Gnome-Shell Xorg Issue with NVIDIA GT730 on Ubuntu 23.10

Gnome-Shell Xorg Not Visible with NVIDIA-SMI Processes on Ubuntu 23.10 with Legacy GT730

Abstract: Users of Ubuntu 23.10 with a legacy NVIDIA GT730 card report that the Gnome-Shell Xorg interface is not visible, despite NVIDIA-SMI processes running. This article provides a solution to the issue.

Created: 2024-01-16 by UserComp.com Editors

Gnome Shell Xorg Not Visible: NVIDIA-SMI Processes in Ubuntu 23.10 with Legacy GT730

If you have installed Ubuntu 23.10 with a legacy NVIDIA GT730 graphics card and encountered a black screen upon startup, you are not alone. This issue is often caused by the fact that Gnome Shell is not able to start using the Xorg server, and the NVIDIA-SMI processes are not visible. In this article, we will discuss the causes of this issue and provide a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and resolve it.

Understanding the Issue

The issue arises due to the fact that Ubuntu 23.10 uses Wayland as the default display server instead of Xorg. However, the NVIDIA legacy drivers do not support Wayland, and this results in the black screen upon startup. To resolve this issue, we need to switch back to the Xorg server and ensure that the NVIDIA-SMI processes are visible.

Checking the Display Server

To check the display server that is currently being used, press Ctrl + Alt + F1 to switch to the command line interface. Log in using your credentials and run the following command:

echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

If the output is wayland, then we need to switch to the Xorg server.

Switching to Xorg Server

To switch to the Xorg server, run the following command:

sudo apt install xorg

Once the installation is complete, reboot the system and press Ctrl + Alt + F1 to switch to the command line interface. Log in using your credentials and run the following command:

sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

This will open the GDM configuration file in the Nano text editor. Find the following line:

#WaylandEnable=false

Uncomment it by removing the # symbol and change the value to false as follows:

WaylandEnable=false

Save and close the file by pressing Ctrl + X, followed by Y and Enter. Restart the system and check if the issue is resolved.

Checking NVIDIA-SMI Processes

To check if the NVIDIA-SMI processes are visible, run the following command:

nvidia-smi

If the output shows the NVIDIA-SMI version and the GPU utilization, then the issue is resolved. However, if the output is empty or shows an error, then we need to install the NVIDIA legacy drivers.

Installing NVIDIA Legacy Drivers

To install the NVIDIA legacy drivers, run the following command:

sudo apt install nvidia-legacy-390xx-driver

Once the installation is complete, reboot the system and check if the issue is resolved.

Ubuntu 23.10 uses Wayland as the default display server, but the NVIDIA legacy drivers do not support Wayland.
To resolve the issue, we need to switch to the Xorg server and ensure that the NVIDIA-SMI processes are visible.
To switch to the Xorg server, run the command sudo apt install xorg and uncomment the line WaylandEnable=false in the GDM configuration file.
To check if the NVIDIA-SMI processes are visible, run the command nvidia-smi.
To install the NVIDIA legacy drivers, run the command sudo apt install nvidia-legacy-390xx-driver.

References

Tags: Ubuntu NVIDIA Gnome-Shell Xorg GT730

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