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HomeOctober 2026 patch cycleNVIDIA 615.71 driver won't build on Linux 7.0 kernels

DeployEnterpriseHomelabfrom 2026-10

NVIDIA 615.71 driver won't build on Linux 7.0 kernels

Part of October 2026 patch cycle

Vendor
NVIDIA, Proxmox, Ubuntu
Products
NVIDIA open kernel modules 615.71.09, NVIDIA open kernel modules 615.71.10, Proxmox VE kernel 7.0.14-20 and later, and Ubuntu kernel 7.0.0-42
Published
· updated
Status
Resolved

Update, Nov 9: Resolved. NVIDIA released Linux driver 620.70.06 on Nov 4, the first stable 620.xx driver. On Nov 5 NVIDIA’s engineer wrote in the GitHub issue that “the fix should be available in 620.70.06” and that no more 615 releases are planned, then closed it. Reporters back it up: one says 620.70.06 builds and boots on Ubuntu 26.04 with 7.0.0-42, with no more kernel panic, and a Proxmox user says it’s fixed there too. NVIDIA’s own changelog for 620.70.06 doesn’t mention the DKMS fix, so go by the issue. The call goes to Deploy: move to 620.70.06, check dkms status shows it built for your new kernel, and then take the kernel update. On Proxmox that also means you can stop choosing between the GPU and the PwnEscape fix. (NVIDIA #1433, GamingOnLinux, Adventures With Linux)

The original post follows.

Original call: Known issue. NVIDIA’s 615.71.09 and 615.71.10 open kernel modules fail to build under DKMS on newer 7.0 kernels: Proxmox VE 7.0.14-20 and later, and Ubuntu 7.0.0-42. NVIDIA confirmed the bug on Nov 2 and said “It will be fixed in the 620.xx NVIDIA driver release series.” It didn’t give a date, and no 620.xx Linux driver is out yet. Until then, check before you take a kernel update on a box with an NVIDIA GPU.

What breaks: On the new kernel, the DKMS build stops with field 'cxlds' has incomplete type (struct cxl_dev_state). How bad that gets depends on the distro:

  • Proxmox VE: the new kernel has no NVIDIA module. The host comes back from a reboot without its GPU driver.
  • Ubuntu: two independent reports go worse. The failed DKMS hook aborted the kernel’s post-install step, so no initramfs was built for 7.0.0-42. Booting that kernel then ended in a kernel panic. One user reproduced it on two machines.

Who’s hit: People running NVIDIA’s 615.x open driver, installed through DKMS from NVIDIA’s CUDA repository, on:

  • Proxmox VE with proxmox-kernel 7.0.14-20, -23 or -25
  • Ubuntu 26.04 or 24.04 (HWE) moving to 7.0.0-42

The GitHub issue holds at least seven independent reports, counting a blog write-up. The same kernel and driver combination failed for every one. One reporter found 610.57.04 builds fine on 7.0.0-42. NVIDIA says the regression is only in 615.xx and later, and that 580.xx “should already be compatible”.

That leaves Proxmox users in a corner. The PwnEscape VM-escape fix (CVE-2026-99999) ships in proxmox-kernel 7.0.14-24, which is one of the kernels this driver won’t build against. Choose between the GPU and the fix on purpose.

What to do:

  • Before rebooting into a new kernel, check dkms status and look for apt errors. If the NVIDIA build failed, don’t reboot into that kernel yet.
  • Ubuntu, already stuck: boot the previous kernel from GRUB’s advanced options. Then run sudo dkms remove nvidia/615.71.10 --all, sudo dpkg --configure -a, sudo update-initramfs -u -k all and sudo update-grub.
  • Ubuntu, the other route: one commenter says Ubuntu has patched its own packaged 615 driver (nvidia-graphics-drivers-615, 615.71.09-0ubuntu0.26.04.2). That’s a single report, so check it before you count on it.
  • Proxmox: to keep the GPU, pin the last kernel that works with proxmox-boot-tool kernel pin, knowing it lacks the PwnEscape fix. Otherwise move to the 580 branch if your GPU supports it, or run without the driver until 620.xx ships.

Sources: NVIDIA open-gpu-kernel-modules #1433, Lothar Schulz, Mixed News.

Sources

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