Installing NVIDIA Graphics Drivers on Fedora: A Complete Tutorial

Installing NVIDIA graphics drivers on Fedora is essential for users seeking optimal performance from their NVIDIA GPUs. Whether you’re a gamer, a content creator, or a professional relying on GPU acceleration, having the correct drivers ensures your system runs efficiently. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of installing NVIDIA drivers on Fedora, covering both automated and manual methods to cater to different user preferences.

Understanding the Importance of NVIDIA Drivers

NVIDIA drivers are proprietary software that enable communication between the operating system and NVIDIA hardware. While Fedora includes open-source Nouveau drivers by default, they often lack the performance and feature set of the proprietary versions. Installing the official NVIDIA drivers unlocks the full potential of your GPU, providing better support for 3D applications, gaming, and other graphics-intensive tasks.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure you have:

• A Fedora System: This guide is tailored for Fedora users.
• Administrative Privileges: You’ll need sudo access to install software and make system changes.
• Stable Internet Connection: Required for downloading packages and updates.

Method 1: Installing NVIDIA Drivers Using RPM Fusion

RPM Fusion is a third-party repository that provides software not included in Fedora’s default repositories, including NVIDIA drivers. This method is recommended for most users due to its simplicity and integration with Fedora’s package management system.

Step 1: Enable RPM Fusion Repositories

1. Update Your System: Open a terminal and execute:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo dnf update -y
   
   This ensures all existing packages are up-to-date.
   
   
2. Enable RPM Fusion: Add both free and non-free repositories:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo dnf install \ https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm \ https://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
   
   This command downloads and installs the RPM Fusion repository packages appropriate for your Fedora version.

Step 2: Install NVIDIA Drivers

1. Identify Your NVIDIA GPU: Determine your GPU model by running:
   
   bash Copy
   
   lspci | grep -E "VGA|3D"
   
   Look for entries related to NVIDIA to identify your GPU model.
   
   
2. Install the Driver: For most modern NVIDIA GPUs, install the latest driver with:
   
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia
   
   This package ensures that the NVIDIA kernel module (kmod) is automatically built and installed for your system’s kernel.
   
3. Install CUDA Support (Optional): If you require CUDA for parallel computing tasks:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo dnf install xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda
   
   This package provides libraries and tools for CUDA development.

Step 3: Reboot the System

After installation, reboot your system to load the new drivers:

bash Copy 

sudo reboot

Upon reboot, your system should be utilizing the NVIDIA drivers.

Method 2: Manually Installing NVIDIA Drivers

For users who prefer manual control or need specific driver versions, installing directly from NVIDIA’s website is an option. This method is more involved and is recommended for advanced users.

Step 1: Prepare the System

1. Update Your System:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo dnf update -y
   
2. Install Development Tools and Kernel Headers:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo dnf install kernel-devel kernel-headers gcc make dkms acpid libglvnd-glx libglvnd-opengl libglvnd-devel pkgconfig
   
   These packages are necessary for building the NVIDIA kernel module.

Step 2: Blacklist Nouveau Drivers

The open-source Nouveau drivers need to be disabled to prevent conflicts.

1. Create a Modprobe Configuration File:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
   
2. Add the Following Lines:
   
   nginx Copy blacklist nouveau options nouveau modeset=0
   
   Save and exit the editor.
   
   
3. Rebuild the Initial RAM Disk:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo dracut --force

Step 3: Download and Install NVIDIA Driver

1. Download the Driver: Visit the official NVIDIA website and download the appropriate driver for your GPU.
   
2. Set the File as Executable:
   
   bash Copy
   
   chmod +x NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-*.run
   
   
3. Switch to Multi-User Target:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target sudo reboot
   
   This will reboot the system into a command-line interface.
   
   
4. Install the Driver:
   
   • Log in and navigate to the directory containing the driver.
     
   • Execute the installer:
     
     bash Copy
     
     sudo ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-*.run
     
   • Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
     
5. Revert to Graphical Target:
   
   bash Copy
   
   sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target sudo
   
   Complete Tutorial: How to Uninstall Nvidia Drivers and Restore Default Settings on Ubuntu