Dual GPU Setup for MinKNOW on Ubuntu 22.04 using Nouveau Drivers

This guide explains how to uninstall NVIDIA drivers, install the open-source Nouveau drivers, and configure Oxford Nanopore Technologies' MinKNOW software to run with two graphics cards in parallel on Ubuntu 22.04.

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Uninstall NVIDIA Drivers
• Install Nouveau Drivers
• Verify Nouveau Driver
• Running MinKNOW with Dual GPUs
• Troubleshooting
• License

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure the following:

• You are running Ubuntu 22.04 (or a compatible version).
• MinKNOW is installed on your system.
• You have two GPUs installed in your system, and they are compatible with the open-source Nouveau drivers.

Required Tools:

• Access to the terminal
• Superuser (sudo) privileges
• Basic understanding of Linux commands

Uninstall NVIDIA Drivers

To switch from proprietary NVIDIA drivers to the open-source Nouveau drivers, first, remove the NVIDIA drivers.

1. List installed NVIDIA packages:

   dpkg -l | grep nvidia
   

2. Purge NVIDIA drivers:

   sudo apt-get purge '^nvidia-.*'
   

3. Remove additional NVIDIA files:

   sudo apt-get autoremove --purge
   sudo apt-get autoclean
   

 

Install Nouveau Drivers

To switch from proprietary NVIDIA drivers to the open-source Nouveau drivers, first, remove the NVIDIA drivers.
Once the NVIDIA drivers are removed, Ubuntu will fall back on the open-source Nouveau driver.

1. Ensure Nouveau drivers are available: Nouveau should already be included in the kernel, but you can ensure it's installed by running:

   sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
   

2. Rebuild initramfs:

   sudo update-initramfs -u
   

3. Reboot the system: After these changes, reboot the system to apply the Nouveau drivers:

   sudo reboot
   

4. Check GLX information:

   sudo apt install mesa-utils
   glxinfo | grep -i vendor

 

Warning

The output should show something like:
> server glx vendor string: SGI
> client glx vendor string: Mesa Project and SGI
> OpenGL vendor string: nouveau