Hardware
Hardware Profiles & Acceleration
Centralized configuration strategy for heterogeneous hardware: CPUs, GPUs, and peripherals.
This repository uses a profile-based system to handle hardware diversity. Instead of per-host hardware hacks, we define shared logic in modules/profiles/hardware/ that reacts to tags in modules.profiles.hardware.
🏎️ GPU Support: NVIDIA
Our NVIDIA strategy prioritizes stability and long-term compatibility, especially for aging architectures that are no longer the primary focus of upstream “stable” drivers.
1. Driver Selection Matrix
We use different driver branches based on the GPU architecture to avoid regressions (like fan control failures or power gimping) common in the latest branches.
| Architecture | Example GPUs | Driver Branch | Open Kernel Module? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovelace | RTX 40-series | stable (595+) | Yes (Native) |
| Ampere | RTX 30-series | stable (595+) | Yes (Native) |
| Turing | RTX 20-series, GTX 16-series | stable (595+) | Yes (Supported) |
| Pascal | GTX 10-series (1080 Ti, 1070) | legacy_580 | No (Proprietary) |
| Kepler | GTX 7-series | legacy_470 | No (Proprietary) |
2. The Pascal/1080 Ti Strategy
As of 2026, the Pascal architecture has transitioned to Legacy Support.
- Why avoid
stable? Versions 590+ often introduce regressions for Pascal, including fan sensor bugs and locked voltages. - Pinning: Hosts with Pascal GPUs (like
id3-eniac) use"gpu/nvidia/pascal"in their profile, which forces thelegacy_580branch. - Proprietary vs Open: We explicitly disable the open kernel modules (
nvidia.open = false) for Pascal, as the open-source implementation is optimized for Turing+ and can be unstable on older cards.
3. Verification & Troubleshooting
nvidia-smi: Verify the driver version and VRAM usage.nvtop: A beautiful monitor for GPU tasks (pre-installed on all NVIDIA hosts).hey info closure: Use this to check how much the heavy CUDA stack adds to your system closure.
🧠 CPU & Microarchitecture
Profiles in modules/profiles/hardware/cpu/ handle vendor-specific optimizations:
- AMD: Enables P-State drivers and microcode updates.
- Intel: Configures
intel_pstateand hardware-accelerated video decoding (QuickSync). - Rockchip: Specialized kernel and firmware for ARM SBCs (like the Orange Pi 5 Plus).
⌨️ Peripherals & Input
- YubiKey: Full system integration for SSH, GPG, and PAM login.
- Wacom/Huion: Tablet drivers and pressure sensitivity mapping.
- USBGuard: Protocol-level protection against rogue USB devices.