For most Ubuntu 26.04 desktop users, install the NVIDIA driver Ubuntu recommends for your GPU: open Additional Drivers and apply the option marked proprietary, tested, or run sudo ubuntu-drivers install. Restart afterward, then run nvidia-smi to verify the driver can see the GPU. Ubuntu’s packages are the safest default because they are built for the release and work with its package management and signed-driver setup.
Before you install
Install available system updates first, then restart so the system starts from an up-to-date kernel. You can use Software Updater or run:
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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo rebootDriver availability depends on the GPU and Ubuntu archive. Avoid copying a branch number from an older guide: check the choices offered for your hardware on this installation.
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Install through Additional Drivers
- Open Additional Drivers from the application launcher. If the tool is missing, install it with
sudo apt install software-properties-gtk. - Under NVIDIA Corporation, select the recommended recent option labeled proprietary, tested. For ordinary desktop graphics and gaming, avoid an option labeled Server; server packages target server and compute use cases.
- Click Apply Changes and authenticate if prompted. Wait for package installation to finish, then restart the computer.
The GUI may offer an “open kernel” driver option for recent GPUs. “Open” describes the kernel-module implementation only: the stack still depends on proprietary GPU firmware and proprietary user-space libraries.
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Install from the terminal
Ubuntu’s ubuntu-drivers tool lists hardware-matched choices and can automatically install the recommended one:
sudo ubuntu-drivers list
sudo ubuntu-drivers install
sudo rebootThe list is specific to the hardware and repositories on this system. To install a particular branch, use the exact version actually listed, in the form sudo ubuntu-drivers install nvidia:VERSION; replace VERSION rather than pasting a branch from an unrelated tutorial. To inspect a package’s support branch, Ubuntu documents:
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apt show nvidia-driver-VERSION | grep ^SupportUbuntu labels its general-purpose Production Branch (PB) as the balance of performance, features, and stability. New Feature Branch (NFB) is intended for people who need newer driver features, while Long Term Support Branch (LTSB) may fit regulated enterprise environments. The choices depend on the GPU and archive: Ubuntu’s desktop guide, last updated August 25, 2026, labels its example nvidia-driver-595 as PB, but that is a dated example, not a universal recommendation. Ubuntu’s packaging and qualification process also means a version released by NVIDIA may not immediately be the one Ubuntu recommends.
Choose the right package route
| Route | Best suited to | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|
Additional Drivers or ubuntu-drivers |
Most desktop users, including gaming and general graphics | Ubuntu selects an available hardware match and manages compatible release packages. Prefer this route for the ordinary installation. |
| Ubuntu APT metapackages | Repeatable deployments managed with Ubuntu packages | Use the package names appropriate to the system and repository; do not assume a branch is available for every GPU. |
| DKMS modules | Custom kernels or cases where a prebuilt module is unavailable for the running kernel | Requires matching kernel headers and additional Secure Boot attention; Ubuntu does not recommend it for most users. |
Ubuntu -server packages (ERD) |
Server and data-center GPU workloads | Enterprise Ready Driver packages are qualified for longer support on data-center GPUs and omit some desktop features. They are not the default for a desktop or gaming PC. |
Ubuntu distinguishes Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) packages for general desktop and gaming from Enterprise Ready Driver (ERD) packages for server contexts. Some NVSwitch deployments also require Fabric Manager and NSCQ, which are infrastructure components rather than part of a typical desktop setup.
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Secure Boot and advanced DKMS setup
Ubuntu’s prebuilt signed driver packages are the preferred route when Secure Boot is enabled. A custom kernel or missing prebuilt module may call for DKMS, which builds a module for the running kernel. That path needs headers matching the kernel and may require trusting the module through Machine Owner Key (MOK) enrollment. Ubuntu warns that DKMS packages are not signed with Canonical’s key by default, so do not switch to DKMS unless the kernel situation requires it.
If you choose DKMS, follow Ubuntu’s instructions to install the matching linux-headers, the NVIDIA DKMS package, and its user-space metapackage. When prompted during reboot, complete the MOK enrollment screens; otherwise the module may not load under Secure Boot. The prebuilt signed package is simpler for standard Ubuntu kernels.
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Verify that the driver works
After restarting, run:
nvidia-smiA successful response identifies the NVIDIA GPU and reports driver and GPU information such as utilization, memory, fan, and clock details. If the command is missing, the monitoring utility package must match the installed driver version; check the installed branch instead of installing an arbitrary utility version.
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| Symptom | What it can indicate | Next step |
|---|---|---|
Failed to initialize NVML: Driver/library version mismatch |
User-space driver packages were updated, but the older kernel module is still loaded. | Check sudo dmesg for an NVRM: API mismatch message, then reboot to load the updated module. |
No devices were found |
One possible cause is that the Nouveau module is loaded. | Check with lsmod | grep nouveau. If Nouveau is loaded, use the blocklist and initramfs procedure below, then reboot. |
| Driver unavailable for the current or a custom kernel | A prebuilt module may not be available for that kernel. | Check the running kernel with uname -r; move to a supported kernel or use the advanced DKMS route with matching headers. |
| Driver installs but does not load with Secure Boot | The module may not be trusted or enrolled. | Prefer Ubuntu’s prebuilt signed package. If using DKMS, complete MOK enrollment when prompted during reboot. |
Blacklist Nouveau only when it is the conflict
First confirm Nouveau is loaded with lsmod | grep nouveau. If it is, Ubuntu’s documented fix is to blacklist it, rebuild the initramfs, and restart:
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echo blacklist nouveau | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
sudo update-initramfs -u
sudo rebootThis changes which graphics module can load at boot. Do not apply it as a generic first step when there is no evidence Nouveau is involved.
Install CUDA separately for compute workloads
The NVIDIA driver enables the GPU; CUDA is the compute platform and toolkit. Ubuntu 26.04 release notes document installing the toolkit from Ubuntu’s archive with sudo apt install cuda-toolkit. Choose and install the appropriate driver first; installing CUDA does not determine which driver branch matches the GPU.
NVIDIA also documents a separate Ubuntu repository workflow, including repository pinning and packages such as nvidia-open. Its guide notes package-naming changes starting with branch 590. That route can suit controlled deployments that need NVIDIA’s repository, but it should not be mixed casually with Ubuntu packages: packages from outside Ubuntu’s listed sources can replace packaged drivers or complicate Secure Boot. Follow one package-source strategy deliberately.
Quick Recap
Official references
- Ubuntu: NVIDIA drivers installation (desktop installation guidance, last updated August 25, 2026).
- Ubuntu: NVIDIA driver troubleshooting (Ubuntu documentation, last updated August 27, 2026).
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