NVIDIA: Difference between revisions

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To enable them, add <code>"nvidia"</code> to the list of enabled video drivers defined by the <code>services.xserver.videoDrivers</code> option.

~~{{Note|<code>hardware.graphics.enable</code> was named <code>hardware.opengl.enable</code> '''until NixOS 24.11'''.}}~~

{{Note|Since driver version 560, you also will need to decide whether to use the open-source or proprietary modules by setting the <code>hardware.nvidia.open</code> option to either <code>true</code> or <code>false</code> respectively.<br><br>Open-source kernel modules are preferred over and planned to steadily replace proprietary modules<ref>https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-transitions-fully-towards-open-source-gpu-kernel-modules/</ref>, although they only support GPUs of the Turing architecture or newer (from GeForce RTX 20 series and GeForce GTX 16 series onwards). Data center GPUs starting from Grace Hopper or Blackwell must use open-source modules — proprietary modules are no longer supported.<br><br>Make sure to allow [[Unfree software|unfree software]] even when using the open module as the user space part of the driver is still proprietary. Other unfree NVIDIA packages include <code>nvidia-x11</code>, <code>nvidia-settings</code>, and <code>nvidia-persistenced</code>.

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</nowiki>}}

==== Legacy branches ====

GPUs of the ~~Kepler~~ architecture or older (~~most~~ GeForce ~~600/700/800M~~ cards and older) are no longer supported by latest proprietary modules. Instead, users of these GPUs must use legacy branches that may still receive updates, as long as the GPUs themselves remain supported by NVIDIA. You can find which legacy branch you need to use by searching for your GPU model on [https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/unix/legacy-gpu/ NVIDIA's official legacy driver support list].

GPUs of the Volta architecture or older (including Pascal, meaning GeForce 1000 cards and older) are no longer supported by latest proprietary modules. Instead, users of these GPUs must use legacy branches that may still receive updates, as long as the GPUs themselves remain supported by NVIDIA. You can find which legacy branch you need to use by searching for your GPU model on [https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/unix/legacy-gpu/ NVIDIA's official legacy driver support list].

To use legacy branches, you need to set the <code>hardware.nvidia.package</code> option to a package set named <code>config.boot.kernelPackages.nvidiaPackages.legacy_<branch></code>.{{file|configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>

{ config, ... }: # ← Required to get the packages used by the currently configured kernel, including drivers

{

# Last version that supports ~~Kepler~~ GPUs

# Last version that supports Maxwell to Volta GPUs

hardware.nvidia.package = config.boot.kernelPackages.nvidiaPackages.~~legacy_470~~;

hardware.nvidia.package = config.boot.kernelPackages.nvidiaPackages.legacy_580;

}

</nowiki>}}Nixpkgs does not endeavor to support all legacy branches since older, unmaintained legacy branches can become incompatible with newer kernel and X server versions, and at some point it becomes infeasible to patch them to cooperate with modern software. You can find the list of supported legacy branches under [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nvidia-x11/default.nix in the Nixpkgs repository].

</nowiki>|name=|lang=nix}}Nixpkgs does not endeavor to support all legacy branches since older, unmaintained legacy branches can become incompatible with newer kernel and X server versions, and at some point it becomes infeasible to patch them to cooperate with modern software. You can find the list of supported legacy branches under [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nvidia-x11/default.nix in the Nixpkgs repository].

==== Beta/production branches ====

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After rebuilding and rebooting, you'll see in your boot menu under each Generation an "on-the-go" option, which will let you boot into the on-to-go specialisation for that generation.

See also the [https://github.com/NixOS/nixos-hardware/blob/master/common/gpu/nvidia/prime.nix nixos-hardware] implementation of a similar idea.

