Is an exact version of binutils needed to install a new nvidia-kernel-dkms?

[Andreas Beckmann]

On 16/07/2022 14.18, js jb via pkg-nvidia-devel wrote:
> hello,
> When upgrading nvidia-driver, does one need to use the exact version of binutils that was used to build the kernel or can one use a newer version?
> The problem is that it doesn't take long after installing a new kernel for new versions of g++ to require a newer version of binutils, so keeping the one used for the kernel blocks that line of upgrade.
> I believe at one time one had to use the same version of linker as used to build the kernel but not sure if that is still true today.

This question is probably more suited to the kernel maintainers, it 
should not be specific to the nvidia out-of-tree modules.

I remember there was a time where a module built with the toolchain from 
sid and linux-headers-* from stable installed could not be loaded into 
the stable kernel due to the toolchain differences. But that was 
probably more due to changed defaults than version difference alone.

If you are tracking both kernel and toolchain from testing, you should 
be on the safe side, if you use a kernel from stable (-backports) and 
the toolchain from sid you should be more careful, but since you are 
aware of the potential issue, you should be able to work around  it if 
you notice something no longer working. (Downgrade toolchain again.)

Another option would be to use a chroot for your activities that use a 
newer toolchain.


Andreas