For Rocky Linux, there are a few recommended sources for drivers.
- ELRepo -
dnf install elrepo-release - RPMFusion (primarily for nvidia kmod drivers)
- CentOS Kmods SIG (they should have both stream and non-stream builds of kmods)
How do I know which one to go to?
It comes down to the hardware you have and what isn’t working for you.
If you have hardware that once worked on one major version (e.g. Rocky Linux 8) and no longer works on a newer major version, ELRepo may have the driver in the form of a kmod.
It is highly recommended to review their pages and repos to determine if they have the driver you need.
nvidia
What should I use for the nvidia drivers?
If you have an nvidia GPU and would like stable, working drivers, RPMFusion will almost always have what you need in the form of a kmod from their non-free repos. RPMFusion generally will provide drivers that will work for cards that are no longer supported by nvidia’s primary driver. However, this is not guaranteed. Please read here for more information for installation instructions based on your card.
The nvidia repos, while usable, may have issues when it comes to kernel updates. In this case, it is highly recommended to use their dkms drivers if you wish to use them rather than RPMFusion.
Are nvidia’s dkms usable? Are the repos compatible with rpmfusion?
As of this writing, nvidia provides dkms in their repos, which may be more usable/friendly compared to their kmods. Some users have reported success using these.
Compatibility between nvidia’s repos and rpmfusion is unclear and not formally tested. There are reports that they will work together. In all cases: your mileage may vary.
Why should I not use the nvidia .run installer?
The .run installer is never recommended. It is known to overwrite system files and is not sustainable across the life of the distribution’s updates. Due to this, it is recommended to use rpmfusion for the nvidia kmods.
I used the .run installer and want to transition to kmod/dkms/back to nouveau, how do I uninstall them cleanly?
The rpmfusion wiki explains how to do this here under the “Recover from NVIDIA installer” sections.