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.
Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
TheRiddick May 11
Well if they enable support for [takes deep breath], CUDA, DLSS, DLSS3, DLSS4, FrameGen, HDR, 10bit colour, VRR, GSYNC... did I miss any of their proprietary crap? oh right PhysX stuff. oh and HDMI2.1.... LONG LIST
Last edited by TheRiddick on 11 May 2024 at 9:43 pm UTC
Last edited by TheRiddick on 11 May 2024 at 9:43 pm UTC
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TuxThePenguin May 11
Quoting: TheRiddickWell if they enable support for [takes deep breath], CUDA, DLSS, DLSS3, DLSS4, FrameGen, HDR, 10bit colour, VRR, GSYNC... did I miss any of their proprietary crap? oh right PhysX stuff.
proprietary... yes
crap... no
I'm sure that the linux driver supports most of those already except FrameGen
I've heard of 10 (30) bit colour being available now.
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TheRiddick May 11
Quoting: TuxThePenguinI've heard of 10 (30) bit colour being available now.
It's in experimental, but I get worse color in Wayland and certainly when HDR is enabled. So with it needs work or plasma/wayland/linuxHDR needs work to support NVIDIA better. I do not know which it is.
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Quoting: Viesta2015Quoting: elmapulQuoting: 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
Best case scenario would be a valve home console... along with an updated VR Set and have them both separate... it'd allow others to use any piece of VR equipment they wish and use it as a general PC if people wanted. :)
(especially with steam link on quest 3)
One thing we know for sure is that if Nvidia is doing something, the movtive is pure profit. Let's just hope it's not some A.I. thing that has nothing to do with gaming.
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Quoting: elmapulImagine a Nvidia-powered Steam OS home console box focused on high-performance, RTX, and PCVR.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
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I wouldn't bring Valve in the equation. It wouldn't be a good thing either, if Valve had such a big influence on the whole Linux ecosystem.
This would be my guess, too.
Or perhaps Nvidia forsees the final enshittification step of Microsoft over the edge into to the cesspool.
And with >10% Linux desktop share, their customers will need an reliable easy to use driver as the one AMD users have.
Quoting: JuliusThis is all about GPUs in datacenters for AI and so on.
This would be my guess, too.
Or perhaps Nvidia forsees the final enshittification step of Microsoft over the edge into to the cesspool.
And with >10% Linux desktop share, their customers will need an reliable easy to use driver as the one AMD users have.
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Quoting: melkemindQuoting: Viesta2015Quoting: elmapulQuoting: 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
Best case scenario would be a valve home console... along with an updated VR Set and have them both separate... it'd allow others to use any piece of VR equipment they wish and use it as a general PC if people wanted. :)
(especially with steam link on quest 3)
One thing we know for sure is that if Nvidia is doing something, the movtive is pure profit. Let's just hope it's not some A.I. thing that has nothing to do with gaming.
I disagree.
I really hope it has nothing to do with gaming or anything I use Linux for.
In general it's much better to be a beneficiary of a market in which you don't actively partake than one in which you do.
If companies aim themselves at your market they will take all kind of measures to lock you in.
If you're a side effect they won't care enough.
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Quoting: sprocketQuoting: 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!
The Opensource kernel modules support Turing and Newer......
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Quoting: sprocketAs 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.
There is a difference between keeping the necessary files and documentation from the community and writing the whole driver themselfes.
If they give us the , i think pmu it was called, part of the firmware, they could at least get a better standing in the community and say "here you go, figure it out, have fun" and continue with the modern gsp based driver.
Last edited by tpau on 12 May 2024 at 1:28 pm UTC
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Quoting: melkemindQuoting: Viesta2015Quoting: elmapulQuoting: 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
Best case scenario would be a valve home console... along with an updated VR Set and have them both separate... it'd allow others to use any piece of VR equipment they wish and use it as a general PC if people wanted. :)
(especially with steam link on quest 3)
One thing we know for sure is that if Nvidia is doing something, the movtive is pure profit. Let's just hope it's not some A.I. thing that has nothing to do with gaming.
First of all, the entire reason for _any_ company's existence is profit. You say that like it makes them particularly evil, but it doesn't. Yes, some company's have more goodwill than others, but your argument can't be "how dare they want profit?". What makes you think is the reason Linux itself is good? It's because numerous companies work on it purely for their own profit. There are very few developers left working on the kernel who aren't affiliated with a company.
And yes, of course it's some AI reason. AI is the hottest thing right now, and Nvidia's hardware happens to be really good at it. OpenAI and Google may be in a battle over AI, but they all come to Nvidia for hardware, and that's a LOT of hardware. If any of them asks Nvidia to open source anything, they will because money talks.
Last edited by ShabbyX on 12 May 2024 at 3:49 pm UTC
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