FIXED: Vulkan 'vkCreateDevice' failures with the GB10 (Blackwell) GPU

vulkanfix.md

Fixing Vulkan on NVIDIA DGX Spark (GB10/Blackwell)

A guide for DGX Spark developers experiencing Vulkan vkCreateDevice failures with the GB10 (Blackwell) GPU.

The Problem

You have a new spark, but Vulkan applications fail with errors like:

vkCreateDevice failed with VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED

or vulkaninfo shows only the software llvmpipe renderer instead of your GB10 GPU.

Root Cause

The default NVIDIA driver (580.95.05) shipped with Ubuntu 24.04 has a Vulkan bug affecting GB10/Blackwell GPUs. The fix requires upgrading to driver 580.105.08 or newer.

System Info

• Hardware: NVIDIA DGX Spark with GB10 (Blackwell) GPU
• OS: Ubuntu 24.04, ARM64 (aarch64)
• Kernel: 6.14.0-1015-nvidia
• Secure Boot: Enabled (requires MOK key enrollment)

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Step 1: Check Your Current Driver

nvidia-smi --query-gpu=driver_version,name --format=csv,noheader

If it shows 580.95.05 or earlier, you need to upgrade.

Step 2: Add the NVIDIA PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
sudo apt update

Step 3: Install the Updated Driver

# Check available versions
apt-cache policy nvidia-driver-580

# Install the latest 580 driver
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-580

This will:

• Install driver 580.105.08 (or newer)
• Trigger DKMS to build kernel modules for your running kernel

Step 4: Handle Secure Boot (MOK Enrollment)

Since Secure Boot is enabled, DKMS-built kernel modules must be signed. During installation, you'll see a prompt:

Configuring Secure Boot

A new Machine-Owner Key (MOK) has been generated.
You will need to enroll this key in your system's firmware.

Enter a password to secure the key:

Important: Choose a simple password you'll remember (you'll need it once at the BIOS screen).

What Happens Next

1. After installation completes, reboot your system
2. At boot, you'll see a blue "MOK Management" screen
3. Select "Enroll MOK"
4. Select "Continue"
5. Select "Yes" to enroll the key
6. Enter the password you created
7. Select "Reboot"

Step 5: Verify the Fix

After rebooting and enrolling the MOK key:

# Check driver version
nvidia-smi

# Verify Vulkan sees your GPU
vulkaninfo --summary

Expected Output

GPU0:
    apiVersion         = 1.4.312
    driverVersion      = 580.105.8.0
    deviceType         = PHYSICAL_DEVICE_TYPE_INTEGRATED_GPU
    deviceName         = NVIDIA GB10
    driverID           = DRIVER_ID_NVIDIA_PROPRIETARY

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Quick Copy-Paste Version

# Full upgrade sequence (run each line)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-580

# When prompted for MOK password, enter something simple
# Then reboot and enroll the key in BIOS

sudo reboot

After MOK enrollment and reboot:

# Verify everything works
nvidia-smi
vulkaninfo --summary | grep -A5 "GPU0"

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Troubleshooting

MOK Enrollment Screen Didn't Appear

If you missed the MOK screen or it didn't appear:

# Check if key is pending enrollment
mokutil --list-new

# Re-trigger MOK enrollment if needed
sudo update-secureboot-policy --enroll-key
sudo reboot

Driver Module Not Loading

# Check DKMS status
dkms status

# Manually rebuild if needed
sudo dkms autoinstall
sudo reboot

Check Secure Boot State

mokutil --sb-state
# Should show: SecureBoot enabled

List Enrolled Keys

mokutil --list-enrolled | grep -i nvidia

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Why This Matters

The GB10 (Blackwell architecture, compute capability 12.1) is fairly new as of the date of posting. Driver 580.105.08 includes critical fixes for:

• Vulkan device creation on Blackwell
• Proper integration with the Tegra display engine
• ARM64-specific optimizations

Without this fix, you can't run:

• Unreal Engine 5
• Any Vulkan-based game or application
• GPU-accelerated compositors

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Verified Working Configuration

Component	Version
Driver	580.105.08
Vulkan	1.4.312
CUDA Compute	12.1
Kernel	6.14.0-1015-nvidia
Ubuntu	24.04 (Noble)

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Tested on NVIDIA DGX Spark, January 3, 2026