Can I install extra drivers via the command prompt?

Since I can't seem to open the Additional Drivers program? And how do I know what driver I need to install?

Solution 1:

For 14.04 and above

sudo ubuntu-drivers list

Will show all the driver packages which apply to your current system. You can then

sudo ubuntu-drivers install      # on modern Ubuntu, or
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall  # on older versions.

to install all the packages you need, or you can do:

sudo ubuntu-drivers devices

to show you which devices need drivers, and their corresponding package names.

Solution 2:

For 12.04 and below

The additional drivers program has a command line interface, jockey-text:

Use

jockey-text --list

to get a list of available drivers and their status, then use

# the init lines are required only for graphics drivers
sudo init 1
jockey-text --enable=DRIVER
sudo init 2

where DRIVER is the one you got from the list. For example:

jockey-text --enable=firmware:b43

To install the Broadcom B43 wireless driver.

For your graphics card, you will get a choice of the proprietary driver from the manufacturer and a free alternative. You have to either restart the display server (log out and back in) or restart the system entirely (recommended).