cuda-pathfinder 1.7.0 Release notes#

Released on Aug 22, 2026

Highlights#

  • Add cuDNN 9 dynamic-library loading on Linux and Windows through load_nvidia_dynamic_lib(). Discovery supports NVIDIA Python wheels and Conda environments, adds CUDNN_PATH, and recognizes versioned x64 installations under Program Files alongside existing native and CUDA-root searches. Loading cuDNN preloads the required cuBLASLt dependency and NVRTC when available. (PR #2680)

  • Add native Windows Arm64 cuDNN loading through the verified standalone archive layout at CUDNN_PATH/bin/arm64. Windows Arm64 wheel, Conda, CUDA_PATH, and Program Files dynamic-library layouts remain outside the supported scope; those routes remain x64-only. (PR #2680)

  • Add cuDNN header discovery on Linux and Windows through NVIDIA Python wheels, Conda environments, CUDNN_PATH, common Linux system and multiarch include directories, and versioned Windows Program Files installations. (PR #2680)

  • Add NCCL header discovery on Linux through NVIDIA Python wheels, Conda environments, NCCL_HOME, common system include directories, and NCCL source-build layouts. NCCL_HOME also participates in the existing NCCL dynamic-library search through lib, lib64, and build/lib. (PR #2680)

Bugfixes#

  • Make Windows filesystem DLL matching exact by default, preventing similarly named libraries and component DLLs from being selected for the wrong descriptor. CUPTI retains forward-compatible discovery through the explicit cupti64_*.dll fallback. Known names take precedence over fallback matches, and each group is searched newest-first. (PR #2680)

  • When an already-loaded Windows library requires dependent-DLL directory registration, register the directory of the actual loaded module regardless of whether an earlier filesystem search found another candidate. Also make already-loaded lookup prefer the newest known DLL name, matching native system loading. (PR #2680)

  • Continue through every configured dynamic-library directory when an earlier directory exists but does not contain the requested library. Use numeric-aware ordering for versioned installation roots and Windows fallback DLL matches so, for example, v9.10 is preferred over v9.9. (PR #2680)

Internal maintenance#

  • Extend the dynamic-library and header descriptor metadata and platform search abstractions for product-specific installation roots, optional dependencies, architecture-specific Windows layouts, and opt-in fallback globs. Public function signatures remain unchanged. (PR #2680)