address review feedback for issue 980 PR

Raise the cuda-core dependency floor to cuda-pathfinder>=1.4.2, move the new optional import note to 1.4.2 release notes, and simplify nvJitLink warning text by inlining the fixed version detail.

Made-with: Cursor

Author: cpcloud

cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyx

@@ -662,9 +662,8 @@ def _decide_nvjitlink_or_driver() -> bool:
         if _nvjitlink_has_version_symbol(nvjitlink):
             _use_nvjitlink_backend = True
             return False  # Use nvjitlink
-        warn_detail = "too old (<12.3)"
         warn_txt = (
-            f"{'nvJitLink*.dll' if sys.platform == 'win32' else 'libnvJitLink.so*'} is {warn_detail}."
+            f"{'nvJitLink*.dll' if sys.platform == 'win32' else 'libnvJitLink.so*'} is too old (<12.3)."
             f" Therefore cuda.bindings.nvjitlink is not usable and {warn_txt_common} nvJitLink."
         )
 

cuda_core/pyproject.toml

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ classifiers = [
     "Environment :: GPU :: NVIDIA CUDA :: 13",
 ]
 dependencies = [
-    "cuda-pathfinder >=1.1",
+    "cuda-pathfinder >=1.4.2",
     "numpy",
 ]
 

cuda_pathfinder/docs/source/release/1.4.1-notes.rst

@@ -33,11 +33,6 @@ Highlights
   libraries: site-packages, Conda, then CUDA_HOME/CUDA_PATH.
   (`PR #1690 <https://github.com/NVIDIA/cuda-python/pull/1690>`_)
 
-* Add ``optional_cuda_import()`` to support robust optional imports of CUDA
-  Python modules. It returns ``None`` when the requested module is absent or a
-  probe hits ``DynamicLibNotFoundError``, while still re-raising unrelated
-  ``ModuleNotFoundError`` exceptions (for missing transitive dependencies).
-
 * Fix site-packages search order for virtual environments created with
   ``--system-site-packages``. The search now correctly prioritizes the venv's
   site-packages before user-site-packages, conforming to PEP 405.

cuda_pathfinder/docs/source/release/1.4.2-notes.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+.. SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+.. py:currentmodule:: cuda.pathfinder
+
+``cuda-pathfinder`` 1.4.2 Release notes
+=======================================
+
+Highlights
+----------
+
+* Add ``optional_cuda_import()`` to support robust optional imports of CUDA
+  Python modules. It returns ``None`` when the requested module is absent or a
+  probe hits ``DynamicLibNotFoundError``, while still re-raising unrelated
+  ``ModuleNotFoundError`` exceptions (for missing transitive dependencies).