ubuntu-drivers

List available drivers for the current hardware

$ sudo ubuntu-drivers list

$ sudo ubuntu-drivers install

$ ubuntu-drivers

ubuntu-drivers [--gpgpu] {autoinstall | devices | list | install <driver-package> | purge | add-ppa | status} [options]

autoinstall
    Automatically installs the recommended proprietary drivers for detected hardware.

devices | list
    Lists detected hardware and the available proprietary drivers, indicating which are recommended.

install <driver-package>
    Installs a specific proprietary driver package by name (e.g., nvidia-driver-470).

purge
    Removes all proprietary drivers previously installed by ubuntu-drivers.

add-ppa
    Adds a PPA (Personal Package Archive) for more recent or experimental drivers, often used for newer NVIDIA releases.

status
    Shows the status of installed proprietary drivers.

--gpgpu
    Filters output to show only drivers relevant to GPGPU (General-Purpose computing on Graphics Processing Units). This is a global option for the command.

ubuntu-drivers is a command-line utility in Ubuntu that simplifies the management and installation of proprietary hardware drivers. It is particularly useful for graphics cards (NVIDIA, AMD), but can also assist with other hardware requiring specific drivers, such as Wi-Fi adapters.

The tool helps users identify suitable drivers for their system's hardware and provides mechanisms to install or remove them. It acts as an abstraction layer over apt and dkms, making the process of installing third-party drivers much more user-friendly, especially for those unfamiliar with manual driver compilation or package management. It ensures that the correct kernel modules are built and integrated into the system, often recommending stable and tested versions. This command is an essential part of Ubuntu's effort to provide a smooth user experience even with closed-source hardware components, allowing users to leverage full hardware capabilities without deep technical knowledge.

• Requires an active internet connection to download drivers.
• A system reboot is often required after driver installation for changes to take effect.
• Can potentially conflict with manually installed drivers or other driver management tools.
• Primarily focuses on proprietary drivers; open-source drivers are generally managed directly by the kernel or standard package updates.
• Using the add-ppa command should be done with caution, as PPAs can sometimes introduce instability if not well-maintained.

The ubuntu-drivers command-line tool powers the 'Additional Drivers' section found in Ubuntu's graphical environment (typically under 'Software & Updates' or 'Drivers'). This offers a user-friendly graphical interface for those who prefer not to use the terminal.

When using ubuntu-drivers devices or autoinstall, the tool often suggests a 'recommended' driver. This recommendation is based on a balance of stability, performance, and compatibility, making it the safest and most reliable choice for most users.

ubuntu-drivers emerged as part of Ubuntu's ongoing effort to simplify hardware support, particularly for graphics cards, which have historically been a common pain point for Linux users due to proprietary binary blobs. It was developed to streamline the process of identifying, installing, and managing these drivers, effectively superseding or complementing earlier, more manual methods. Its introduction reflects Ubuntu's commitment to user-friendliness and out-of-the-box hardware compatibility, especially for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs where performance and features often depend on closed-source drivers. The command-line tool also powers the 'Additional Drivers' graphical utility, providing a consistent backend for driver management.

apt(8), modprobe(8), dkms(8), lspci(8), lsusb(8)