There's A Lot Of Exciting AMDGPU DRM Code Brewing For Eventual Catalyst Support

[phoronix]

Phoronix: There's A Lot Of Exciting AMDGPU DRM Code Brewing For Eventual Catalyst Support

One of the big items still in the works as part of AMD's unified Linux driver strategy is that the Catalyst proprietary driver will be isolated to user-space and make use of the AMDGPU kernel DRM driver. Being publicly now in development in a few code branches are changes to the AMD DRM code for beginning to suit more of it to Catalyst's driver design...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMD-GPU-DRM-DAL-Branches

[boffo]

After a year of it's announcement it's finally getting in shape. Happy to read that, in the future there should be a faster support in the kernel.

[raonlinux]

Well right now just chill and wait of this depend my next video card.

[xpris]

Correct me if I not good understand. In near future we can use Catalyst and new kernel without needed patching it? Correct?

If yes, any can tell me what GPU is supported? Can I get if when release on my HD5850?

[W.Irrkopf]

The posting had an interesting passage which *to me* seems to indicate that these patches add an additional, *internal* API that is being tunneled through the normal kernel API. Is this correct? If so, how does this align with the kernel's code rules?
Looking at the actual patch statistics of the dal-wip branch was a bit of a shock: It adds more than 170k LOC and removes almost nothing. So there seems to be a new (internal?) API but to which avail? Wouldn't it make more sense to enhance the existing code? If not, shouldn't the existing code be ripped out and be replaced with the new code (assuming that the answer to my question above about kernel API rules is answered as 'not in violation')?

[jhenke]

Correct me if I not good understand. In near future we can use Catalyst and new kernel without needed patching it? Correct?

If yes, any can tell me what GPU is supported? Can I get if when release on my HD5850?

Most probably not for your card (I also own a HD5xxx series card). The AMDGPU driver is just for the newer generation chips. The list of supported cards was mentioned in an earlier article.

Regarding your first question: Yes, it means you do not need to compile a kernel module for Catalyst, just the mainline kernel amdgpu module.

[dungeon]

Regarding your first question: Yes, it means you do not need to compile a kernel module for Catalyst, just the mainline kernel amdgpu module.

It will still be needed it seems as some opensource pieces for FirePro support can't go into kernel, so that part will still require of off amdgpu kernel driver code

[smitty3268]

The posting had an interesting passage which *to me* seems to indicate that these patches add an additional, *internal* API that is being tunneled through the normal kernel API. Is this correct?

There is no "normal" kernel API. Each driver can do whatever they want.

If so, how does this align with the kernel's code rules?

Rules just say there has to be an OSS user of the code. I'm sure the plan is to port the radeon OSS driver to use it.

[Nille]

If yes, any can tell me what GPU is supported? Can I get if when release on my HD5850?

Only newer GCN Cards Like the Rx 3yy Series

[dungeon]

Only newer GCN Cards Like the Rx 3yy Series

Well not exactly. Only one card from Rx 3yy Series is supported by amdgpu driver - that is Tonga R9 380.

If yes, any can tell me what GPU is supported?

GCN 1.2+ chips called TONGA, ICELAND/TOPAZ, CARRIZO and FIJI.

http://xorg.freedesktop.org/wiki/Rad...ture/#index6h2

Marketing names differ greatly, currently those are Desktop cards which equip Tonga and Fiji GPUs. Marketing names are R9 285, R9 380 or any Fury.

When it cames to APUs that is Carrizo GPU, marketing names also differs greatly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...15.2C_28_nm.29

Iceland/Topaz are mobile PX chips without display hardware.

Recently you can go even in embeded sector and found marketing names like E8950mxm which is again Tonga.




Or there is mobile workstation products which equip Tonga like FirePro W7170M, etc.

In the end Catalyst and amdgpu driver aim to support all of these