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Fedora#

This section covers:

  • Fedora 42

Preparation#

  1. Perform the Pre-installation Actions.

  2. The kernel headers and development packages for the currently running kernel can be installed with:

    # dnf install kernel-devel-matched kernel-headers

  3. Choose an installation method: Local Repository Installation or Network Repository Installation.

Local Repository Installation#

  1. Download the NVIDIA driver:

    $ wget https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/nvidia-driver/${version}/local_installers/nvidia-driver-local-repo-${distro}.${version}.${arch}.rpm

    where ${version} is the NVIDIA driver version

  2. Install local repository on file system:

    # rpm --install nvidia-driver-local-repo-${distro}.${version}*.${arch}.rpm

Network Repository Installation#

  1. Enable the network repository. For x86_64:

    # dnf config-manager addrepo --from-repofile=https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/${distro}/${arch}/cuda-${distro}.repo

    For aarch64:

    # dnf config-manager addrepo --from-repofile=https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/${distro}/sbsa/cuda-${distro}.repo

  2. Clean DNF repository cache:

    # dnf clean expire-cache

Driver Installation#

These instructions apply to both local and network installations.

Branch stickiness

Please refer to the DNF 5 paragraph of the Version locking section.

Open Kernel Modules

# dnf install nvidia-open

Proprietary Kernel Modules

# dnf install cuda-drivers

Compute-only (Headless) and Desktop-only (no Compute) Installation#

It’s possible to install the driver without all the desktop components (GL, EGL, Vulkan, X drivers, and so on) to limit the footprint and dependencies on the system. With the same logic it’s possible to install a desktop system without any compute component.

Note

The components excluded at installation time can always be added at a later stage. This will pull in all the additional dependencies required.

Compute-only System#

Open Kernel Modules

# dnf install nvidia-driver-cuda kmod-nvidia-open-dkms

Proprietary Kernel Modules

# dnf install nvidia-driver-cuda kmod-nvidia-latest-dkms

Desktop-only System#

Open Kernel Modules

# dnf install nvidia-driver kmod-nvidia-open-dkms

Proprietary Kernel Modules

# dnf install nvidia-driver kmod-nvidia-latest-dkms

Reboot the System#

# reboot

Perform the Post-installation Actions.

Package Upgrades#

When a new version is available, a normal package update command specific for the distribution should suffice in upgrading the driver. The various differences in distributions would take care of obsolency and package switching when performing upgrades to a different branch.

If DNF locking is configured on the sytem, please adjust the configuration or remove the lock entirely. Please refer to the DNF 4/5 paragraph of the Version locking section for more information.

When upgrading the driver, whether configured to a version locked branch or the latest available, the command to execute is always the same; what matters is the DNF version lock configuration:

# dnf update

When switching from proprietary modules to open modules:

# dnf install nvidia-open --allowerasing

This will remove any package which would have dependencies removed.