Ubuntu 20.04 - NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn’t communicate with the NVIDIA driver

Issue : Ubuntu 20.04 - NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn’t communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.

Bug Report is attached.
nvidia-bug-report.log.gz (155.1 KB)

|Description:|Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS|
|Release:|20.04|
|Codename:|focal|
|Kernel:|5.14.0-1054-oem|

Command:
dpkg -l | grep nvidia
Output:
lntecc@lntecc-Precision-3640-Tower:~$ dpkg -l | grep nvidia
iU libnvidia-cfg1-515:amd64 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA binary OpenGL/GLX configuration library
ii libnvidia-common-515 515.65.01-0ubuntu1 all Shared files used by the NVIDIA libraries
rc libnvidia-compute-460:amd64 460.91.03-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA libcompute package
rc libnvidia-compute-470:amd64 470.129.06-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA libcompute package
rc libnvidia-compute-510:amd64 510.85.02-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA libcompute package
iU libnvidia-compute-515:amd64 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA libcompute package
iU libnvidia-compute-515:i386 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 i386 NVIDIA libcompute package
rc libnvidia-compute-520:amd64 520.56.06-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA libcompute package
iU libnvidia-decode-515:amd64 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA Video Decoding runtime libraries
iU libnvidia-decode-515:i386 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 i386 NVIDIA Video Decoding runtime libraries
iU libnvidia-encode-515:amd64 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVENC Video Encoding runtime library
iU libnvidia-encode-515:i386 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 i386 NVENC Video Encoding runtime library
iU libnvidia-extra-515:amd64 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 Extra libraries for the NVIDIA driver
iU libnvidia-fbc1-515:amd64 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA OpenGL-based Framebuffer Capture runtime library
iU libnvidia-fbc1-515:i386 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 i386 NVIDIA OpenGL-based Framebuffer Capture runtime library
iU libnvidia-gl-515:amd64 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA OpenGL/GLX/EGL/GLES GLVND libraries and Vulkan ICD
iU libnvidia-gl-515:i386 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 i386 NVIDIA OpenGL/GLX/EGL/GLES GLVND libraries and Vulkan ICD
ii libnvidia-ml-dev 10.1.243-3 amd64 NVIDIA Management Library (NVML) development files
rc linux-modules-nvidia-460-5.11.0-36-generic 5.11.0-36.40~20.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-36
rc linux-modules-nvidia-460-5.11.0-37-generic 5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-37
rc linux-modules-nvidia-460-5.11.0-38-generic 5.11.0-38.42~20.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-38
rc linux-modules-nvidia-460-5.8.0-43-generic 5.8.0-43.49~20.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.8.0-43
rc linux-modules-nvidia-470-5.15.0-41-generic 5.15.0-41.44~20.04.1+1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.15.0-41
rc linux-objects-nvidia-460-5.11.0-36-generic 5.11.0-36.40~20.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-36 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-460-5.11.0-37-generic 5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-37 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-460-5.11.0-38-generic 5.11.0-38.42~20.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-38 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-470-5.11.0-40-generic 5.11.0-40.44~20.04.2+1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-40 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-470-5.11.0-43-generic 5.11.0-43.47~20.04.2 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.11.0-43 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-470-5.13.0-40-generic 5.13.0-40.45~20.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.13.0-40 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-470-5.13.0-51-generic 5.13.0-51.58~20.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.13.0-51 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-470-5.15.0-41-generic 5.15.0-41.44~20.04.1+1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.15.0-41 (objects)
rc linux-objects-nvidia-470-5.15.0-46-generic 5.15.0-46.49~20.04.1+1 amd64 Linux kernel nvidia modules for version 5.15.0-46 (objects)
rc nvidia-compute-utils-510 510.85.02-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA compute utilities
iU nvidia-compute-utils-515 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA compute utilities
rc nvidia-compute-utils-520 520.56.06-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA compute utilities
ii nvidia-cuda-dev 10.1.243-3 amd64 NVIDIA CUDA development files
ii nvidia-cuda-doc 10.1.243-3 all NVIDIA CUDA and OpenCL documentation
ii nvidia-cuda-gdb 10.1.243-3 amd64 NVIDIA CUDA Debugger (GDB)
ii nvidia-cuda-toolkit 10.1.243-3 amd64 NVIDIA CUDA development toolkit
rc nvidia-dkms-510 510.85.02-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA DKMS package
iU nvidia-dkms-515 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA DKMS package
rc nvidia-dkms-520 520.56.06-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA DKMS package
rc nvidia-dkms-520-open 520.56.06-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA DKMS package (open kernel module)
iU nvidia-driver-515 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA driver metapackage
rc nvidia-kernel-common-510 510.85.02-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 Shared files used with the kernel module
ii nvidia-kernel-common-515 515.65.01-0ubuntu1 amd64 Shared files used with the kernel module
rc nvidia-kernel-common-520 520.56.06-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 Shared files used with the kernel module
iU nvidia-kernel-source-515 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA kernel source package
ii nvidia-modprobe 515.65.01-0ubuntu1 amd64 Load the NVIDIA kernel driver and create device files
ii nvidia-opencl-dev:amd64 10.1.243-3 amd64 NVIDIA OpenCL development files
ii nvidia-prime 0.8.16~0.20.04.2 all Tools to enable NVIDIA’s Prime
ii nvidia-profiler 10.1.243-3 amd64 NVIDIA Profiler for CUDA and OpenCL
ii nvidia-settings 515.65.01-0ubuntu1 amd64 Tool for configuring the NVIDIA graphics driver
iU nvidia-utils-515 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA driver support binaries
ii nvidia-visual-profiler 10.1.243-3 amd64 NVIDIA Visual Profiler for CUDA and OpenCL
ii screen-resolution-extra 0.18build1 all Extension for the nvidia-settings control panel
iU xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-515 515.76+really.515.65.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64 NVIDIA binary Xorg driver

Please switch to the standard 5.15 kernel and install kernel headers
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

@generix Hi. How can I switch to the standard 5.15 kernel? I looked up online but the results either didn’t work or are confusing.

Please check if it’s already available in grub menu (holding ‘shift’ on boot). If not, install it
sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-20.04
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack
You’re running an outdated 5.14 oem kernel, 5.15 is the HWE kernel, 5.4 the GA kernel.

@generix. This issue is now resolved. Thanks again!!

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