AMD GPU LLVM Back-End Renamed From R600 To AMDGPU

[phoronix]

Phoronix: AMD GPU LLVM Back-End Renamed From R600 To AMDGPU

Last year upstream developers decided to rename the R600 AMD GPU LLVM back-end to "AMDGPU" and that move finally happened... But not to be confused with the new AMDGPU Linux kernel DRM driver...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMD-R600-AMDGPU-LLVM

[Creak]

So basically, everything is being (re)named AMDGPU, whether it's the LLVM back-end, the DRM or the DDX drivers. Cool.

What is the LLVM back-end?

[marek]

The LLVM backend is the shader compiler.

[Creak]

Thanks Marek!

[DanL]

Personally, I think it's a bad move. I was just starting to differentiate between AMDGPU (kernel/drm) and AMDKFD (HSA).
I don't know how it will affect less-seasoned users, since they usually struggle to grasp the difference between kernel module, DDX, and mesa no matter what they're called. I suspect it will add to their confusion. :\

[bridgman]

There was some debate about what to call it, but also some agreement that calling the llvm backend "r600" while it handled the hardware covered by both r600 and radeonsi pipe drivers was even worse.


Using a name without a qualifier has been confusing with the open source stacks since the r200 days. Initially there was a radeon kernel driver, a radeon X driver, a radeon mesa driver and everything was simple. Then 2002 happened, the r200 mesa driver was added, and things haven't been clear since.

[dungeon]

Imagine 10 similar but different pigs living in the same house and all of those have their 10 piglets where any of these have 10 different nicknames

No this is not Half Life 3 or Windows 10 confirmed

Now you name it without raising confusion in that House of 1001 piglets

[Marc Driftmeyer]

Personally, I think it's a bad move. I was just starting to differentiate between AMDGPU (kernel/drm) and AMDKFD (HSA).
I don't know how it will affect less-seasoned users, since they usually struggle to grasp the difference between kernel module, DDX, and mesa no matter what they're called. I suspect it will add to their confusion. :\

Not at all. Anyone interested in the differences between these [HSA will eventually fold into the entire AMD line up and be used by all] can read any documentation on keywords, flags, etc. R600 was the brain dead name. You encapsulate all the device drivers under AMDGPU and inside have the subcategories clearly delineated, and if there is still confusion on your part then I'd go see a doctor.

[Creak]

Maybe something like that:

• amdgpu-drm
• amdgpu-ddx
• amdgpu-shader

But I know Linux devs don't like names that are a bit too long

[bridgman]

The point I was (badly) making with the cartoon was that you don't need to label things in their natural habitat (the thing called amdgpu in the kernel tree is a kernel driver, and the thing called amdgpu in the X tree is an X driver, and the thing called amdgpu in the llvm tree is an llvm backend) only when you are talking about them in isolation.