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Void Linux has updated its primary NVIDIA driver package to use the newer open DKMS kernel modules, beginning with the 595.xx driver series. These drivers are compatible only with Turing-based GPUs and newer hardware. Users running older NVIDIA cards will need to move to the 580.xx driver branch, now provided through the separate nvidia580 package set.
Previously, Void’s default NVIDIA package relied on proprietary DKMS kernel modules. With this change, the distribution adopts NVIDIA’s open kernel modules for modern GPUs, while maintaining the older 580.xx series as a fallback for legacy hardware.
This transition primarily impacts systems using newer GPUs such as RTX 20, GTX 16, RTX 30, RTX 40, RTX 50 series, and supported professional cards built on Turing or later architectures. Meanwhile, pre-Turing GPUs including Maxwell and Pascal-based models like the GTX 900 and GTX 10 series will continue to rely on the 580.xx drivers.
It’s worth noting that this shift does not make the NVIDIA stack fully open source. While the kernel modules are now open, NVIDIA’s user-space components remain proprietary.
To check your GPU’s compatibility, visit this link.
