How to install CUDA on Debian 8 (Jessie)

This document describes how to install nvidia drivers & CUDA in one go on a fresh debian install.

Work in progress

Preparations

Start with a fresh Debian install.
Download the CUDA driver with the following specifications:

Parameter Type

Operating system Linux

Architecture x86_64

Distribution Ubuntu

Version 14.04

Installer type runfile (local)

The full link to this version as of the time this document was created:
http://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/7.5/Prod/local_installers/cuda_7.5.18_linux.run

Parameter	Type
Operating system	Linux
Architecture	x86_64
Distribution	Ubuntu
Version	14.04
Installer type	runfile (local)

Change file permission of the installation file:

cd /home/john/Downloads/
chmod a+x ./cuda_*.run

Get necessary packages:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dkms build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Install 32 bit support:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install lib32z1 lib32ncurses5

Blacklist the nouveau driver:

sudo mousepad /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf

Copy the following line into the document:

blacklist nouveau
blacklist lbm-nouveau
options nouveau modeset=0
alias nouveau off
alias lbm-nouveau off

Now reboot the system. If the nouveau was successfully disabled, the screen resolution should be lower.

Install the following packages:

sudo apt-get install gcc g++ gcc-4.8 g++-4.8 gcc-4.9 g++-4.9 libxi6 libxi-dev libglu1-mesa libglu1-mesa-dev libxmu6 linux-headers-amd64 linux-source freeglut3-dev

Install the nvidia driver & cuda

Reboot again, start system in init 3. How to boot into init 3: When in starting screen press e to edit start commands, find relevant installation (quiet), add init 3
Log in as normal user, and activate su:
```
su
```
Navigate to downloads folder (or where ever you put the installer), run cuda installer:
```
cd /home/john/Downloads
sh ./cuda_7.5.18_linux.run
```
Follow the installer menu. You will be asked several questions:

Terms and condition? --> accept (If you feel like it...)
Unsupported version, proceed? --> yes
Install driver? --> yes
Install OpenGL? --> yes
Run nvidia-xconfig? --> 'yes' (This option is new in CUDA 8.0, not sure about the consequences.)
Install CUDA toolkit? --> yes
CUDA location? ---> /home/john/cuda-7.5
Create symbolic link at /usr/local? --> yes
Install samples? --> yes
CUDA samples location? --> /home/john/cuda-7.5_samples
Restart the system.
```
sudo reboot
```
This should start up successfully with GUI enabled (at native monitor resolution).

Add path exports to your .bashrc:

sudo gedit /home/john/.bashrc

Add the following lines:

# Manually added by john to enable CUDA:
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/home/john/cuda-7.5/lib64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export LIBRARY_PATH=/home/john/cuda-7.5/lib64:$LIBRARY_PATH
export PATH=/home/john/cuda-7.5/bin:$PATH

Change permissions of cuda folders:

sudo chown -R john /home/john/cuda-7.5
sudo chgrp -R john /home/john/cuda-7.5
sudo chown -R john /home/john/cuda-7.5_samples
sudo chgrp -R john /home/john/cuda-7.5_samples

Check the result

Check whether the samples that do not require graphics ouput are working

Navigate to cuda samples location (as specified during installation):
```
cd /home/john/cuda-7.5_samples/0_Simple/simplePrintf
```
Generate executable:
```
make
```
An executable should have been created. Run it:
```
./simplePrintf
```

For samples that do require graphics ouput, the library paths need to be fixed.

Naviagte to a sample that does require graphics output, e.g.:
```
cd /home/john/cuda-7.5_samples/5_Simulations/nbody
```

Locate the libary files by running:

locate libGL.so
locate libGLU.so
locate libX11.so

Check which folder they are located in (e.g. /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu).

In the samples folder, open findgllib.mk:

gedit /home/john/cuda-7.5_samples/5_Simulations/nbody/findgllib.mk

Search for the following if-condition:

ifeq ("$(TARGET_OS)","linux")
    # $(info) >> findgllib.mk -> LINUX path <<<)
    # Each set of Linux Distros have different paths for where to find their OpenGL libraries reside
    UBUNTU_PKG_NAME = "nvidia-352"
    UBUNTU = $(shell echo $(DISTRO) | grep -i ubuntu >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $$?)
    ...

and replace it with the following code:

ifeq ("$(TARGET_OS)","linux")
    GLPATH    ?= /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
    GLLINK    ?= -L/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
    DFLT_PATH ?= /usr/lib64

Generate executable:
```
make
```
An executable should have been created. Run it:
```
./nbody
```

References:

http://www.allaboutlinux.eu/remove-nouveau-and-install-nvidia-driver-in-debian-8/2/
https://andrewbolster.info/2016/04/fixcuda-on-debian-jessie
http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/218163/how-to-install-cuda-toolkit-7-x-or-8-on-debian-8-jessie-or-9-stretch

ingo-m/debian_install_cuda.md