Installing TensorRT#

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing TensorRT using various methods. Choose the installation method that best fits your development environment and deployment needs.

Before You Begin: Ensure you have reviewed the Prerequisites to confirm your system meets all requirements.

Installation Method Comparison#

Quick Comparison Table:

Method

Best For

Requires Root

C++ Headers

Multi-Version

Installation Time

pip (Python)

Python development

No

No

Yes (venv)

⚡ Fastest (~2 min)

Debian/RPM

System-wide install

Yes

Yes

No

🔵 Fast (~5 min)

Tar/Zip

Multiple versions

No

Yes

Yes

🟡 Moderate (~10 min)

Container (NGC)

Isolated environments

No (Docker)

Yes

Yes

⚡ Fastest (~5 min)

Choosing Your Installation Method#

Choose pip if you:

  • Are developing primarily in Python

  • Want the fastest installation

  • Are working in a Python virtual environment

  • Do not need C++ development headers

Choose Debian/RPM if you:

  • Want system-wide installation with automatic updates

  • Need C++ development support

  • Have sudo/root access

  • Prefer standard Linux package management

Choose Tar/Zip if you:

  • Need multiple TensorRT versions simultaneously

  • Want control over installation location

  • Are installing without root privileges

  • Need C++ headers but want flexibility

Choose Container if you:

  • Want a pre-configured environment

  • Are deploying in Kubernetes or Docker

  • Need consistent environments across systems

  • Want to avoid dependency management

Understanding TensorRT Runtime Options#

TensorRT offers three runtime configurations with different capabilities and footprint sizes:

Full Runtime (Recommended for Development)
  • Builder and runtime functionality (~2 GB)

  • Packages: tensorrt (pip), tensorrt (deb/rpm), TensorRT-* (tar/zip)

Lean Runtime (Recommended for Production Deployment)
  • Runtime-only for pre-built engines (~500 MB)

  • Packages: tensorrt_lean (pip), tensorrt-lean (deb/rpm)

  • Note: Engines must be built with version-compatible builder flag

Dispatch Runtime (Recommended for Minimal Footprint Deployment)
  • Minimal runtime for pre-built engines (~200 MB)

  • Packages: tensorrt_dispatch (pip), tensorrt-dispatch (deb/rpm)

  • Note: Engines must be built with version-compatible builder flag

Component Versioning#

TensorRT is a product made up of separately versioned components. The product version conveys important information about the significance of new features, while the library version conveys information about the compatibility or incompatibility of the API.

The following table shows product versions and corresponding component library versions for TensorRT 10.16.1, illustrating semantic versioning patterns for each component.

Table 2 TensorRT Product and Component Version Matrix#

Product/Component

Previous Released Version

Current Version

Version Description

TensorRT product

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when significant new capabilities are added.

  • +0.1.0 when capabilities have been improved.

nvinfer documents, headers, and documentations

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when the API or ABI changes in a non-compatible way.

  • +0.1.0 when the API or ABI changes are backward compatible.

nvinfer-lean lean runtime library

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when the API or ABI changes in a non-compatible way.

  • +0.1.0 when the API or ABI changes are backward compatible.

nvinfer-dispatch dispatch runtime library

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when the API or ABI changes in a non-compatible way.

  • +0.1.0 when the API or ABI changes are backward compatible.

libnvinfer Python packages

  • python3-libnvinfer

  • python3-libnvinfer-dev

  • Debian and RPM packages

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when the API or ABI changes in a non-compatible way.

  • +0.1.0 when the API or ABI changes are backward compatible.

libnvinfer Python package

tensorrt-*.whl file for standard TensorRT runtime

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when the API or ABI changes in a non-compatible way.

  • +0.1.0 when the API or ABI changes are backward compatible.

libnvinfer Python package

tensorrt_lean-*.whl file for lean TensorRT runtime

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when the API or ABI changes in a non-compatible way.

  • +0.1.0 when the API or ABI changes are backward compatible.

libnvinfer Python package

tensorrt_dispatch-*.whl file for dispatch TensorRT runtime

10.16.0

10.16.1

  • +1.0.0 when the API or ABI changes in a non-compatible way.

  • +0.1.0 when the API or ABI changes are backward compatible.

Downloading TensorRT#

Before installing with Debian (local repo), RPM (local repo), Tar, or Zip methods, you must download TensorRT packages.

Tip

For pip installation: Skip this section. The pip method downloads packages automatically from PyPI.

Prerequisites:

  • NVIDIA Developer Program membership (free)

  • Account login

Download Steps:

  1. Go to https://developer.nvidia.com/tensorrt.

  2. Click Download Now.

  3. Select TensorRT version 10.16.1 (or your target version).

  4. Accept the license agreement.

  5. Download the package for your platform:

    • Linux x86-64: Debian local repo (.deb), RPM local repo (.rpm), or Tar (.tar.gz)

    • Linux ARM SBSA and JetPack: Debian local repo (.deb) or Tar (.tar.gz)

    • Windows x64: Zip (.zip)

Installation Methods#