Comment 267 for bug 131094

@LGB: To use nvidia in the latest kernel, I normally download the latest nvidia driver from either:

64 bit: ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/

32 bit: ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/

You want the file with the highest number (...pkg1.run or ...pkg2.run).

Then install it manually (instructions here are for the 195.30 beta driver, which works fine on my PC):

1. Remove any existing nvidia drivers, eg the restricted Ubuntu modules.

2. Either reboot into recovery mode; or get a tty console (eg CTRL-ATL-F1), log in, and do "sudo stop gdm" to kill X (make sure you save any data first!).

3. Install by executing the file you downloaded, eg "sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-195.30-pkg2.run". If 64 bit, tell it to install the 32 bit libraries as well or 32 bit games won't work. If you already have /etc/X11/xorg.conf set up for nvidia, there's no need to let the installer alter it.

4. Reboot.

An optional last step if it works fine is to install to dkms with (eg) "sudo sh installdkms.sh 195.30" (195.30 is the nvidia version in this example, and the script is attached). Then it recompiles the nvidia module automatically whenever you install a new kernel (and it will compile it for the stock 2.6.31 kernel, too).