Can't downgrade Nvidia drivers from 580 to 550?

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1

Okay, so a while ago I updated my system, and apparently my GPU drivers, too. I learned this when a bunch of issues started happening, most annoyingly screen sharing stopped working, Firefox has missing glyphs sometimes, Blender freezes, and random apps crash sometimes. I wanted to downgrade, so I uninstalled the 580 drivers and reinstalled the 550 ones, but each time I do that apt just reinstalls the 580 ones. It’s incredibly infuriating.

da-avy-girl@AronDaFemboyPC:~$ sudo apt remove nvidia-driver-580 [sudo] password for da-avy-girl: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done Starting pkgProblemResolver with broken count: 1 Starting 2 pkgProblemResolver with broken count: 1 Investigating (0) nvidia-driver-550:amd64 < 550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2 @ii mK Ib > Broken nvidia-driver-550:amd64 Depends on nvidia-driver-580:amd64 < 580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2 @ii pmR > Considering nvidia-driver-580:amd64 10001 as a solution to nvidia-driver-550:amd64 0 Removing nvidia-driver-550:amd64 rather than change nvidia-driver-580:amd64 Done The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required: libdrm-radeon1:i386 libgl1-amber-dri libglapi-amber libllvm19 libllvm19:i386 libluajit-5.1-2 libluajit-5.1-common libmbedtls14t64 libmbedx509-1t64 libnvidia-cfg1-550 libnvidia-cfg1-580 libnvidia-common-550 libnvidia-common-580 libnvidia-compute-550 libnvidia-compute-550:i386 libnvidia-decode-550 libnvidia-decode-550:i386 libnvidia-decode-580 libnvidia-decode-580:i386 libnvidia-egl-wayland1 libnvidia-egl-wayland1:i386 libnvidia-encode-550 libnvidia-encode-550:i386 libnvidia-encode-580 libnvidia-encode-580:i386 libnvidia-extra-550 libnvidia-extra-580 libnvidia-fbc1-550 libnvidia-fbc1-550:i386 libnvidia-fbc1-580 libnvidia-fbc1-580:i386 libnvidia-gl-550 libnvidia-gl-550:i386 libnvidia-gl-580 libnvidia-gl-580:i386 libobs0t64 libokular6core1 libqrcodegencpp1 libqt6network6t64 libqt6svg6 libqt6widgets6t64 libqt6xml6t64 libsrt1.5-openssl linux-headers-6.14.0-29-generic linux-hwe-6.11-tools-6.11.0-29 linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-24 linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-28 linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-29 linux-hwe-6.14-tools-6.14.0-24 linux-hwe-6.14-tools-6.14.0-28 linux-hwe-6.14-tools-6.14.0-29 linux-image-6.14.0-29-generic linux-modules-6.14.0-29-generic linux-modules-extra-6.14.0-29-generic linux-tools-6.14.0-29-generic nvidia-compute-utils-550 nvidia-compute-utils-580 nvidia-dkms-550 nvidia-dkms-580 nvidia-firmware-550-550.163.01 nvidia-firmware-570-570.172.08 nvidia-firmware-580-580.95.05 nvidia-kernel-common-550 nvidia-kernel-common-580 nvidia-kernel-source-550 nvidia-kernel-source-580 nvidia-prime nvidia-settings nvidia-utils-550 nvidia-utils-580 obs-plugins scrcpy-server screen-resolution-extra xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-550 xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-580 xwaylandvideobridge Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them. The following packages will be REMOVED: nvidia-driver-550 nvidia-driver-580 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 11 not upgraded. After this operation, 1,502 kB disk space will be freed. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y (Reading database ... 457420 files and directories currently installed.) Removing nvidia-driver-550 (550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2) ... Removing nvidia-driver-580 (580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2) ... da-avy-girl@AronDaFemboyPC:~$ sudo apt install nvidia-driver-550 Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done Starting pkgProblemResolver with broken count: 0 Starting 2 pkgProblemResolver with broken count: 0 Done The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required: libdrm-radeon1:i386 libgl1-amber-dri libglapi-amber libllvm19 libllvm19:i386 libluajit-5.1-2 libluajit-5.1-common libmbedtls14t64 libmbedx509-1t64 libnvidia-cfg1-550 libnvidia-common-550 libnvidia-compute-550 libnvidia-compute-550:i386 libnvidia-decode-550 libnvidia-decode-550:i386 libnvidia-encode-550 libnvidia-encode-550:i386 libnvidia-extra-550 libnvidia-fbc1-550 libnvidia-fbc1-550:i386 libnvidia-gl-550 libnvidia-gl-550:i386 libobs0t64 libokular6core1 libqrcodegencpp1 libqt6network6t64 libqt6svg6 libqt6widgets6t64 libqt6xml6t64 libsrt1.5-openssl linux-headers-6.14.0-29-generic linux-hwe-6.11-tools-6.11.0-29 linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-24 linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-28 linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-29 linux-hwe-6.14-tools-6.14.0-24 linux-hwe-6.14-tools-6.14.0-28 linux-hwe-6.14-tools-6.14.0-29 linux-image-6.14.0-29-generic linux-modules-6.14.0-29-generic linux-modules-extra-6.14.0-29-generic linux-tools-6.14.0-29-generic nvidia-compute-utils-550 nvidia-dkms-550 nvidia-firmware-550-550.163.01 nvidia-firmware-570-570.172.08 nvidia-kernel-common-550 nvidia-kernel-source-550 nvidia-utils-550 obs-plugins scrcpy-server xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-550 xwaylandvideobridge Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them. The following additional packages will be installed: nvidia-driver-580 The following NEW packages will be installed: nvidia-driver-550 nvidia-driver-580 0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 11 not upgraded. Need to get 519 kB of archives. After this operation, 1,502 kB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu` noble-security/restricted amd64 nvidia-driver-580 amd64 580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2 [507 kB] Get:2 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security/restricted amd64 nvidia-driver-550 amd64 550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2 [11.1 kB] Fetched 519 kB in 1s (367 kB/s) Selecting previously unselected package nvidia-driver-580. (Reading database … 457346 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack …/nvidia-driver-580_580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2_amd64.deb … Unpacking nvidia-driver-580 (580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2) … Selecting previously unselected package nvidia-driver-550. Preparing to unpack …/nvidia-driver-550_550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2_amd64.deb … Unpacking nvidia-driver-550 (550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2) … Setting up nvidia-driver-580 (580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2) … Setting up nvidia-driver-550 (550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2) … da-avy-girl@AronDaFemboyPC:~$`

