Installing nVIdia Display driver on Debian Based systems

This is the way to install the official nVidia Linux Driver on Debian Based systems, Including Ubunt Linux and all its Variants. The driver is needed if you want to have the full Hardware acceleration for 2D and 3D, and is essential if you want to use Compiz-Beryl.

1. Getting the proper Driver from nVidia
Get the official Linux driver for your nvidia card from here
and save it to a folder ex inside your user's home folder
the downloaded file looks something like this NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.09-pkg1.run

2. now you have to go to a Run level where you can shut down the X server, logout from the user account if you are logged in, then press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to enter the run level 2, now you will be faced with a command prompt to login, use your normal user info to login to linux. then execute this command to shut down GDM (and the X server with it)

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop

you will be asked to enter your user password again because this is a command only the root account can perform, and sudo command gives temporary root capability to a normal user

if successful you will end up back in the command prompt

3. Now to give the nVidia driver package the full read write Access type in this command.

sudo chmod 666 NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.09-pkg1.run

4. Now to install the driver Type in this command

sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.09-pkg1.run

now follow the instructions of the nVidia installer, let it compile the kernel for you and youll be finished in a few seconds

5. now that all is done lets restart the X server and GDM type

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start

now you will be greeted with the nVidia logo as it loads, you have to restart the X again by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Backspace

you are all done, To change the setting of your driver please use the tool nvida has provided, it can be located in the applications menu usualy. you have to run it as root to be able to save any changes to the xconfig file.