The state of installing newer graphics drivers for AMD and Nvidia cards on Ubuntu is a mixed bag. While it's undeniably faster than Windows, it's not intuitive for new users who need bleeding edge beta drivers to play the newest games. Or for those of us who want to enjoy Windows games on Linux courtesy of Steam Play. Fortunately, Canonical plans to make this process much easier in the next version of Ubuntu.
Ubuntu's LTS (or Long-Term Support) releases focus on stability, meaning they don't ship with or officially support beta graphics drivers. Ubuntu 18.04.1, for example, ships with Nvidia's 390 driver and the MESA 18.05.1 driver for Radeon cards. But using Proton and Steam Play requires Nvidia 396.54 and MESA 18.1.x.
Because these are different classes of drivers, you can't update automatically through Ubuntu's usual Software Update GUI (graphical user interface).
There's a similar situation with the brand new Ubuntu 18.10 "Cosmic Cuttlefish" release. Nvidia's latest 410.xx graphics driver exited beta status just after the Ubuntu 18.10 release window closed. The driver will be backported in the near future, but what can users do right now to update to the latest and greatest?
The current solution is to add a "Personal Package Archive (PPA)" or repository for graphics drivers which acts as an alternate source for software installations and updates. (The appropriate PPA for Ubuntu is here.)
Once added to Ubuntu via two quick Terminal commands -- or via the Software & Updates settings as pictured above -- stepping up to bleeding edge drivers is straightforward. But knowing how to find the PPA and where to go within the OS? That can be an obscure process for people coming over from Windows or macOS.
And since I'm a relatively new Linux user myself, I prefer to target my content at other newbies. We Linux padawans want simplicity, so I reject the idea that "the way it's done is the way it's done." Every step in the gaming chain needs to be foolproof, since gaming is often the stumbling block that hinders long-term Linux adoption.
Fortunately Canonical's Will Cooke, who serves as Ubuntu's Desktop Director, hasn't lost touch with the Linux rookies. In a Twitter conversation with me this week, Cooke mentioned some terrific news:
We also plan to put some GUI around the PPA next cycle to make it more pointy-clicky. Note: *plan* to.
— Will Cooke (@8none1) October 17, 2018
Seeking clarification, I asked Cooke if the necessary PPA would be populated and selectable in this future GUI, negating the need to hunt down the URL and add it manually. Cooke's reply: "Yeah, allowing easier access to the beta drivers."
Cooke emphasized that this is a plan (not locked in or set in stone) for the next cycle, which I assume means Ubuntu 19.04 in April 2019. Still, that's a breath of fresh air and will make it exponentially easier for new users in the Linux camp to manage and update their graphics drivers.
Speaking of graphics drivers, I've been learning how to use the outstanding Phoronix Test Suite. Stay tuned for an AMD Radeon graphics comparison between Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 18.10.
MORE ABOUT LINUX ON FORBES:
- Linux For Beginners: What's A Desktop Environment?
- Beginner's Guide: How To Install Ubuntu 18.04
- Ubuntu Guide: Install Drivers And Play Windows Games On Linux
- 5 Reasons To Switch From Windows To Linux Right Now
- How To Try Linux Without Making Any Changes To Your PC
- Ditching Windows: 2 Weeks With Ubuntu On The Dell XPS 13
- Ditching Windows: Here's How Ubuntu Updates Your PC And Why It's Better
- Elementary OS First Impressions: A Simple, Beautiful Doorway To Linux
- Valve Changes Everything: Windows-Exclusive Games Now Run On Steam For Linux
- Steam For Linux Adds 1000 Perfectly Playable Games In Under A Week
- Open Source Challenge: Why One Band Chose Linux To Record Their New Album
- elementary OS 5.0 Juno: Here Are The Best New Features
