Failed to load NVIDIA drivers after update to 590

Accelerated Computing DGX Spark / GB10 User Forum DGX Spark / GB10
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Sorry stupid me saying that I had the same issue without giving help - yeah I ask gemini what to do. It was quite a scary situation / process

I ask gemini to write a short summery / Manual to do it.

NVIDIA Driver Downgrade Guide (590 → 580)

Goal: Cleanly remove the broken 590 driver and install the stable 580 version on Ubuntu. Prerequisite: sudo access.

Phase 1: Purge Current Drivers

First, we must remove all traces of the 590 driver and any failed 580 installations to prevent version mismatches.

Bash# 1. Stop the display manager (optional but recommended to prevent crashes)
sudo systemctl stop gdm    # Use 'lightdm' or 'sddm' if not using GNOME

# 2. Remove all NVIDIA 590 packages
sudo apt-get purge '*nvidia*590*' libnvidia*590* -y

# 3. Remove all NVIDIA 580 packages (to start fresh)
sudo apt-get purge '*nvidia*580*' libnvidia*580* -y

# 4. Clean up unused dependencies and configuration files
sudo apt-get autoremove -y
sudo apt-get autoclean

Phase 2: Install the 580 Driver

Now we install the specific “open” kernel module version of the 580 driver.

Bash# 1. Update package lists
sudo apt update

# 2. Install the 580 open driver
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-580-open -y

# 3. Install necessary kernel headers (crucial for building the module)
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) -y

Phase 3: Disable Secure Boot (Crucial Step)

If Secure Boot is active, the driver will not load. You must disable it.

Option A: The Software Method (MOK) This triggers a blue setup screen on the next reboot.

Bash# 1. Request to disable Secure Boot validation
sudo mokutil --disable-validation

# 2. It will ask you to create a temporary password (e.g., 12345678). 
#    REMEMBER THIS PASSWORD.

Option B: The BIOS Method If Option A is too confusing, simply reboot, enter your BIOS (F2/Del/F12), find “Secure Boot”, and set it to Disabled.

Phase 4: Reboot & Activate

Bash
sudo reboot

⚠️ DURING REBOOT (If you used Option A):

  1. You will see a blue screen titled “Perform MOK management”.
  2. Select “Change Secure Boot state”.
  3. Enter the password characters you created in Phase 3.
  4. Select “Yes” to disable Secure Boot.
  5. Select “Reboot”.

Phase 5: Verify & Lock

Once you are back in Ubuntu, run these commands to confirm success and prevent future breakage.

Bash# 1. Verify the driver is loaded
nvidia-smi

# 2. Prevent Ubuntu from auto-updating back to the broken 590 version
sudo apt-mark hold nvidia-driver-580-open

Troubleshooting: If nvidia-smi fails with “could not communicate”, run this to see why:

Bashsudo dkms status      # Should say "installed"
sudo modprobe nvidia  # If this says "Key rejected", Secure Boot is still ON.
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