NVIDIA open GPU kernel default for R560 drivers for RTX 20/GTX16 and newer

Before NVIDIA launches GeForce R555 drivers as Linux beta drivers, the company has confirmed that starting with the R560 release, the driver will default to using the open-source GPU kernel.

Starting from 2022, NVIDIA offers an open-source GPU kernel for Linux, with the initial focus on workstation and data-center GPUs. This driver also works for consumer GPUs, but there are some power related issues that may sway users towards proprietary drivers, notes Phoronix . Nevertheless, GeForce users can already use this driver to enable features such as multiple displays, G-SYNC, or even RTX ray tracing or NVIDIA Optix.

NVIDIA has just announced that starting with R560, the driver installation will default to open GPU kernel, which is a shift to what was announced in 2022 with the open-source kernel announcement (pictured below).

Since R515 to R560 drivers were defaulting to proprietary modules, Source:NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s goal is to replace the property kernel modules and eventually replace these drivers to open-source kernel, like with AMD drivers. One thing that should be noted is that the open GPU kernel only works with GeForce GTX 16 and RTX 20 GPUs and newer.

This is because this architecture was the first to feature a built-in GPU System Processor (GSP) which is basically a RISC-V based processor responsive for the basic GPU startup tasks that would otherwise be carried by the CPU.

Open Linux Kernel Modules Installed by Default
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=proprietary command line option. However, in the future, some GPUs may only be supported with the open flavor.

— NVIDIA

Source: NVIDIA via ComputerBase