Where can I see current driver after manually compiling older nvidia drivers

So after the latest update I had to manually compile Nvidia drivers to 430xx on the way written in the sticky post. However, if I now check mhwd -li it only shows me video-modesetting and in the hardware configuration tab in settings (using KDE) it only shows video-linux. How can I check it’s running on nvidia 430xx and not some default drivers?

Future more, updating my system is installing 455.45.01 packages again. Considering my laptop doesn’t work on anything newer than 430xx I’m guessing it either doesn’t use the nvidia driver, or it still runs on the 430xx driver.

When I check what packages are installed I see the following. However, I’m not 100% sure which packages my system is actively using for the current driver and which are there for other reasons.

yay -Q | grep nvidia
lib32-nvidia-utils 455.45.01-3
lib32-opencl-nvidia 455.45.01-3
linux54-nvidia-430xx 430.64-88
mhwd-nvidia 455.45.01-3
mhwd-nvidia-340xx 340.108-1
mhwd-nvidia-390xx 390.138-1
nvidia-430xx-utils 430.64-3
opencl-nvidia 455.45.01-2

Is it this one: linux54-nvidia-430xx 430.64-88?

I need my videocard for some programming related work as well as that I use it for gaming, so I do want to make proper use of my videocard. Since the update I’ve been having some trouble with booting some games, but it might as well be an issue elsewhere. I would love to make sure it’s not a videocard thing tho. Hence, I would love to at least be sure it’s actually running on the nvidia drivers.

Hi @Cambionn,

Please provide the output of

mhwd -li

as well as the output for

inxi -G
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Like I said, mhwd -li only returns video-modesetting

> Installed PCI configs: 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  NAME               VERSION          FREEDRIVER           TYPE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     video-modesetting            2020.01.13                true            PCI


Warning: No installed USB configs!

inxi -G returns:

Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 630 driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: NVIDIA GP107M [GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile] driver: nvidia v: 430.64 
           Device-3: IMC Networks USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam type: USB driver: uvcvideo 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.10 driver: modesetting,nvidia resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: GeForce GTX 1050/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 430.64

I’m guessing that inxi one answers my question. Seems to be running on Nvidia 430.64?
I guess that when needing to manually compile an older driver after the newest update, we can’t use mhwd or the GUI in settings anymore?

Well, it seems you’re mhwd is having the same, or nearly the same, problem I had. The drriver seems to be installes correctly, according to inxi:

Try running:

mhwd -i video-nvidia

(I’m not sure what it does, but I think it enables the use of the driver in the kernel.)

Edit:
OR no. Just saw the version of the driver. My mistake. You’ll have to follow this guide for that driver.

That’s the way it seems to me. I don’t know yet, either, but that’s what it seems like to me.

OR no. Just saw the version of the driver. My mistake. You’ll have to follow this guide for that driver.

That guide is for 340xx, I’m using 430xx.
Otherwise, it’s pretty much how I installed 430xx in the first place (like I said, I used the info in the sticky about nvidia drivers on top of the forum, if you scroll to the bottom there is a peace where it says “Other 4YYxx drivers (example for linux54)”).

However, it doesn’t show up in mhwd nor the settings GUI this way, which is what’s confusing me. Does it mean I can no longer rely on mhwd and the GUI, and need to look at inxi in order to see my currently running driver, or is something else going on? I hope anyone can confirm.

Quick side note, I think mhwd -i video-nvidia just installs the newest theoretically compatible nvidia proprietary driver. However, theoretically 455 should be compatible to my card so it wants to install that, but practically anything above 430xx results in the system freezing at TCP startup/shutdown :upside_down_face:.

I just noticed my mistake, apologies about that.

I think, perhaps, it is using the drivers, the same as mine was. (And I use 455xx, I think.)

I don’t know about your restart situation, or the possible reason or anything like that. I also don’t know about whether using mhwd is a possibility or not, but it sure looks as if you’re 100% correct.

I’m still wondering why you get problems when using the newer drivers. That’s really strange. Maybe someone else knows. Because I don’t have any problems, and my card is older than yours. :confused: :confused: :confused:

Hi, did you ever figure this out?

My issues? Yes! The newer drivers didn’t work because back when I installed my laptop for the first time years ago I had to use PRIME drivers for which I had to rewrite some xorg files and such. Starting 440xx, PRIME completely changed and it seems it crashed over my old setup.

However, I little while ago I needed a reinstall my OS and found out that the new drivers do work with the new default Manjaro installation settings, so using a PRIME setup is no longer needed. I’m on the latest driver now with the main Nvidia driver package.

As for mhwd becoming seemingly useless, I don’t know for sure. But as said earlier, it seems so.

Thanks for the reply @Cambionn, sorry Manjaro didn’t notify me that you replied so I just happened to notice this by chance…

I have a similar issue to yours. Was using 430xx, then after the nvidia issues with Manjaro everything broke and I had to switch to video-linux. I have been thinking about following the guide to manually install, but concerned it’s going to make things worse, as is usually the case when I start messing with video drivers. re-installing is not an option for me as this is a remote computer.

My main concern was this:

If I do manually install the drivers, I want to make sure they are properly installed before I reboot since I don’t have physical access in case something goes wrong.

Thanks again bud!

I have a similar issue to yours.

Are you running on a PRIME setup? Otherwise, I feel it might be a different issue with similar symptoms as my old PRIME setup seemed the cause of the issue for me.

How can I check it’s running on nvidia 430xx and not some default drivers?

This can be done with inxi -G, but it won’t be running until the reboot, so it won’t be visible until then. MHWD seems to be rather useless after manually compiling older drivers.

If I do manually install the drivers, I want to make sure they are properly installed before I reboot since I don’t have physical access in case something goes wrong.

Aside of checking packages and config files and such I don’t know what else you could check without actually rebooting to run the new drivers.

There was a tutorial pinned at top of the forum when the drivers just changed that told you how to manually compile drivers newer than the dropped legacy ones but older than the newest, like the 430xx drivers. Worked like a charm. But I can’t find it back so quickly anymore and the pinned message is removed. I did copy-paste it when I was struggling with it myself tho, it’s in the solution here: Update broke nvidia, can't boot

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Excellent information Thank you @Cambionn

I don’t have PRIME but the listing of the drivers should be the same and that’s what I was concerned about.

Also, thanks for reposting that driver update instructions. I had a hard time searching for that too the other day.

However, it doesn’t show up in mhwd nor the settings GUI this way, which is what’s confusing me.

Because mhwd nvidia profiles for cards that need the dropped drivers have been removed. Use pacman for install and removal of the nvidia packages (3 for me; dkms, utils and lib32) instead. That’s why mhwd -li on those old cards won’t even show a fully working nvidia driver anymore. Use inxi -G to check what driver is used.

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