2

This is normal Ubuntu behavior. At some point after Nvidia stops supporting a driver version, like the short-lived 550, they usually turn the old version’s package onto a “transitional” package that points to the more current one.

You can downgrade to 570 or 535, for example, as these are still supported.

3

550 is the officially supported driver for your card. You are having this issue because you are not fully removing 580 with that command. Open a term and do this:

sudo apt remove --purge ‘^nvidia-.\*’

Then reboot. It should automatically reconfigure Nouveau. Login then open a term and type:

sudo apt clean
then
sudo apt autoremove

this will clear the download cache, and remove all the old modules and kernel headers that are no longer in use by the system. Reboot again then type

sudo ubuntu-drivers install nvidia–driver-550

Reboot.

If you have problems recovering from sleep then do the following:

sudo systemctl enable nvidia-suspend.service

followed by:

sudo systemctl enable nvidia-hibernate.service

then type

sudo systemctl enable nvidia-resume.service

Now tell the kernel you want to change a parameter:

kate /lib/modprobe.d/systemd.conf

At the end of the file make a comment:

#Nvidia memory mod for sleep/resume

Then below that add:

options nvidia NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1

Save the file in Kate. It will prompt you for the password as its a root system file.

Now you need to tell the kernel you made the changes:

sudo update-initramfs -k all -u

Reboot.

4

Take a look at the dependencies for nvidia-driver-550 and other related packages. All depend on the 580 driver.

The package changelog and this launchpad page also note in this, as well as Ubuntu docs.

5

The first two links are for ARM. The changelog only mentions a transitional package. The launchpad page does not mention Nvidia 580 at all nor do the ubuntu docs. :wink:

The instructions posted have worked for me up until maybe a month ago when I did it last. I suggest he give them a try first.

6

Arrgh, links fixed. Apologies!

No, they are not for Arm, they list file links for both amd64 and arm64.

What do you think a transitional package from 550 to 580 package does?
Also note the date. This is the creation date, not the date it was pushed to the main archive.

Also, just use Apt or Synaptic to check the package dependencies.
(use apt show -a to see previous package versions, for dependency comparisons)

$ apt show xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-550
Package: xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-550
Version: 550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2
Priority: optional
Section: restricted/x11
Source: nvidia-graphics-drivers-550
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Core Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 32.8 kB
Depends: xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-580   <----------------------
Homepage: http://www.nvidia.com
Download-Size: 11.1 kB
APT-Sources: http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security/restricted amd64 Packages
Description: NVIDIA binary Xorg driver

$ apt show nvidia-driver-550
Package: nvidia-driver-550
Version: 550.163.01-0ubuntu0.24.04.2
Priority: optional
Section: restricted/libs
Source: nvidia-graphics-drivers-550
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Core Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 32.8 kB
Depends: nvidia-driver-580  <------------------------------------
Homepage: http://www.nvidia.com
Download-Size: 11.1 kB
APT-Sources: http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security/restricted amd64 Packages

No matter what you do, installing a package called something-nvidia-550-something will install 580, as of the past few weeks to a month or so.

7

You are correct. My apologies. Hard to keep up sometimes.

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8

Yes, it is. And the actual documentation is always lacking everywhere :frowning:

I was sure I was seeing things when I noted the deps. :confused:

9

Well, that’s the thing, 570 just gives me a black screen and 535 is just completely broken in other ways.

I need the 550 version.

10

I suggest you do the purge I posted and retry the 550 driver then the 580 driver. 580 is the first driver to work for me since 550. I still think your problem is left over garbage from previous attempts (Specifically CUDA). Just make sure you get to a working Nouveau driver first after the full purge (it should say LLVM pipe in Infocenter).

1 Like