Fedora + Nvidia
Install
1. Add RPM fusion repos
| sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
|
2. Install Nvidia drivers from RPM fusion
install:
| sudo dnf update
reboot
sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia
sudo dnf install xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda
|
validate:
| lspci -k | grep nvidia # gpu
nvidia-smi # gpu driver version
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE # wayland enabled
|
3. Install CUDA toolkit
| sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/fedora41/x86_64/cuda-fedora41.repo
sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf module disable nvidia-driver # disable nvidia drivers from CUDA repo
sudo dnf install cuda-toolkit-12-9
|
add toolkit to path:
| export PATH=/usr/local/cuda-12.9/bin${PATH:+:${PATH}}
|
avoid updating CUDA toolkit:
| dnf config-manager --set-disabled cuda-fedora41-x86_64 # avoid updating CUDA toolkit, conflicts w RPM fusion
dnf clean all
reboot
|
validate:
| nvcc --version # can call CUDA compiler
|
Nvidia
- GPU drivers
- display driver
- cuda driver
- CUDA toolkit
GPU drivers
types:
- proprietary (deprecated)
- proprietary, open kernel modules
- open source (nouveau)
sources:
- from RPM fusion repo (Fedora)
- display:
sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia
- cuda:
sudo dnf install xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda
- precompiled kernel modules
- latest drivers
- defaults to open kernel modules (for new GPUs)
- no CUDA toolkit
- from CUDA repo (Nvidia)
- display+cuda:
sudo dnf -y module install nvidia-driver:latest-dkms
- DKMS compiled kernel modules
- defaults to open kernel modules
- drivers are older
- CUDA toolkit
RPM fusion
Groups
Setup
| sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf config-manager --enable fedora-cisco-openh264
|
Repos
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25 | rpmfusion-nonfree-release
akmod-nvidia-535.129.03-1.fc39
kmod-nvidia-535.129.03-1.fc39
xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-535.129.03-2.fc39
xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda-535.129.03-2.fc39
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates
akmod-nvidia-550.90.07-1.fc39
kmod-nvidia-550.90.07-1.fc39
xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-550.90.07-1.fc39
xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda-550.90.07-1.fc39
rpmfusion-nonfree-release-tainted
kmod-nvidia-open-550.90.07-1.fc39
akmod-nvidia-open-550.90.07-1.fc39
rpmfusion-nonfree-nvidia-driver
akmod-nvidia-550.90.07-1.fc39
kmod-nvidia-550.90.07-1.fc39
xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-550.90.07-1.fc39
xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda-550.90.07-1.fc39
Fedora third-party repos (Gnome Software)
rpmfusion-nonfree-nvidia-driver
rpmfusion-nonfree-steam
subset of rpmfusion-nonfree-updates
|
Use open kernel modules with RPM fusion
Pre-build
v575+: akmod-nvidia
now has auto detection to switch to open when GPU supports it.
From source
| sudo dnf install rpmfusion-nonfree-release-tainted
sudo dnf swap akmod-nvidia akmod-nvidia-open
|
https://rpmfusion.org/Howto/NVIDIA#Kernel_Open
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/testers-required-nvidia-driver-in-rpmfusion-nonfree-updates-testing/154781/3
Install CUDA toolkit and drivers from CUDA repo
| sudo dnf install kernel-devel-matched kernel-headers
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/fedora39/x86_64/cuda-fedora39.repo
sudo dnf clean expire-cache
sudo dnf install --allowerasing nvidia-open
sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf -y install cuda-toolkit-12-9
sudo reboot
nvidia-smi
nvcc --version
|
Now using open kernel modules by default:
https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-transitions-fully-towards-open-source-gpu-kernel-modules/
https://github.com/NVIDIA/open-gpu-kernel-modules
580.76.05, 12/08/2025
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/details/252613/
https://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/580.76.05/README/kernel_open.html
https://www.phoronix.com/news/NVIDIA-580.76.05-Linux
CUDA toolkit
| sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/fedora39/x86_64/cuda-fedora39.repo
sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf module disable nvidia-driver
sudo dnf install cuda-toolkit-12-4
|
drivers from RPM fusion + CUDA toolkit from CUDA repo
use drivers from RPM fusion because it updates at the same time as Fedora
while NV might be much later...
but the CUDA toolkit is only available in the CUDA repo
| CUDA packages from rpmfusion are mostly not compatible with CUDA packages from NV official
how to know if they are compatible?
|
Debug
"modular filtering" : nvidia-driver
module in cuda-fedora39.repo
conflicts with RPM fusion.
sudo dnf module list
sudo dnf module disable [module]
Manual install
https://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2015/fedora-nvidia-guide/
https://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2018/install-nvidia-cuda-toolkit-on-fedora/