Thank you very much! The explanations helped me a lot.
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And what about those who use nvidia 390 driver? Do they need only the kelebek333 ppa or also the ubuntu-graphics ppa?
In a thread, I would try walking through the steps of downgrading the kernel and using the kelebek repo to install the legacy driver.
This is to conserve e-waste and their wallet.
But to my mind, I accept a Sad Reality that eventually, all hardware must be upgraded.
If you get to the point of needing the 390 driver, with the fullest gratitude for those that supply the Legacy Drivers... you may need to get a new graphics card and recycle the old.
So the ubuntu-graphics ppa wouldn't offer newer graphics drivers for this card after adding kelebek333?
If you add both sources, you will have access to all that those sources offer.
You would see the 390 driver listed and the 575 driver lsited, too.
You would broaden your available choices. (Though to be clear, if you need the 390 driver, the 575 will do you no favors...)
This is true of all PPA's and it is an element of danger. If a user adds the PPA for Linux Mint 22.2 on to their build of Zorin OS 17, it will offer Higher Package Versions than 17 offers... which can utterly break the Zorin OS 17 system on
sudo apt upgrade
when it installs glibc that Zorin 17 is not built for.
Most PPA's can be safely added.
But when it comes to Distro Repositories, that are very broad in their scope - I remind users to Remove that repository immediately after installing whatever distro specific application they added the repo to get. Because if they forget it is there... it will offer its packages alongside Zorins and on a simple upgrade command, the higher versions will get priority.
Oh, it's slowly becoming clearer. Does this mean that by adding the ppas you would not have multiple entries for the same driver version in Additional drivers, but only more drivers to choose from, e.g. 575, 580...Probably I'll have to try this on my system to understand it better. Maybe it is possible to try a --simulate install to see which driver version will be installed.
I was wondering where the newest driver version for 390 is -in kelebek333 ppa or ubuntu-graphics ppa and which one is working better.
Correct. And this has a lot to do with how packaging is done. The team that handles the latest drivers (and their PPA) is separate from the team that does legacy or does the standard stable... so you do not see any crossover.
That will be strictly in kelebek. The Ubuntu Graphics team does nto manage the legacy drivers.
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I just see that there is no package for 390 driver for ubuntu noble in kelebek333:
I also found no package for kernel 5.15 in ubuntu noble.
Does this mean in Zorin 18 the nvidia driver 390 can not be used (only when the kernel 5.15 has been installed in Zorin 16/17 and also the nvidia driver and then the system was upgraded to 18)? Or is there another ppa that works? In nvidia forum was said that the following ppa didn't work well (it shouldn't be added!!!):
I am not sure, since the maintainers may bump up to Noble in future, but... It is possible.
As time passes, it becomes exponentially harder to support Legacy Hardware because the additions or changes that happen over time can surpass the capabilities of the old hardware.
The driver is a critical element, but only one element. Independent elements like browsers, display managers and compositing all factor in and if the new compositors and browsers make signals and calls that the old hardware cannot compute - there is not a legacy driver that can be created to bridge that gap.
But Zorin OS 17 will not immediately lose support when 18 is released.
And if you want a laugh, one of my old rugged toughbooks is still running Zorin OS 12.4 Lite - because it works really well.
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I have fond memories of 12.4, I loved that OS! I actually stayed on that OS till OS 16 came out, thats how much I loved it. 12.4 ran so good, there was no reason to change, other then security concerns.
Ultimately, it was getting a new computer that facilitated the biggest change, not just security factors, but technology required. As long as your toughbook don't connect to the net, its secure with 12.4.
It doesn't - only connects to cars to run automotive diagnostics.
If someone is already using an Nvidia driver and wants to select another Nvidia driver from the list of drivers displayed at >Additional drivers, do they have to first open the terminal and enter
sudo apt remove --purge '^nvidia-.*'
or can the previous driver be removed via the GUI? Or is the previously installed driver automatically removed when you click on another driver?
Unfortunately I could not try the nvidia ppas and driver installation (resp.it did not work - it only works when you have a Nvidia card for which various drivers are offered. I didn't knew that drivers that don't fit are not shown in the GUI, and my card only can use the 390)
My laptop with the Zorin VM does not have a Nvidia card and despite adding the PPA, no Nvidia drivers were displayed for me to select in Additional drivers.
In Linux Mint 22.1, based on noble, the driver management for my laptop with Nvidia card shows that I do not need any drivers. Not a single Nvidia driver is displayed and therefore I cannot select any Nvidia driver.
[I myself want to stay at nouveau, but I wanted to test the various installation methods and nvidia ppas. Now I know testing is not possible on my systems.]
These are the same action if you select to remove in the GUI.
When you install a later driver, it should replace the old. But occassionally, a user runs into trouble when it does not remove everything it should have.
So the habit became to always say to remove all the Nvidia driver stuff before every install, to prevent headaches.
The GUI will not remove the old driver and configs when you install a new one. So that is one area the GUI can cause headaches.
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I take StarTrekers screenshot to ask:
Where is the button that does the same as sudo apt remove --purge '^nvidia-.*'?
Do you mean "revert"?
Uh...
I amend my statement to, they are the same action if the GUI has that option. 
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This function should really be available in the GUI! So many users have an Nvidia card.
When updating the system, are the drivers also updated to a newer, next higher version, e.g. from 570 to 575?
The drivers must be available in the source repositories, but can be upgraded with system upgrades.
Will the old driver be automatically removed when upgraded from system?
Do especially those who want to go back to an older driver than the one currently installed or who want to add a newer driver via a ppa that is not yet included in the standard repo have to call up the terminal?
If you do so using the GUI Software & Updates > Additional Drivers; the package manager sets and marks the old for removal, which causes them to be removed upon installing the new; but residual packages remain which means running
sudo apt clean && sudo apt autoremove
after is a good idea.
With a System Upgrade, it is the same. The act of running "full-upgrade" will remove the old drivers, but leave the residual libraries and configs behind.
The residual is what we are worried about.
I'm afraid of using autoremove because all warn that it can be dangerous and you have to know if there is something mentioned that shouldn't be removed.. Or just say "Yes" always when asked?