Latest Nvidia drivers for Linux default to open-source GPU kernel modules

Nvidia drivers for open-source operating systems are opting for open-source kernels.

The latest Nvidia drivers for Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris bring some small updates with a nice shift that better matches the ethos of each of these OSes. Nvidia driver 560 brings an update for the "nvidia-installer" tool that defaults to using an open-source GPU kernel module for the display driver, a first for the company. 

In the past, Nvidia GPUs have generally worked on Linux with the caveat that the drivers were proprietary, meaning that the code base was not viewable to or editable by anyone. However, Nvidia has slowly shifted to open-source drivers for Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris, and this latest update defaults the kernel modules to open-source versions. 

The new drivers also fix bugs that caused some Xwayland games to crash, fix a memory corruption bug related to Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) events in some laptops, and improve support for variable refresh rate laptops and displays. The drivers also include Vulkan information in the "nvidia-settings" control panel. 

The entire list of updates and a link to download the new drivers can be found here.