The Latest NVIDIA Linux Driver Release.
 

I started this topic,
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...-a-4175572087/

a long time ago and thought a new thread for Slackware users would be more appropriate than adding to an old thread.

NVIDIA has released a new "Long Lived Branch version," 384.47.

https://www.nvidia.com/Download/driv...x/120294/en-us

It is marked as "beta," but is working fine.... so far, with Slackware64-current.
:)

A list of their Unix/Linux Drivers,

https://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

I am using 381.09 with Nvidia gtx 1050
dont see a reason to go bleeding edge on drivers anymore. maybe if I had a 1080 and was doing hardcore HD gaming. But I cannot afford to.

I'm still using the latest stable, 375.66. I don't like to use their beta drivers, as i have played multiplayer games in the past where i would get crashes on occasion, resulting in me getting killed or losing items etc, where reverting to the stable driver doesn't trigger those crashes.

I always check this for the latest drivers:
But seems i'm still using the latest release for now.

What is the difference between short and long lived branches?

I reverted from NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-381.09.run back to NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-375.66.run a few Kernel Updates ago.

NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-381.09.run seemed to work fine except that it concerned me that I didn't see the reassuring NVidia Splash Screen after typing: startx from my runlevel 3 bash prompt.

Staying with NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-375.66.run for the time being ...


coralfang --

Thanks for the curl command !

Very nice, very clean, very easy !

-- kjh

FWIW I'm a rather avid gamer especially since my stroke a few years ago as it is good exercise for the brain/body connection. I learned a long time ago that while it's nice to have max graphics since it is so much easier for game developers to crank up the candy than it is to actually create a game worth playing, gameplay comes first so I don't worry about AAA titles with maxed out graphics or 3D Mark scores. I'm currently and for a few years now using an nVidia GTX-760 since it has been my policy of buying a mid $200 USD card once every 5-7 years.

Most gamers would consider my monitor crap as it is a 32 inch Vizio Smart TV that fakes 120Hz but does deliver a decent 1080p. These are sufficient for me with the most recent AAA game I've played being Deus Ex: The Human Revolution which after a bit of tweaking played very well. Soon I will try the newest 2017 release. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, largely because I not only enjoy the series but a Native Linux version has been released, even before a Mac version. It's currently being offered through Steam at a large discount and I want to provide support for Gabe Newell's efforts which seem to have borne fruit in encouraging Native Linux versions.

I have been happily using 378.09 for some time now but within the next couple weeks will try this latest Deus Ex first with my current driver and then with this long lived Beta. I've experienced very good results with nVidia Beta drivers in the past even on aging hardware and expect similar results now. I'll report back my experiences soon.

A problem I was having with Wine after updating the multilib files turned out to be caused by the new "Long Lived Branch version," 384.47.
After reverting to the 375.66 'Long Lived" driver the problem disappeared.

I'm still with 352.63 from 14.1 Slackbuilds.. Wonder if the release mentioned here fixes it my issues.. (my G-SYNC monitor always lid is always red indicating G-SYNC is ON even thought it's not _on 375 drivers_ - older drivers - it's white) (And yeah it's white in Windows... with latest drivers)

edit: mention broken driver version

One could say it is similar to the difference between "stable" vs.
"current," i.e., the NVIDIA "short lived" driver is the "cutting edge" development series and the "long lived" is the stable, production ready release.

Reporting Back - Well while my results may be somewhat helkpful to some they are not definitive due to the above mentioned combination of new nVidia driver and Steam. I installed the LT Beta mentioned here via nVidia's own installer and everything went well, except for Steam. The base SteamApp worked but was considerably slower than what it was apparently built around and Deus Ex" Mankind Divided wouldn't launch. It had launched but loaded rather agonizingly slowly with 378.09 but balked at 384.47. I dropped back to the Steam recommended 367.57 and it ran better. Oddly the load, though better, is still very slow but the game itself, once loaded, runs great and looks amazing. I have no idea why a newer version presents any problems at all to Steam, but hopefully they will update before too long. In any case, other than this late 2016 Native Linux game ON STEAM (I used Steam because it was so much cheaper than local install) the 384.47 LT Beta worked perfectly for my GTX 760.

Thanks! I've been using the short lived driver without any problems.

Correction:

Latest Long Lived Branch version: 375.66
Latest Short Lived Branch version: 381.22

LLB are now posted to SBO.

I second enorbet's statements. I, too, game extensively, more than I should probably since I don't have a good excuse, on linux native Steam, GOG.com and Humblebundle.com, as well as WINE (and DOSBOX, but retro is a whole nuther addiction...). Also, being on a budget I also, stick with GPUs in the 200-250 range. While eye candy is nice, game play design and stability is paramount. For linux especially, sticking with the Long Lived Branch is highly recommended. The beta's can be trouble in Steam and WINE.

Having followed gaming GPUs since 3DFX Voodoo, the whole eye candy speed spec thing reminds me of the muscle car days in high school: guys bragged extensively about their hp and 1/4 mile etc etc but the car rarely left the garage. You see, the national speed limit was 55mph so you still didn't get anywhere any faster, and gas prices put you in the poor house just driving around the block (70s oil "crisis"), and all those fancy upgrades weren't cheap so you had too work overtime at the burger joint etc. I got far more beach time in then those guys!

Moral: the hardware/drivers you can actually use are better than trouble shooting the bleeding edge (no matter how "photo-realistic"). My 2 cents.

At the time I posted the first message in this topic, the information in that post was correct. I double and triple checked it as I thought it odd a "beta" driver was listed as the "Long Lived Branch" driver. It stayed like that for a day so before the page reverted back to the 375.66 release.

I have an old (10 yrs) GeForce chipset that isn't supported after 304. This also means I'm using kernel 4.8.x, because I can't get the driver to compile for 4.9 or later. If anyone has any tips, I'd be grateful.