drivers that in theory may be a bit more stable... or at least tested longer.

The Ubuntu PPA you listed is official if you want to install the latest nvidia drivers.

nvidia-current should have worked and for your card I believe installed 384.69

If you scroll through https://launchpad.net/~graphics-drivers/+archive/ubuntu/ppa in your webbrowser you can see the newest line is 384

sudo apt-get install nvidia-384 should work fine.

 

[BulletDust]

I've never used the commands:

sudo apt install nvidia-current, or
sudo apt install nvidia-latest.

In that instance you'd be totally at the mercy of the management of the repository and what they class as 'current' or 'latest'.

I always enter sudo apt install nvidia-3xx.xx (obviously substituting the values of the driver you require, ie: 384.69) and I've never had an issue. Don't forget to:

sudo apt install nvidia-settings.

As ChadD said, you can actually go to the repo using your browser and scroll through the packages provided.

 

[tbg]

I like to install the nvidia cuda installer, the deb (network) installer. this adds some extra driver versions not in the default ubuntu repo.