How to Install NVIDIA Graphics Drivers on Debian 12 Bookworm

For users running Debian 12 with NVIDIA graphics cards, installing the appropriate drivers is crucial to unlock the full potential of your hardware. NVIDIA drivers are essential for leveraging the power of your graphics card, significantly enhancing performance in demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, and 3D rendering.

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough for installing NVIDIA graphics drivers on Debian 12 Bookworm.

Step 1: System Update

Before proceeding with any new software installations, it's always recommended to ensure your Debian 12 system is fully updated. This practice guarantees you have the latest package lists and software versions, minimizing potential conflicts and ensuring a smooth installation process. Execute the following commands in your terminal:

Bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

These commands will refresh the package lists and upgrade any outdated packages on your system to their newest versions.

Step 2: Identify Your NVIDIA Graphics Card

To install the correct NVIDIA driver, you first need to identify the specific model of your NVIDIA graphics card. This information is necessary to ensure compatibility and optimal driver selection. Use the following command in the terminal to retrieve details about your NVIDIA hardware:

Bash

lspci | grep -i nvidia

This command lists all PCI devices and filters the output to display only entries related to NVIDIA. Look for the line that describes your graphics card. It will resemble the example below:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] (rev a1)

In this example, the identified graphics card is a "GeForce GTX 1060 6GB". Take note of your graphics card model for the subsequent steps.

Step 3: Enable the Non-Free Repository

Debian's default repositories primarily include free and open-source software. To install proprietary NVIDIA drivers, it's necessary to enable the "non-free" repository. This repository contains software that, while not fully free, is often required for hardware support.

To enable the non-free repository, open your system's sources list file using a text editor with administrative privileges:

Bash

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Within this file, locate the lines that begin with deb and end with main. Append non-free to the end of these lines. For instance, modify lines to look like the following examples:

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main non-free
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main non-free

After making these changes, save the file and close the text editor. Then, update your package lists to incorporate the newly enabled repository:

Bash

sudo apt update

Step 4: Install the NVIDIA Driver

With the non-free repository enabled, you can now proceed to install the NVIDIA driver. The recommended approach is to utilize the nvidia-detect tool. This utility intelligently analyzes your system and suggests the most suitable driver package for your NVIDIA graphics card.

First, install the nvidia-detect tool:

Bash

sudo apt install nvidia-detect

Once installed, run nvidia-detect to identify the recommended driver package:

Bash

nvidia-detect

The output will resemble the following, indicating the recommended package:

Detected NVIDIA GPUs:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] [10de:1c03] (rev a1)

It is recommended to install the
nvidia-driver
package.

In this example, nvidia-driver is the recommended package. Install it using the apt install command:

Bash

sudo apt install nvidia-driver

If nvidia-detect suggests a different package, replace nvidia-driver with the package name provided in the recommendation. During the installation, you will be prompted to confirm the installation; type Y and press Enter to proceed.

After the installation is complete, reboot your system to ensure the new drivers are loaded and active:

Bash

sudo reboot

Upon system restart, you can verify the successful installation and operation of the NVIDIA drivers by running the following command:

Bash

nvidia-smi

This command displays detailed information about your NVIDIA graphics card, including the installed driver version and GPU utilization. If this information is displayed correctly, it confirms that the NVIDIA drivers are properly installed and functioning.

Troubleshooting

Should you encounter any issues after installing the drivers, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

• Black Screen After Reboot: If your screen remains black after rebooting, try switching to a different terminal (e.g., by pressing CTRL + ALT + F2). From there, attempt to reinstall the drivers. Alternatively, you can try booting with the nomodeset kernel parameter.
• Driver Not Loading: Ensure that the nvidia-kernel-dkms package is installed. This package is crucial for correctly building the NVIDIA kernel module for your specific system configuration.
• Incorrect Driver Installation: If you suspect that you have installed an incorrect driver, you can remove all NVIDIA driver packages using sudo apt remove nvidia-*. After removal, reinstall the correct driver following the steps outlined in this guide.

Conclusion

Installing NVIDIA graphics drivers on Debian 12 is a relatively straightforward process when you follow the correct steps. By adhering to this guide, you should be able to successfully install and configure the appropriate drivers for your NVIDIA graphics card. This will enable you to fully utilize your hardware's capabilities for gaming, video editing, 3D graphics work, and other demanding applications. If you encounter any challenges, the Debian community and NVIDIA's official support resources are excellent places to seek assistance.