Radeon Software for Linux 20.30 Released

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Radeon Software for Linux 20.30 Released

Just under two months since Radeon Software for Linux 20.20 that is comprised of the AMDGPU-Open and AMDGPU-PRO driver components for these packaged drivers, Radeon Software for Linux 20.30 was quietly released at the end of last week...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Radeon-Software-For-Linux-20.30

[GraysonPeddie]

For most gamers running other distributions you are better off just using the latest Linux kernel and Mesa (and AMDVLK, if you want).

Why is that? Can you please explain why gamers should stick to open source drivers and the latest kernel? What if I want to use Blender for rendering basic scenes or models? An open-source version of OpenCL is slow by default until I download opencl-amd 20.20 from AUR and rendering is a lot faster.

[Hibbelharry]

Why is that? Can you please explain why gamers should stick to open source drivers and the latest kernel?

Because those are usually offering the most gaming performance and best experience. Also installing those blob drivers in other distributions is relatively painful for the most part.

What if I want to use Blender for rendering basic scenes or models? An open-source version of OpenCL is slow by default until I download opencl-amd 20.20 from AUR and rendering is a lot faster.

OpenCL is much more niche than most 3D graphics and afaik not used in any game. I, for example, never even started Blender.

I would say the recommendation sounds valid.

[Tuxee]

Interesting. All the deb packages in the archive have a timestamp from mid July...

[arunbupathy]

Why is that? Can you please explain why gamers should stick to open source drivers and the latest kernel? What if I want to use Blender for rendering basic scenes or models? An open-source version of OpenCL is slow by default until I download opencl-amd 20.20 from AUR and rendering is a lot faster.

As you've said yourself, the opensource OpenCL implementation (Clover) is not up to scratch, and you can selectively install only the closed source OpenCL bits, which thankfully work with the upstream linux kernel. For OpenGL/Vulkan though, the opensource implementations are the best, and work seamlessly with the rest of the system.

[bridgman]

Interesting. All the deb packages in the archive have a timestamp from mid July...

Build.... test for a couple of weeks... if OK then ship.

[Marco-GG]

Why is that? Can you please explain why gamers should stick to open source drivers and the latest kernel? What if I want to use Blender for rendering basic scenes or models? An open-source version of OpenCL is slow by default until I download opencl-amd 20.20 from AUR and rendering is a lot faster.

To be fair, Blender is not a "gamer" software. If we accept that gamer is a person who play games, radeonsi and radv are the best options on AMD side for now. But still, you can use Vulkan proprietary and AMDVLK along side radv if you want. I wish it was possible to do the same with the proprietary OGL driver.

[tildearrow]

What if I want to use Blender for rendering basic scenes or models? An open-source version of OpenCL is slow by default until I download opencl-amd 20.20 from AUR and rendering is a lot faster.

That's not "most gamers" then, AKA the use case Michael mentioned.

...even though I agree that the proprietary OpenCL stack is much faster (Clover does not work on Vega, and ROCm somehow likes to stutter the rendering therefore making it slow)

[aufkrawall]

AMD should simply offer amdvlk-pro and opencl as standalone packages/archives. It's just throwing user space drivers into file system and that's it, no need for weird obstacles like distribution restrictions etc. amdvlk-pro driver is highly underrated, I consider it much better than the Nvidia crap.

[skeevy420]

Why is that? Can you please explain why gamers should stick to open source drivers and the latest kernel? What if I want to use Blender for rendering basic scenes or models? An open-source version of OpenCL is slow by default until I download opencl-amd 20.20 from AUR and rendering is a lot faster.

Blender is a 3d modeling software. That's not really the same thing as a game and has different requirements and needs...but...

Because there are very few benefits for a gamer to use OpenGL or Vulkan from AMDGPU-Pro and more reasons for using up-to-date kernels, Mesa, etc than just AMDGPU alone. With Vulkan, sometimes AMDVLK or AMDVLK-Pro preform better than RADV, but since they can all be installed along side each other it's easier to try them all and pick the best so Vulkan is kind of a moot point to use for a Pro versus Open debate. RADV+ACO almost always performs the best these days and that's all from the Open Vulkan stack.

For gamers, and only game playing users, Pro versus Open is really all about using OpenGL since the rest of Pro is cherry-picked easily enough. With OpenGL, however, I'm not actually sure what games, emulators, WINE games, etc prefer or work better with the Pro stack these days since the open stack has performed so well that I haven't used it for OpenGL since 2014/2015-ish, maybe earlier...it's been a while since it was actually necessary for any of the games I've played. I assume that's close to the same experience of other Linux gamers with AMD GPUs here based on the other comments -- stick with the Open Stack's OpenGL; try all the Vulkans but likely end up with RADV+ACO.

Ever since Catalyst was dropped and they've gone open source, their proprietary driver has become less and less necessary with each passing year. That said, there have been some new hardware headaches along the way where their proprietary driver has made more sense to use....BUT, it does seem that they're finally catching up on that with these mystery GPUs like Navy Flounder popping up in the sources and being reported on so we'll see how new hardware headaches go when those GPUs are finally announced and come to market.

If they can get Sienna Chichlid and Navy Flounder developed, released, and working with open source software on launch then perhaps they can start to switch their model to the standalone packages that aufkrawall is proposin