Well, I'm using Debian on my laptop, and getting the nvidia drivers working properly was a bit of a pain.

This script does it all.

sgfxi manual page :: Debian/Ubuntu/Arch install script for nvidia, fglrx, and xorg drivers

Script Features
Sgfxi currently supports ATI fglrx and Nvidia drivers. It also supports converting from or to xorg free drivers like ati, intel, or nv. Smxi uses sgfxi as its graphics driver installer engine, but simply adds some option support for users.

Sgfxi supports the following distros: Debian Stable, Debian Testing, Debian Sid. Current Ubuntu is supported. Arch Linux should also now be working. Not all features or options work for every distro, and Fglrx support tends to vary distro to distro and time to time.
It worked like a dream for my nvidia-based laptop running Debian. Marvelously simple.

To run it, all you do is
ctrl+alt+f1 to leave your Xwindows display
then run this command line:
Code:
cd /usr/local/bin && wget -Nc smxi.org/sgfxi && chmod +x sgfxi && sgfxi
and it does everything for you.