Recent Updates#

Version locking packages for Ubuntu / Debian#

Driver pinning packages have been introduced for Debian and Ubuntu to track specific driver branches and versions across the various releases.

For more information please refer to the version locking section for APT.

Hint

For the best experience when locking a branch, we suggest to install the pinning package prior to installing the driver.

This has been introduced mainly for these new cases:

Lock systems into tracking specific driver branches

Lock systems to specific driver versions

Allow easy upgrades/downgrades/switching between releases and branches

Consistency in the documentation (always the same instructions regardless of driver release)

Ubuntu 590 and later packages#

Starting with branch 590, the Ubuntu packages will be renamed by removing the branch designation from the package name. Switching branches, installing specific driver versions and specific upgrade / downgrade requirements will be supported through these version locking (pinning) packages.

From 590 onwards, the default experience will be to upgrade the system to the latest drivers; like any other packages in the distribution; while the branch tracking will become an “opt in” choice.

Packages will be renamed as follows, and from 590 onwards, they will keep the same name:

Table 4 Ubuntu 590 package renames#
Original name	New name
cuda-drivers-580	will be removed
cuda-drivers	no change
libnvidia-cfg1-580	libnvidia-cfg1
libnvidia-common-580	libnvidia-common
libnvidia-compute-580	libnvidia-compute
libnvidia-decode-580	libnvidia-decode
libnvidia-encode-580	libnvidia-encode
libnvidia-extra-580	libnvidia-extra
libnvidia-fbc1-580	libnvidia-fbc1
libnvidia-gl-580	libnvidia-gl
libnvidia-gpucomp-580	libnvidia-gpucomp
libnvidia-nscq	no change
libnvsdm	no change
libxnvctrl0	no change
libxnvctrl-dev	no change
nvidia-dkms-580	nvidia-dkms
nvidia-dkms-580-open	nvidia-dkms-open
nvidia-driver-580	nvidia-driver
nvidia-fabricmanager	no change
nvidia-firmware-580	nvidia-firmware
nvidia-headless-580	nvidia-headless
nvidia-headless-580-open	nvidia-headless-open
nvidia-headless-no-dkms-580	nvidia-headless-no-dkms
nvidia-headless-no-dkms-580-open	nvidia-headless-no-dkms-open
nvidia-imex	no change
nvidia-kernel-common-580	nvidia-kernel-common
nvidia-kernel-source-580	nvidia-kernel-source
nvidia-kernel-source-580-open	nvidia-kernel-source-open
nvidia-modprobe	no change
nvidia-open-580	will be removed
nvidia-open	no change
nvidia-persistenced	no change
nvidia-settings	no change
nvidia-xconfig	no change
xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-580	xserver-xorg-video-nvidia