List of deprecated methods for Nvidia drivers:

1. Manual Use of modprobe for Nvidia Modules

• What it used to do: Manually load Nvidia kernel modules like nvidia, nvidia_modeset, nvidia_uvm, and nvidia_drm using modprobe.
• Why it's deprecated: With modern Nvidia drivers and kernel integration, these modules are automatically loaded by the system at boot if they are listed in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf. Adding them manually with modprobe is redundant, and configuring them in mkinitcpio.conf and regenerating the initramfs (mkinitcpio -P) handles everything.

2. Nvidia Hook in mkinitcpio.conf

• What it used to do: Ensure that Nvidia modules were included in the initramfs by adding an nvidia hook in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf.
• Why it's deprecated: The hook is no longer necessary because Nvidia modules are included automatically if they are listed in the MODULES array of mkinitcpio.conf. There is no need to add an explicit hook, as the process is managed more cleanly and efficiently by the MODULES section.

3. Adding kms Hook to mkinitcpio.conf

• What it used to do: Ensure that Kernel Mode Setting (KMS) was loaded early in the boot process for Nvidia.
• Why it's deprecated: KMS is handled by adding nvidia_drm to the MODULES array in mkinitcpio.conf. This achieves the same result without needing the kms hook, which was more generally used for Intel or AMD drivers. For Nvidia, adding nvidia_drm in MODULES is the preferred and sufficient method.

4. Using /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf to Set nvidia-drm.modeset=1

• What it used to do: Set nvidia-drm.modeset=1 via a file like /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia.conf.
• Why it's deprecated: This is now handled more efficiently by adding nvidia-drm.modeset=1 directly to the kernel command line in the GRUB configuration (/etc/default/grub). The kernel processes this setting on boot, making the manual modprobe configuration redundant.

5. Custom xorg.conf for Nvidia Configuration

• What it used to do: Historically, users manually configured Nvidia settings through /etc/X11/xorg.conf or /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/.
• Why it's deprecated: Modern systems (especially with Wayland) do not require manual Xorg configurations unless there's a very specific need. Nvidia drivers now auto-configure for most setups, and Wayland-based systems bypass Xorg configurations entirely. In most cases, an empty or minimal /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ folder is sufficient.

6. Manually Enabling PCIe Gen 3 with nvidia.NVreg_EnablePCIeGen3=1

• What it used to do: Force the GPU to use PCIe Generation 3, as some systems defaulted to PCIe Generation 2.
• Why it's deprecated: On modern systems, PCIe Gen 3 (or even Gen 4) is automatically enabled if both the motherboard and GPU support it. This option is no longer necessary unless dealing with legacy hardware where the system mistakenly selects a lower PCIe generation.

7. Manually Loading nouveau Blacklist

• What it used to do: Users had to manually blacklist the open-source nouveau driver (via /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf) to prevent it from loading and interfering with the proprietary Nvidia driver.
• Why it's deprecated: The Nvidia driver installation package automatically blacklists nouveau. Users no longer need to manually create or edit blacklist files for this.

8. Using nvidia Hook for Suspend/Resume (nvidia.NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1)

• What it used to do: Preserve video memory during suspend/resume cycles to prevent graphical issues or crashes.
• Why it's deprecated: Nvidia has improved its suspend/resume support in the drivers, and the option nvidia.NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1 is typically not necessary unless you have specific issues with suspend/resume. In most modern systems, this is handled automatically, and enabling the option is often redundant.