Welcome to Linux | NVIDIA Open Sources its Kernel Modules
Source: https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-releases-open-source-gpu-kernel-modules/
Seemingly out of the blue, NVIDIA released the souce code for their GPUs under the repository github.com/NVIDIA/open-gpu-kernel-modules. To the surprise of many, developers quickly open the first github issue titled:
Welcome to Linux
Currently compatible with Ampere and Turing architectures, support for consumer GeForce cards are underway (currently in alpha). However, this open source effort only applies to the kernel modules for NVIDIA hardware, meaning the CUDA toolkit will remain closed source.
Community Support
Under the MIT/GPLv2 license, anyone can contribute, package, and sublicense the source code, allowing Linux Distros to fully support NVIDIA GPUs upon installation. Gone are the days of fiddling with nouveau drivers to install DRM, debug X Server, or manually configure kernel params. Finally we can get a linux workstation to just work with NVIDIA.
Releasing these drivers to the open source community means improvements can finally take place at the rate of the demand for them. For example: if many users are experiencing the same bug, or demand a feature, contributers can solve their own problems and develop a pull request on their own. Software bugs can be spotted and patched quicker, resulting in a more stable release. This may also yield performance gains or tweaked forks, optimizing for a specific use case.
Linux Gaming
With the release of Valve’s compatibility layer: Proton has allowed a vast majority of games to run smoothly on Linux. Although it’s creation targets the Steam Deck, a vibrant community of Linux Gamers with all types of configurations have detailed their experience for game support in Proton DB. It’s without exaggeration that many games run surprisingly well, considering they’re run through a compatibility layer.
Now NVIDIA owners will finally have first class support for their games, making Linux an even more versitile platform for personal computing. We may soon see more Steam Deck clones launch with more power efficient NVIDIA GPUs. Game engines may integrate more closely with their hardware, and could prove Linux to not only be a great development target, but an even better development host.
Obviously, it’s still too early to really know exactly how this release may effect the Linux ecosystem. However, NVIDIA does have plans of contributing to the Linux Kernel, raising the bar for the software standards of their driver. But until then, give the drivers a try! Let the contributors know of any hick-ups or bugs you may experience by creating a GitHub Issue. Better yet, take on an issue first-hand, helping thousands of NVIDIA owners achieve a smoother user experience.
And with that, Happy Hacking ✌️
