Linux 6.17.x + NVIDIA 580.xx: Driver loads, DRM nodes missing, nvidia-smi reports “No devices were found” (RTX 5080)

[Okami-26]

Heyo,

I’m reporting an issue with NVIDIA proprietary drivers on Linux kernel 6.17.x where the driver loads successfully, but the GPU isn’t exposed to userspace.

System Details:

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (MSI SUPRIM Liquid SOC)
• Driver versions test: 580.119.02
• Kernel Versions Test:
  • 6.17.10
• Distro: Kali Linux (rolling)
• Secure Boot: Disabled
• Nouveau: Disabled
• Installation Method: `.run` installer with DKMS

Observations:

1. The NVIDIA kernel modules load correctly
   Command: lsmod | grep nvidia
   Output:
   nvidia_drm
   nvidia_modeset
   nvidia
   etc…

2. Device Nodes Exist:
   /dev/nvidia0
   /dev/nvidiactl
   /dev/nvidia-uvm

3. GPU is detected internally:
   cat /proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0000:0b:00.0/information
   Model: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
   etc…

4. dmesg shows successful init
   nvidia-modeset: Loading NVIDIA Kernel Mode Setting Driver 580.119.02
   nvidia-drm: Loading Driver

However…

• /sys/class/drm contains only version
• No card0, renderD128, etc.
• nvidia-smi reports “No devices were found”

My Conclusion
This seems to be a DRM Registration Failure on Linux 6.17.x since: Kernel modules load, gpu is detected, DRM devices are never registered, userspace tools cannot see the GPU.

This issue is likely reproducible on clean installs.

Please advise whether: this is a known incompatibility with the DRM changes to Linux 6.17, an upcoming or currently released driver will restore the DRM registration, or any known workarounds.

Here are the dmesg, lscpi -nnk, and nvidia debug bash script outputs. Let me know if you require any further logs/info.

Thank you for your time and help :)

nvidia-bug-report.log.gz (633.5 KB)
lspci.txt (5.4 KB)
dmesg.txt (96.5 KB)

[morgwai666]

Blackwell requires “open” kernel modules, it is not supported by the proprietary ones. Something that would become immediately obvious, if only you had performed the most basic web-search.

update: …or bothered to read your own logs:

Jan 07 07:46:53 OKAMI-DESKTOP kernel: NVRM: The NVIDIA GPU 0000:0b:00.0 (PCI ID: 10de:2c02)
                                      NVRM: installed in this system requires use of the NVIDIA open kernel modules.

[Okami-26]

Ah, missed that, will test that and mark as solution once verified. Thank you very much for kindly pointing that out :)

UPDATE:
Confirmed :D

Solution: Use the open source kernel modules, not the NVIDIA Proprietary ones (they do not exist)

During .run installation, select “MIT/GPL” as kernel module type.

Explanation:

Since 2024, NVIDIA has transitioned its Linux driver architecture so that the GPU kernel modules are open source, replacing the legacy proprietary (closed-source) kernel modules. This change was made to improve integration with the Linux kernel, reduce breakage across kernel updates, and allow closer collaboration with the Linux ecosystem.

For newer architectures released after this transition (Grace Hopper and Blackwell), NVIDIA no longer provides proprietary kernel modules for Linux at all. As a result, these GPUs cannot use the legacy closed-source kernel driver. Only the open-source NVIDIA kernel modules are supported.

Importantly, this does not mean the entire driver stack is open source. User-space components such as OpenGL, Vulkan, CUDA, NVENC, and other NVIDIA libraries remain proprietary and are still required. The change applies specifically to the kernel-space driver, which is now the only supported kernel interface for Blackwell GPUs on Linux.

Because of this, attempting to install or force legacy proprietary kernel drivers on Blackwell hardware will fail. Not due to a Linux limitation, but because NVIDIA does not ship closed-source kernel modules that support these architectures.

Having been using a 2070 Super for the past 7 years, and upgrading to a 5080 only two weeks ago. I was not known to this change, but have learned and hope that this forum reaches anyone who needs it in the future :)

[Announcement - NVIDIA Transitions Fully Towards Open-Source GPU Kernel Modules - Jul 17, 2024]

[Article - NVIDIA Shifts Gears: Open-Source Linux GPU Drivers Take Center Stage - Jul 18th, 2024]

[morgwai666]

I apologize for my annoyed tone, but questions about the same problem are posted regularly here like every 2 weeks ;-)