NVIDIA have announced some big changes are coming to their Linux drivers, which will start with the upcoming 560 series.
Writing in an update on the NVIDIA forum they said:
Starting in the release 560 series, it will be recommended to use the open flavor of NVIDIA Linux Kernel Modules wherever possible (Turing or later GPUs, or Ada or later when using GPU virtualization).
If installing from the .run file, installation will detect what GPUs are present and default to installing the open kernel modules if all NVIDIA GPUs in the system can be driven by the open kernel modules. Distribution-specific repackaging of the NVIDIA driver may require additional steps, specific to that packaging, to choose the open flavor.
In the release 560 series, it will still be possible to configure the .run file to install the proprietary flavor of kernel modules, with the
--kernel-module-type=proprietarycommand line option. However, in the future, some GPUs may only be supported with the open flavor.
We still have the 555 Beta to come this month which will bring Explicit Sync support. So this will be the update after that.
Interesting though to see NVIDIA move more and more towards open source. We've seen recently how the former Nouveau driver lead joined NVIDIA and sent a massive patch set, and then we had news that an NVIDIA developer contributed to the open source NVK driver and even on top of that they put up a script for GeForce NOW on Steam Deck.
Certainly an interesting time for the green camp.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: lejimsterI thought I had seen a lot of news related to Nvidia and open source projects lately. I wonder... Maybe they are involved in a piece of hardware Valve are making? We know Valve want the ability to fix driver issues as they arise which is only possible if the drivers are open source.either a valve home console, or VR Headset or just steamOS general relase...
i doubt steamdeck 2 will go nvidia
Woodlandor May 11
They successfully infiltrated Nvidia headquarters and are holding herrings to everyone’s throats.
Quoting: WoodlandorThe only logical explanation for this is that an army of Penguins boarded a warship to take to the mainland.
They successfully infiltrated Nvidia headquarters and are holding herrings to everyone’s throats.
Penguins ftw!
Quoting: WoodlandorThe only logical explanation for this is that an army of Penguins boarded a warship to take to the mainland.
They successfully infiltrated Nvidia headquarters and are holding herrings to everyone’s throats.
I mean, kinda??? We have ex-Nouveau devs join Nvidia and help with the Nouveau drivers from there...
Like the massive kernel patch Ben Skeggs did, or the NVK patches Arthur Huillet is doing. The latter also have recently released SPH Shader headers on Nvidia Open Docs repository, apparently.
Quoting: tpauNow we need the same for <turing too :)As much as I would like this, they have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to old architecture support. For them that is Turing, which made its debut in 2019. And as much as I hate to say it, 5 years is pretty typical for hardware support across most industries.
Still, the push for making the open kernel module a 1st class citizen is great news!
Quoting: lejimsterI thought I had seen a lot of news related to Nvidia and open source projects lately. I wonder... Maybe they are involved in a piece of hardware Valve are making? We know Valve want the ability to fix driver issues as they arise which is only possible if the drivers are open source.
Valve plans to eventually release Steam OS as an iso for desktop computers, and most desktop computers that are capable of playing games have an Nvidia GPU.
Nvidia likes to sell GPU's for PC's to run games. With Linux gaming taking off they don't want to be caught with a seemingly inferior product when AMD GPU's "just work".
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