For many years, Linux users have had a rocky relationship with NVIDIA, the leading GPU company. The reason? NVIDIA had not open-sourced its drivers, unlike other companies, leaving Linux users with subpar, proprietary drivers. However, this has changed as NVIDIA has finally decided to open up its GPU driver code.
In the past, Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, publicly criticized NVIDIA for being one of the worst hardware manufacturers to work with. But now, NVIDIA is making a major shift towards open-source GPU kernel modules, starting with the release of the R515 driver in May 2022. This release included Linux GPU kernel modules as open source with dual GPL and MIT licensing, focusing initially on data center compute GPUs.
Over the past two years, NVIDIA has been improving these open-source modules to achieve equal or better application performance than their closed-source counterparts. They have also added new capabilities such as heterogeneous memory management support, confidential computing, and support for NVIDIA’s Grace platforms’ memory architectures.
With the upcoming R560 driver release, NVIDIA will complete its transition to open-source GPU kernel modules, benefiting the Linux community by allowing better integration with the operating system and enabling more community development and support. However, not all NVIDIA GPUs will be compatible with these open-source modules. Cutting-edge platforms like NVIDIA Grace Hopper or NVIDIA Blackwell are mandatory, while older GPUs from certain architectures will continue using proprietary drivers.
To help users identify their GPU hardware, NVIDIA provides a shell script called nvidia-driver-assistant. This script can assist in installing the CUDA Toolkit and the appropriate GPU drivers using the Linux distro’s package manager.
Although this move by NVIDIA is a step towards a more open ecosystem for Linux users and developers, it’s essential to note that the transition to open source is limited to kernel modules. The driver’s userspace components remain proprietary, meaning full open-source integration for gaming applications may still be a work in progress.
Many in the tech community see this as a positive development that could potentially lead to improved compatibility and performance for Linux users. It also puts NVIDIA in a better position to compete with AMD, known for its open-source-friendly approach in the Linux space. As the industry awaits further developments, there is hope that this move could signal a broader shift towards open-source practices at NVIDIA.
