AMDGPU Linux 5.5 Changes Being Prepped With HDCP Support, LRU Bulk Moves Re-Enabled

[phoronix]

Phoronix: AMDGPU Linux 5.5 Changes Being Prepped With HDCP Support, LRU Bulk Moves Re-Enabled

While the Linux 5.4 merge window doesn't even end until this weekend, as is usual traditional with the DRM-Next cutoff having been weeks ago, the open-source DRM driver developers are already working on their changes for what will ultimately go into Linux 5.5. On the AMD side, the AMDGPU kernel graphics driver already has some interesting work accumulating...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMDGPU-Linux-5.5-Early-WIP

[shmerl]

Why can't they backport some of that to 5.4?

[Termy]

Does that mean that maybe, just maybe, we will soon be able to watch netflix or prime officially with a resolution that is not from the past century?

[agd5f]

Why can't they backport some of that to 5.4?

Upstream kernel policy. Older kernels only get bug fixes, not new features. If you want to use a newer driver against an older kernel, we maintain a kernel tree with kernel compatibility code for our packaged dkms drivers. E.g.,

https://cgit.freedesktop.org/~agd5f/linux/log/?h=amd-mainline-dkms-5.0

or

https://cgit.freedesktop.org/~agd5f/linux/log/?h=amd-19.30

[skeevy420]

Why can't they backport some of that to 5.4?

I've been backporting some of it manually. Luckily for my non-programming ass, everything I've tried applies cleanly to 5.2.

[Jumbotron]

5.5 kernel will be the one that powers Ubuntu 20.04. This LTS Ubuntu is going to be one of the best and feature full LTS versions in at least a decade.

[TheLexMachine]

Does that mean that maybe, just maybe, we will soon be able to watch netflix or prime officially with a resolution that is not from the past century?

2020 will be the year a lot of things come to Linux on the video playback side of things. Once HDCP is up and running, it may pave the way for Blu-Ray to come back to Linux and then Ultra HD Blu-Ray as well, after HDR support lands.

[whitecat]

=> "Various DC/display updates"

I hope this include fixing the very basic of displaying... like cloning on two different screens.
Because with my RX570 I still can do that correctly in 2019 ! Either I get incorrect resolution on the screens, either I get "out of range" on one of them...

[whitecat]

2020 will be the year a lot of things come to Linux on the video playback side of things. Once HDCP is up and running, it may pave the way for Blu-Ray to come back to Linux and then Ultra HD Blu-Ray as well, after HDR support lands.

Before doing all this kind of stuff, maybe we should wait for Firefox to let play Netflix... personally I have to use Chrome because there Firefox can't...

[Danniello]

Does that mean that maybe, just maybe, we will soon be able to watch netflix or prime officially with a resolution that is not from the past century?

Yes, DRM and HDCP support is requirement for HD on Netflix, but it is only part of the story. At least Netflix has some weird deals with Intel/Microsoft and HD streaming is only allowed on Internet Explorer Edge or Win10Metro Netflix application. Officially Firefox and Chrome could play 720p max (even on Windows with full HDCP support).

There is addon (https://github.com/vladikoff/netflix-1080p-firefox) that unlock 1080p, but unfortunately it has been removed from Firefox addons.mozilla.org. Now you need add/enable it manually (and if you have old version of this addon - it could block Netflix from working even in SD quality).

Another option is use Kodi (https://flathub.org/apps/details/tv.kodi.Kodi) with Netflix plugin (https://github.com/asciidisco/plugin.video.netflix) - it supports HD plus surround sound. But without HDCP support in Linux - many movies will be in SD. At least most Netflix series (like Stranger Things, Dark, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, etc.) do not require HDCP so 1080p is working on Linux.