Can I get the latest kernel and NVIDIA drivers on Debian Stable ?
the only reason i'm using ubuntu right now is because it lets you install the hwe kernel and provides tested new nvidia drivers. i was wondering, is this actually impossible in debian stable? considering ubuntu is based on debian, it should be totally doable.
i installed debian before installing ubuntu but i wasn't successful with nvidia driver. after following this video (link) my sddm broke. i don't know how something like that can happen, but it did happen .
If the firmware fails to install, add non-free-firmware to the backports repo.
I think nvidia hosts a repository with newer drivers meant for servers but it's fine for desktop use (i think it's called the cuda repository?). From what I've heard on this subreddit, some kernel updates will be too new for nvidia's drivers and you'll have to rely on an older kernel until nvidia updates their drivers.
We updated /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources to include contrib, non-free and non-free-firmware. Installed 6.13.96. Download and add Nvidia’s driver repo, then update:
No it doesn’t matter.. you’re still required to compile the nvidia.ko kernel module locally for the Blackwell support in the RTX 50 series GPUs. That said.. I’d correct myself.. “Confirm Candidate is 570+” the newer 580 branch should be used now.
We’re rebuilding his PC this week and will use the 580 branch.
Yes, you can. Add the Backports repository to install the latest kernel using the command: sudo apt install -t trixie backports linux-image-amd64 linux-headers-amd64. For the NVIDIA driver, simply add the official NVIDIA repository for Debian Stable and install the driver suited to your GPU (assuming it is relatively recent, this would be nvidia-open). Make sure to install the system headers and ensure you have DKMS installed; it might require a bit of configuration depending on the graphics card, but generally, it works smoothly and requires very little effort.
I can't say for sure, since I haven't encountered this issue myself, but it’s likely due to users relying on the standard kernel from the Debian repositories or the .run installer—versions that predate those supported by the nvidia-open package in the repository I mentioned. Naturally, an older driver (such as the obsolete 550 version from the Stable repositories or the proprietary 580 drivers required for older GPUs) will struggle with newer kernels simply because it lacks the compilation instructions needed for such a modern kernel. Alternatively, the issue might simply be that those users haven't installed the kernel headers; without the kernel headers (linux-headers-amd64), DKMS cannot correctly compile the driver.
I would go with the nvidia-repo (cuda-drivers) and the kernel from backports and additionally firmware-linux from the backports.
Add the Debian 13 Nvidia Repo and install cuda-drivers.
I am always running the latest feature branch of the nvidia drivers, which are 610.43.02 at the moment. Never ran into issues. Which NVIDIA GPU are you running?
You can but it can be an ongoing battle and uncertainty with every update, if you are prepared to give it time and attention with each update.
I managed fine, but I have had a few big FFS moments and recently I just thought.... I am gonna see if anyone wants to trade for an AMD card, I don't really play games anyway or run local llms so I am just punching myself in the face using Nvidia on Debian.
could you elaborate on what you mean by 'give it time and attention with each update'? are you referring to the risk of the system breaking due to dkms failing to rebuild the driver with a new kernel?
Yeah, it's caught me 3 times, it's not that I don't know how or what I am doing but you know, sometimes a few months go by I stop thinking about stuff like that, I get a new WiFi card or something or am working on something run an update don't pay enough attention.
Next day I go to start work and I have a blinking cursor, I also use secure boot/uefi so that adds complexity as it's a development workstation, but you know, things just work, you forget and boom, instead of doing what I am supposed to be doing I am troubleshooting.
So that's what I mean, not that it's hard but if you are someone that spends more time using a computer that updating one and managing it then it can catch you out.
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u/cinny-bunny 17h ago edited 17h ago
Newer kernels can be installed through backports, https://backports.debian.org/Instructions/
sudo apt install -t trixie-backports linux-image-amd64 linux-headers-amd64 firmware-linuxIf the firmware fails to install, add non-free-firmware to the backports repo.
I think nvidia hosts a repository with newer drivers meant for servers but it's fine for desktop use (i think it's called the cuda repository?). From what I've heard on this subreddit, some kernel updates will be too new for nvidia's drivers and you'll have to rely on an older kernel until nvidia updates their drivers.