DGX Spark NVIDIA driver issue

Accelerated Computing DGX Spark / GB10 User Forum DGX Spark / GB10
1

I set up a new DGX Spark and installed the available updates through the DGX Dashboard. I attempted to configure the Open Web UI using the tutorial, but the Docker container failed to start. The output from nvidia-smi states: “NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn’t communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.” Additionally, the system memory and GPU utilization gauges are not functioning. How can I resolve this issue? Thanks in advance.

Output dpkg -l|grep nvidia-driver:

ii  nvidia-driver-580-open                           580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2               arm64        NVIDIA driver (open kernel) metapackage

Output sudo cat /etc/fastos-release:

NAME="DGX SPARK FASTOS"
DATE="2025-09-12T22:05:35+00:00"
VERSION="1.81.38"
BUILD_TYPE="customer"

Output sudo cat /etc/dgx-release:

DGX_NAME="DGX Spark"
DGX_PRETTY_NAME="NVIDIA DGX Spark"
DGX_SWBUILD_DATE="2025-09-10-13-50-03"
DGX_SWBUILD_VERSION="7.2.3"
DGX_COMMIT_ID="833b4a7"
DGX_PLATFORM="DGX Server for KVM"
DGX_SERIAL_NUMBER="Not Specified"
2

Have a look over here.

Seems that the update was not complete. The expected DGX_COMMIT_ID is 03dc741 and the DGX_SWBUILD_DATE is newer than yours.

Seems that the DGX Dashboard is not that reliable.

You could run a:

apt update

in a shell session to make sure that the package catalog is refreshed. And then run the command mentioned by the mod:

apt list --upgradable

This will show you all open updates. If there are any open updates you could run the update manually via:

apt upgrade

…reboot and check again as described by the mod.

Although is nvidia-driver-580-open listed as installed, it might be possible that some packages are missing or are incomplete. nvidia-driver-580-open is a metapackage that has dependencies for other packages that allow you to build the driver via DKMS suitable for your kernel.

As an example:

$ apt depends nvidia-driver-580-open
nvidia-driver-580-open
  Depends: libnvidia-gl-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: nvidia-dkms-580-open (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: nvidia-kernel-common-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: nvidia-kernel-source-580-open (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: libnvidia-compute-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: libnvidia-extra-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: libnvidia-decode-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: libnvidia-encode-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  Depends: libnvidia-fbc1-580 (= 580.105.08-0ubuntu1)
  ...

Ignore the newer version. I run that on a cloud instance with dedicated GPU. You could also run a:

$ sudo dkms status
nvidia/580.105.08, 5.15.0-160-generic, x86_64: installed
nvidia/580.105.08, 5.15.0-161-generic, x86_64: installed

$ uname -r
5.15.0-161-generic

To check whether the driver was properly built for the running kernel version. Should be similar on the DGX Spark.

Should - because I still wait for my GB10 box to arrive this week. 🤪 At least its finally on its way.

3

after upgrade version should be

DGX_NAME=“DGX Spark”
DGX_PRETTY_NAME=“NVIDIA DGX Spark”
DGX_SWBUILD_DATE=“2025-10-04-06-28-28”
DGX_SWBUILD_VERSION=“7.2.3”
DGX_COMMIT_ID=“03dc741”
DGX_PLATFORM=“DGX Server for KVM”
DGX_SERIAL_NUMBER=“Not Specified”
rei@sparkai:~/jupyterlab$ cat /etc/fastos-release
NAME=“DGX SPARK FASTOS”
DATE=“2025-10-10T03:26:29+00:00”
VERSION=“1.91.51”
BUILD_TYPE=“customer”

4

Interesting, looks like nvidia driver packages are broken in their ubuntu repo:

eugr@spark:~$ apt info nvidia-open
Package: nvidia-open
Version: 580.105.08-0ubuntu1
Priority: optional
Section: NVIDIA
Maintainer: NVIDIA <cudatools@nvidia.com>
Installed-Size: 7,168 B
Depends: nvidia-driver-580-open (>= 580.105.08) | nvidia-driver-580-server-open (>= 580.105.08)
Conflicts: cuda-drivers, nvidia-driver-580, nvidia-driver-580-server
Breaks: nvidia-driver-580-open (<< 580.105.08), nvidia-driver-580-server-open (<< 580.105.08)
Replaces: cuda-drivers, nvidia-driver-580, nvidia-driver-580-server
Homepage: http://www.nvidia.com
Download-Size: 2,558 B
APT-Sources: https://developer.download.nvidia.com/compute/cuda/repos/ubuntu2404/sbsa  Packages
Description: NVIDIA Driver meta-package, Open GPU kernel modules, latest version
 Meta-package containing all the available packages related to the NVIDIA driver.

So, the meta package points to the new 580.105.08, but it doesn’t exist in the repo:

eugr@spark:~$ apt info nvidia-driver-580-open
Package: nvidia-driver-580-open
Version: 580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2
Priority: optional
Section: libs
Source: nvidia-graphics-drivers-580
5

Thanks for the replies so far. apt list –upgradeable offers nothing. I performed an apt update, after which the DGX Dashboard presented two additional update processes that I also completed. I have a DGX_SERIAL_NUMBER and two more entries to dgx-release now:

DGX_OTA_VERSION="7.3.1"
DGX_OTA_DATE="Wed Nov 19 08:47:00 CET 2025"

But otherwise, it’s still using the old builds. Furthermore, the dashboard now shows:

CleanShot 2025-11-19 at 10.20.01
CleanShot 2025-11-19 at 10.20.01505×220 12.8 KB

I submitted a support ticket.

6

You should be using nvidia-driver-580-open and this is still on 580.95.05-0ubuntu0.24.04.2 as these are the signed drivers needed for secure boot. The nvidia-open points to the nvidia cuda repos which are the dkms module versions of the drivers.

7

where is the fix to this?

8

My solution was to disable secure boot…