What is nvidia-gpu-firmware?

User Support
1

I just updated my dom0 and noticed a software installed called “nvidia-gpu-firmware”. Little Google search indicates it’s obviously for a Nvidia GPU which I have in my system.

Is this the official Nvidia drivers? If so, do I need to make any modifications to use it or is a simple reboot enough?

Qubes OS Repository for Dom0                     46 MB/s | 269 kB     00:00    
Installed Packages
Name         : nvidia-gpu-firmware
Version      : 20230117
Release      : 146.fc32
Architecture : noarch
Size         : 2.9 M
Source       : linux-firmware-20230117-146.fc32.src.rpm
Repository   : @System
From repo    : qubes-dom0-cached
Summary      : Firmware for NVIDIA GPUs
URL          : http://www.kernel.org/
License      : Redistributable, no modification permitted
Description  : Firmware for NVIDIA GPUs.
1 Like
2

The blobs are coming for our Dom0.

1 Like
3

i wonder too

4

It’s the official nvidia firmware, it’s not their driver, at least not the driver used by the OS.

When the kernel detects the nvidia GPU it will upload the firmware to the GPU, this is need for the hardware to function. When the hardware is initialized, the OS can use the GPU with the nouveau driver, which is the open source nvidia driver shipped with the Linux kernel.

5

If that’s the case, I wonder why “nouveau” isn’t noted anywhere. “No modification permitted” likely means blob.

6

No idea what you are trying to say, but blob is just a different word used for close source firmware.

There is nothing strange in open source drivers loading close source firmware into the hardware, this is how firmware is used and it doesn’t matter if it’s open or closed source.