DKMS
also: Dynamic Kernel Module Support
DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) is a framework that automatically builds and installs kernel modules for new kernel versions, eliminating the need to manually recompile drivers after kernel updates.
DKMS automates the process of maintaining out-of-tree kernel modules—drivers that aren't included in the Linux kernel source. When you install a new kernel, DKMS automatically detects it and rebuilds registered modules against the new kernel version.
Without DKMS, you'd need to manually recompile drivers after every kernel update. With DKMS, the system handles this transparently. For example, if you install an NVIDIA graphics driver and later update your kernel, DKMS will automatically rebuild the NVIDIA kernel module for the new kernel without user intervention.
DKMS is commonly used for third-party drivers (graphics cards, network adapters), virtualisation tools (VirtualBox Guest Additions), and other kernel extensions. The framework stores module source code and build instructions in /usr/src/, allowing it to rebuild modules as needed across kernel versions.