I'm trying to install Linux on a computer with an NVIDIA RTX 5070, but the installer or first boot gives me a black screen. I don't have an Ethernet connection available either, so getting drivers after installation may be difficult. I've already tried Bazzite, Fedora, and Kubuntu without success. Which distribution or installation method would give me the best chance of booting, and how should I handle the NVIDIA drivers offline?
3 Answers
Reinstall one of the distributions using the basic or non-NVIDIA graphics option rather than enabling proprietary drivers during installation. After the system boots, you can install the correct driver package. Since you don’t have Ethernet, download the packages and any required dependencies from another computer and transfer them by USB, or temporarily use USB phone tethering.
A black screen this early usually points to graphics initialization rather than the desktop environment itself. Try the installer’s safe graphics mode and add the NVIDIA compatibility boot option if it offers one. Once installed, make sure the driver version is new enough for the RTX 5070; older installation media may not include suitable support.
NVIDIA cards can require a few extra setup steps, especially newer models. Try booting the installer with its safe graphics option, or select the open-source driver option if the installer provides one. Once you can reach the desktop, install the proprietary NVIDIA driver manually. Also check whether Secure Boot is enabled, since it can prevent the driver from loading on some distributions.
That’s worth checking with all three installers. If the live environment works only in safe graphics mode, install normally from there first and deal with the NVIDIA driver after the first successful boot.