**Subject: Serious regression caused by forced NVIDIA 610 → 615 Open transition on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS**
I am reporting a serious regression affecting my Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Kubuntu) gaming workstation after the NVIDIA driver transition associated with LP #2167526. On October 8, 2026, a routine update through KDE Discover/PackageKit upgraded `nvidia-driver-610` from `610.57.04-0ubuntu0.26.04.3` to `.4`. This package now depends on `nvidia-driver-615`, which in turn pulls in the `615-open` driver variant. As a result, my system moved from the traditional proprietary NVIDIA 610 kernel module to NVIDIA 615.71.09 Open without an explicit request to change driver branches or kernel-module variants. **System information:** - Distribution: Kubuntu 26.04 LTS - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 - Kernel: 7.0.0-38-generic - Desktop: KDE Plasma, Wayland - Secure Boot: enabled - Previous working driver: NVIDIA 610.57.04, proprietary kernel modules - Driver loaded after the update: NVIDIA 615.71.09, Open kernel modules - Package manager: Discover/PackageKit - Steam games using Proton and DirectX 12 **Observed regression:** Games that previously worked now encounter errors, including Horizon Forbidden West and Skull and Bones. I have tested my installed games and found that the problem is not limited to one title. The regression began after the driver transition. Although the precise technical cause has not yet been isolated, the timing, package history, and change in loaded NVIDIA modules strongly justify investigating the transition as a potential cause. **My concerns are:** 1. Why was a package named `nvidia-driver-610` changed into a dependency path that installs NVIDIA 615? 2. Why did this transition also replace the traditional proprietary kernel-module variant with Open modules? 3. Why was the previous 610 branch not retained as an independently installable option for users affected by regressions? 4. What testing was performed with Steam, Proton, VKD3D-Proton, and DirectX 12 workloads before this transition was released? 5. What is the officially supported rollback procedure for affected users who need to retain the proprietary 610 driver with Secure Boot enabled? 6. Will Canonical consider restoring a supported installation path for the 610 branch, or providing an explicit opt-in mechanism for major NVIDIA driver-branch transitions? This is a significant reliability concern for an LTS distribution. A routine package update should not unexpectedly replace a working graphics-driver branch and module variant without providing a clear, supported recovery path. I request that the maintainers investigate this regression, clarify the rationale and validation behind the transition, and provide a reliable rollback or mitigation procedure. I can provide sanitized APT/dpkg logs, module information, and reproducible game error details while protecting personal identifiers and account information. ** Attachment added: "ubuntu_nvidia_610_regression_sanitized_en.txt" https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers-610/+bug/2167526/+attachment/6008868/+files/ubuntu_nvidia_610_regression_sanitized_en.txt -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2167526 Title: Transition the 610 graphics driver packages to 615 To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers-610/+bug/2167526/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
