I can install nvidia driver 390 and 396 (open source) on Ubuntu 18.04 but no application actually sees or can use my 1080ti. On 16.04 there were slightly older drivers that were labeled proprietary rather than open source. Does this have something to do with it and how do I fix it?

I had issues too from the NV drives available with 18.04 but I thought it was with OpenCL. I still have one card I haven't updated the driver and can only run CUDA. I don't think thats the same issue here.

If I recall 396 became available after adding the nvidia PPA. Did you add it or maybe its available now?

If not this will add the NV PPA:

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

Then it will be available in Additional Drivers. Plus a reboot of course.

I just did this on Mint 19, which is based on 18.04, this week and on 2 18.04 machines.

For OC and fan control.

sudo nvidia-xconfig --enable-all-gpus --allow-empty-initial-configuration --cool-bits=28

Hello, I did

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

but before this step I already had 390 and 396 (open source) in the "additional drivers" menu. In 16.04 the driver is labeled nvidia binary driver (proprietary) rather than open source. BOINC and every other application does not recognize any GPU with both 396 and 390 installed

The ones by default available with 18.04 w/o the PPA update are not complete.

What does clinfo return to see what the OS can detect? In some cases BOINC can load too early before the drivers.

Hello, I did

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

but before this step I already had 390 and 396 (open source) in the "additional drivers" menu. In 16.04 the driver is labeled nvidia binary driver (proprietary) rather than open source. BOINC and every other application does not recognize any GPU with both 396 and 390 installed

When you add the ppa repository, the packages get labeled as a metapackage. In my experience that nets you the whole kit 'n kaboodle with the CUDA and OpenCL libraries plus all the utilities.

When you just add the Nvidia drivers by the sudo apt install nvidia-396 you just get the main graphic drivers and not the compute packages.

You might want to start fresh and do the purge nvidia* and then add in the ppa repository, update and then get them from the Additional Drivers tab.

I think I might have found the issue "Your system has UEFI Secure boot enabled. If you proceed but do not confirm the password upon reboot, Ubuntu will still be able to boot on your system but any hardware that requires third-party drivers to work correctly may not be usable."

I have found that it never asks me this password and therefore never lets me use my "3rd party graphics device."

Hopefully just disabling this in the bios will fix it.

I went into the bios and found "secure boot." It was default in "windows OS" so I changed it to "other OS" and it works just fine now.

I went into the bios and found "secure boot." It was default in "windows OS" so I changed it to "other OS" and it works just fine now.

Good to hear you got it working. I've always had Secure Boot set to "Other OS" so it is interesting to find out what happens when you have it set wrong.