AMD Posts New Linux Audio Driver Code For Raphael

AMD today posted new open-source Linux driver code for enabling the audio co-processor (ACP) with the upcoming Raphael platform with the Ryzen 7000 series processors.

The good news is AMD is publishing the ACP support, but the bad news is this is coming rather late... The AMD Ryzen 7000 "Raphael" desktop processors are inching closer to release. The Linux support has appeared to be coming together nicely for these Zen 4 processors over recent kernel releases. Now it turns out this new ACP audio driver code is necessary for those relying on the integrated ACP audio with these upcoming chips.

With the Ryzen 7000 series launch nearing, it was just earlier this week that AMD began teasing more of AM5 with this official shot.

Over the span of 5 patches today the new header files and other patches to get the AMD SoC ACP Linux driver into shape for the Raphael "RPL" platform. But due to the timing of this, the Linux 5.20 merge window is opening up in just over one week and not immediately clear if this Raphael code can be rushed through into sound-next in time. Otherwise if missing the Linux 5.20 merge window it won't be merged until Linux 6.0 later in the year, certainly past the Raphael launch window.

The timing of this Raphael ACP audio support is unfortunately late and with the kernel timing may mean no ACP audio support out-of-the-box at launch, especially with some autumn Linux distribution releases possibly sticking with the v5.19 kernel. In any event at least the other areas of the Zen 4 desktop CPU support should be in place for launch including the likes of temperature monitoring and other bits that sometimes have been late to the party.

In any event, and as usual, stay tuned to hear more about the AMD Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael" on Linux when the time comes.