Last Updated on 17 hours by Sachin G
Introduction
The AlmaLinux team has rolled out a significant upgrade for NVIDIA GPU users, making graphics driver installation smoother than ever. With AlmaLinux OS 9 and 10, you can now enjoy native NVIDIA Open GPU driver support — complete with Secure Boot compatibility and built-in CUDA package integration.
For system administrators, AI developers, and Linux enthusiasts, this means no more complex driver compilation or manual repository setups. A few dnf commands are now all that’s required for a fully functional NVIDIA environment.
Why This Matters for NVIDIA Users
Until recently, setting up NVIDIA drivers on Linux — especially with Secure Boot — was a tedious process involving manual downloads, kernel module signing, and dependency troubleshooting.
With NVIDIA’s decision to open-source their GPU drivers, AlmaLinux has integrated this support directly into their OS, enabling:
Improved stability and easier upgrades via official repositories.
Seamless installation through YUM/DNF.
Secure Boot compliance out-of-the-box.
CUDA-ready configurations for developers working with AI, HPC, and GPU-accelerated workloads.
How to Install NVIDIA Drivers on AlmaLinux 9 & 10
The installation process is straightforward. Here’s the step-by-step guide:
Step1 – Install the release package
sudo dnf install almalinux-release-nvidia-driverStep 2 – Install the NVIDIA driver
sudo dnf install nvidia-open-kmod nvidia-driverStep 3 – Reboot or load the kernel module
sudo reboot
or
sudo modprobe nvidia_drmVerifying Installation
You can confirm that the driver is active using nvidia-smi:
sudo dnf install nvidia-cuda-driver
nvidia-smiIf successful, you’ll see detailed GPU statistics including driver version, CUDA version, and GPU usage.
Installing CUDA for Development
For users working on AI/ML, 3D rendering, or high-performance computing, install the CUDA toolkit:
sudo dnf install cuda
This gives you access to NVIDIA’s full GPU acceleration stack.
Personal Insights from the Field
In large-scale deployments, engineers often struggled with:
- Driver/kernel mismatches after updates.
- Secure Boot rejections requiring manual signing.
- Delayed access to new CUDA versions.
With this AlmaLinux update, these headaches are virtually gone.
Real-World Use Cases
Data Science Teams: Spin up GPU-ready compute nodes for AI model training.
Rendering Farms: Deploy NVIDIA-powered render nodes with consistent driver versions.
Cloud Environments: Launch AlmaLinux-based GPU instances without post-install tweaks.
FAQs – AlmaLinux NVIDIA Update
A: No, the drivers now work with Secure Boot enabled by default.
A: Yes, AlmaLinux integrates NVIDIA’s open-source kernel module, which is becoming their mainline driver.
A: You can, but the open-source version is now recommended for most workloads.
A: Yes, installing the cuda package provides full CUDA support.
A: AlmaLinux’s official wiki: https://wiki.almalinux.org/documentation/nvidia.html
This update is a major win for AlmaLinux users with NVIDIA GPUs. By removing installation roadblocks and ensuring Secure Boot compatibility, AlmaLinux has positioned itself as a top choice for GPU-accelerated workloads.
I’m Sachin Gupta — a freelance IT support specialist and founder of techtransit.org. I’m certified in Linux, Ansible, OpenShift (Red Hat), cPanel, and ITIL, with over 15 years of hands-on experience. I create beginner-friendly Linux tutorials, help with Ansible automation, and offer IT support on platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour. Follow Tech Transit for practical tips, hosting guides, and real-world Linux expertise!