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I just went through the process of getting NVIDIA drivers working on my brother's dual-boot Ubuntu. Here's the issues we hit: 1. You don't don't get drivers ou

I just went through the process of getting NVIDIA drivers working on my brother's dual-boot Ubuntu. Here's the issues we hit: 1. You don't don't get drivers out of the box. The NVIDIA driver is non-free, so Ubuntu's (and other Linux distros') hands are tied here: they're not permitted to distribute it. Getting it is relatively easy (check a box, install a package), but you need to know that you need it, and then figure out how to get it. 2. (For laptops) You need to install optimus/primus/bumblebee, s.t. the system isn't using the integrated GPU. This is another package that you need to know you need, and install. Ubuntu here is particularly bad: it apparently installs the drivers in the wrong spot, so even with everything correctly installed, you have to find a config in /etc, edit it to what a couple of comment on a GitHub issue that you found after Googling the error indicate. (Other distros, in particular Arch, do not have this issue.) 3. (For laptops) You need to configure the game in Steam to take advantage of primusrun. Steam does not do this automatically.

wtracy 8y ago
Last time I checked, both AMD and Nvidia expect you to download manufacturer drivers for Windows. I'm willing to jump through similar hoops for Linux. (Incidentally, when someone complains about how hard it is to install Linux, that person has usually never tried installing Windows without using the OEM disc from the manufacturer. Take that away, and Windows becomes a lot harder.) Linux support for Optimus and friends is abysmal, I agree. When I say good things about Nvidia's Linux support, I am referring to their discrete desktop and workstation cards.
- jenscow 8y ago
  Recently I tried to install Windows on some HP Elitebook, a few weeks back. It didn't have drivers for the graphics card, nor both network interfaces (and several other internal devices). How am I supposed to download the network drivers without a working NIC?? (same machine, like many others, have no troubles with Ubuntu, out-the-box) It was only so my wife (honest) could play The Sims 4. Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of the WINE developers, it runs flawlessly on Linux (small amount of trickery required for Origin).
  - Evidlo 8y ago
    USB tethering long enough to download drivers has been a reliable way for me to get around this problem.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

wtracy 8y ago

Last time I checked, both AMD and Nvidia expect you to download manufacturer drivers for Windows. I'm willing to jump through similar hoops for Linux. (Incidentally, when someone complains about how hard it is to install Linux, that person has usually never tried installing Windows without using the OEM disc from the manufacturer. Take that away, and Windows becomes a lot harder.) Linux support for Optimus and friends is abysmal, I agree. When I say good things about Nvidia's Linux support, I am referring to their discrete desktop and workstation cards.

jenscow 8y ago
Recently I tried to install Windows on some HP Elitebook, a few weeks back. It didn't have drivers for the graphics card, nor both network interfaces (and several other internal devices). How am I supposed to download the network drivers without a working NIC?? (same machine, like many others, have no troubles with Ubuntu, out-the-box) It was only so my wife (honest) could play The Sims 4. Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of the WINE developers, it runs flawlessly on Linux (small amount of trickery required for Origin).
- Evidlo 8y ago
  USB tethering long enough to download drivers has been a reliable way for me to get around this problem.
deleted 8y ago
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