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I have googled this question and arrived at no answer, so here I am.

If I am going to be running Ubuntu Server, (as before I was running 10.04 Desktop) is there any need to install the Nvidia drivers using, say, 'wget'? I ask this because I am unaware if the drivers only impact the GUI or do they allow for power saving features that the computer could benefit from?


Thanks and regards :)

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    You can use jockey-text to install the drivers, but if you don't enter graphical mode you'll see no benefit from them, power-saving or otherwise, so I suggest you not install them.
    – roadmr
    Mar 19, 2012 at 14:40

2 Answers 2

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You would have no need for nvidia drivers on a server, and the server version of the OS (so long as you are not using a graphical mode) will handle power well enough.

For your information as well, you do not install the drivers with wget, but rather with apt-get install.

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  • Brilliant, thanks for the information. No need to install them then. I wonder have I been installing my drivers from nvidia the hard way for ages now... Always used wget to get the script from the NVIDIA site then run sudo sh "NVIDIA.Whatever.sh" -------------- For example - wget http://uk.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/295.20/NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-295.20.run then sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-295.20.run Looks like that's something for another time. Thank you both for your help
    – user51237
    Mar 19, 2012 at 15:56
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    @bunnyDrug: all you have to do is run sudo apt-get install nvidia-current.
    – RolandiXor
    Mar 19, 2012 at 16:04
  • Much easier, will do that in future. Thanks again.
    – user51237
    Mar 19, 2012 at 16:07
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The only reason for nvidia-drivers is in my opinion the GPU-Accelerated computation of BOINC-Units like setiathome or einsteinathome etc. I have them running for this reason ONLY.

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  • I wonder with my current GPU (GT420) if it would out preform my CPU on such tasks. I will have to do some research. Then again I'm not sure if my demands for this server will include such things. Still, nice to know all possibilities!
    – user51237
    Mar 19, 2012 at 16:10

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