Have I done the right thing downgrading to LM 21.3?

[miiklbee]

I've been happily using Linux Mint since 17.3 - so for about a decade. Six months ago I followed the upgrade path to 22.1, but it failed, so I booted LMDE6 from a USB stick I had used on another PC. It seemed to work fine, so I installed it. Later I realised that the video was slower than it had been. I started reading about Wayland and Nouveau drivers. I learned that my video card - NVIDIA Geforce GT710 - is considered legacy, but when I tried to replace it, I found it is one of the few small form factor video cards still on sale, so it is not really legacy. More modern cards will not physically fit under the cpu fan on my motherboard (ASUS Prime A-320M), nor can I find a new integrated graphics cpu that is compatible with the motherboard. I thought maybe the Nouveau developers might loop back to improve their driver's performance for these 'legacy' cards, so I just stopped using Steam on this PC.
A couple of days ago, after a month away from the PC, I let LMDE6 install all its accumulated updates. After the reboot update manager demanded, my second screen stayed blank. The main screen reverted to a distorted low-resolution VGA-style display. I couldn't change anything in display settings. The logs recognised the NVIDIA card for hdmi audio, but not video. I stuck my trusty LMDE6 stick in a USB slot and rebooted. Up came both screens at the correct resolution, proving it wasn't the card. It was the software update. I did some more reading on the forums, but couldn't see any howls of outrage that might generate a fix being rolled out, just several recommendations to go back to 21.3 to use the legacy NVIDIA drivers - until April 2027. I decided to do this rather than roll back the latest updates, because I had not identified precisely which updates had broken my video. I would have had to remain eternally vigilant to exclude such updates in the future.
I've posted this here to ask what others think of this situation. Should I have reported it as bug and waited for a fix? Does anyone else feel that the Linux Community is walking away from its much vaunted reputation for supporting old hardware?

[PurpleSmurf2]

It sounds like you've been navigating quite a challenging situation with your Linux setup, and it's understandable to feel frustrated, especially after being a long-time user of Linux Mint. First off, it's commendable that you’ve taken the time to investigate the issues with your NVIDIA card and the recent updates. Your experience highlights a couple of important points regarding the Linux ecosystem, particularly concerning legacy hardware support.

Regarding your question about whether you should have reported the bug: yes, reporting bugs is always a good practice. It helps developers identify issues that may not be apparent in testing and can lead to fixes that benefit everyone using that hardware. The Linux community thrives on collaboration, and your input could be valuable in addressing similar problems for others.

As for concerns about the Linux community's focus, you're not alone in feeling that some developers seem to prioritize cosmetic changes over functionality. While aesthetic improvements can enhance user experience, they shouldn't come at the expense of performance and compatibility, especially for users relying on older hardware. Many users, like yourself, prefer stability and performance over flashy new features.

If you decide to revert to LM 21.3 for stability, it's a valid choice, especially if it ensures a better experience for your use case.

[miiklbee]

Thanks for your response. I'm afraid I blew away the old system including the logs when I downgraded, so I don't have any data on the bug. Maybe someone else will encounter the problem and persist with trying to get it fixed in LMDE.

[timfeierabend]

If you can reliably re-create the issue and can narrow it down to some updates, report the issue - it will help make the maintainers aware and they might be able to help you work around this issue. Timeshift might be useful in this endeavor.

Absolutely nothing wrong with going back to LM 21.3. April 2027 is still over 2 years away. A lot can happen in the technology space between now and then. Whatever issue your hardware combination and the Nouveau drivers may get resolved by then.

In the meantime, you can keep using the legacy proprietary drivers and periodically check to see if the Nouveau issue is fixed. I don't think there is any hardware that will be supported forever, so keep your eyes out for a newer low profile card that'll fit your PC. Sapphire has a low profile RX 6400 you can still find, and I saw some low profile RTX 3050 and 4060 cards as well. If you're going to choose nVidia again, get a RTX 20 series or newer - they are developing a newer driver model that plays better with Linux.

[miiklbee]

Thanks very much for the reference to the Sapphire RX 6400. It looks like it will fit, though RX 6400s from other vendors won't. As you say though, a lot can happen in 2 years. I'm tossing up whether to buy it, or just leave this now working PC as is, and look to upgrade the whole machine before the 21.3 support window runs out. While I agree that no hardware can be supported forever, my concern with the GT 710 is that it shouldn't be considered "legacy" because it is still being manufactured and sold new, so it should be supported by the Wayland Nouveau drivers.