=== Using GPUs on non-NixOS ===

If you're using Nix-packaged software on a non-NixOS system, you'll need a workaround to get everything up-and-running. The [https://github.com/guibou/nixGL nixGL project] provides wrapper to use GL drivers on non-NixOS systems. You need to have GPU drivers installed on your distro (for kernel modules). With nixGL installed, you'll run <code>nixGL foobar</code> instead of <code>foobar</code>.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 To enable them, add <code>"nvidia"</code> to the list of enabled video drivers defined by the <code>services.xserver.videoDrivers</code> option.
-{{Note|<code>hardware.graphics.enable</code> was named <code>hardware.opengl.enable</code> '''until NixOS 24.11'''.}}
 {{Note|Since driver version 560, you also will need to decide whether to use the open-source or proprietary modules by setting the <code>hardware.nvidia.open</code> option to either <code>true</code> or <code>false</code> respectively.<br><br>Open-source kernel modules are preferred over and planned to steadily replace proprietary modules<ref>https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-transitions-fully-towards-open-source-gpu-kernel-modules/</ref>, although they only support GPUs of the Turing architecture or newer (from GeForce RTX 20 series and GeForce GTX 16 series onwards). Data center GPUs starting from Grace Hopper or Blackwell must use open-source modules — proprietary modules are no longer supported.<br><br>Make sure to allow [[Unfree software|unfree software]] even when using the open module as the user space part of the driver is still proprietary. Other unfree NVIDIA packages include <code>nvidia-x11</code>, <code>nvidia-settings</code>, and <code>nvidia-persistenced</code>.
@@ Line 19: / Line 17: @@
 </nowiki>}}
 ==== Legacy branches ====
-GPUs of the Kepler architecture or older (most GeForce 600/700/800M cards and older) are no longer supported by latest proprietary modules. Instead, users of these GPUs must use legacy branches that may still receive updates, as long as the GPUs themselves remain supported by NVIDIA. You can find which legacy branch you need to use by searching for your GPU model on [https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/unix/legacy-gpu/ NVIDIA's official legacy driver support list].
+GPUs of the Volta architecture or older (including Pascal, meaning GeForce 1000 cards and older) are no longer supported by latest proprietary modules. Instead, users of these GPUs must use legacy branches that may still receive updates, as long as the GPUs themselves remain supported by NVIDIA. You can find which legacy branch you need to use by searching for your GPU model on [https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/unix/legacy-gpu/ NVIDIA's official legacy driver support list].
 To use legacy branches, you need to set the <code>hardware.nvidia.package</code> option to a package set named <code>config.boot.kernelPackages.nvidiaPackages.legacy_<branch></code>.{{file|configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>
 { config, ... }: # ← Required to get the packages used by the currently configured kernel, including drivers
 {
-   # Last version that supports Kepler GPUs
+   # Last version that supports Maxwell to Volta GPUs
-   hardware.nvidia.package = config.boot.kernelPackages.nvidiaPackages.legacy_470;
+   hardware.nvidia.package = config.boot.kernelPackages.nvidiaPackages.legacy_580;
 }
-</nowiki>}}Nixpkgs does not endeavor to support all legacy branches since older, unmaintained legacy branches can become incompatible with newer kernel and X server versions, and at some point it becomes infeasible to patch them to cooperate with modern software. You can find the list of supported legacy branches under [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nvidia-x11/default.nix in the Nixpkgs repository].
+</nowiki>|name=|lang=nix}}Nixpkgs does not endeavor to support all legacy branches since older, unmaintained legacy branches can become incompatible with newer kernel and X server versions, and at some point it becomes infeasible to patch them to cooperate with modern software. You can find the list of supported legacy branches under [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/os-specific/linux/nvidia-x11/default.nix in the Nixpkgs repository].
 ==== Beta/production branches ====
@@ Line 203: / Line 201: @@
 After rebuilding and rebooting, you'll see in your boot menu under each Generation an "on-the-go" option, which will let you boot into the on-to-go specialisation for that generation.
+See also the [https://github.com/NixOS/nixos-hardware/blob/master/common/gpu/nvidia/prime.nix nixos-hardware] implementation of a similar idea.
 === Using GPUs on non-NixOS ===
 If you're using Nix-packaged software on a non-NixOS system, you'll need a workaround to get everything up-and-running. The [https://github.com/guibou/nixGL nixGL project] provides wrapper to use GL drivers on non-NixOS systems. You need to have GPU drivers installed on your distro (for kernel modules). With nixGL installed, you'll run <code>nixGL foobar</code> instead of  <code>foobar</code>.