How do I verify that CUDA and the NVIDIA drivers are actually working on a new GPU Droplet?

Question

I just created my first GPU Droplet (RTX 4000 Ada) using the AI/ML Ready image. Before I start installing my ML stack, how can I confirm the GPU is visible and CUDA is set up correctly? Is there a quick command to check the driver and CUDA versions, and do I need to install anything extra to run GPU workloads in Docker?

Bobby · Answer

Hi there, Run this first: nvidia-smi That confirms the driver is loaded and the GPU is visible. You will see the driver version, GPU model, and memory in the output. For CUDA specifically: nvcc --version If you are using the AI/ML Ready image, both should work out of the box without installing anything extra. For Docker with GPU support, the NVIDIA Container Toolkit should already be included in the AI/ML Ready image. Quick test to confirm: docker run --rm --gpus all nvidia/cuda:12.0-base-ubuntu22.04 nvidia-smi If that returns the same GPU info as the host, you are good to go. If Docker throws an error about GPUs not being available, run: nvidia-ctk runtime configure --runtime=docker sudo systemctl restart docker That should be all you need before installing your ML stack.

alexdo · Answer

Heya, @a89b0068f48c46e7b7b3e927903355 The fastest way to verify everything is working is to SSH into the Droplet and run: nvidia-smi If the GPU and driver are configured correctly, you’ll see details such as the GPU model, driver version, CUDA version, temperature, memory usage, and any running GPU processes. If you also want to confirm the CUDA toolkit is available, run: nvcc --version or cat /usr/local/cuda/version.json (if the CUDA toolkit is installed). For Docker workloads, you’ll typically need the NVIDIA Container Toolkit so containers can access the GPU. You can verify it’s working by running a GPU enabled container, for example: docker run --rm --gpus all nvidia/cuda:12.9.0-base-ubuntu24.04 nvidia-smi If that prints the same GPU information, your Docker setup is ready for GPU accelerated workloads.

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How do I verify that CUDA and the NVIDIA drivers are actually working on a new GPU Droplet?

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How do I verify that CUDA and the NVIDIA drivers are actually working on a new GPU Droplet?