LMT#1 - Using Driver Manager To Update Nvidia Driver

Linux Mint Tips #1: Using Driver Manager To Update Your Nvidia Driver

This is the first in a series of posts I'll be making about my journey switching over to Linux Mint from Windows. As I pick up tips and tricks, be they sublime or mundane, I'll be posting them here. I'll do my best to go back and edit posts that contain any erroneous information, but just beware that even though I've been tinkering with Linux off and on for years, this is my first serious foray into completely abandoning Windows. As such, there are a number of items in this series that are things that I'm doing in Linux for the first time, such as games, TV tuning, and more.

I wrote this tutorial running the MATE desktop environment in Mint 16.

As this new machine that I built is going to be primarily used for games, the first thing I wanted to find out was how to update my driver to the latest version manually. Though I haven't figured that out yet, what I have figured out how to do is install a newer version than what comes bundled in Mint by default.

Note: This fix resolves the problem with Steam for Linux where it reports that "OpenGL GLX context is not using direct rendering, which may cause performance problems".

Here's how to use Driver Manager:
Click on Menu, and type driver manager in the search box, then hit enter.
    or
Click on Menu, click on Control Center, scroll down to the Other section, click on Driver Manager.

Once you've provided your password, Driver Manager will start. Click on the radio button next to the recommended driver and then click the Apply Changes button.

Driver Manager in action on Mint 16

After it completes installing, click the x to close.

That's it. Kudos to the Linux Mint folks for making this a painless process.