AMD Posts Linux Patches For Better Graphics/Compute Interoperability & Other Benefits

AMD today posted a set of interesting patches for enabling better integration of their AMDKFD (Kernel Fusion Driver, what is their compute kernel driver) memory management with Linux's DRM GEM ioctl API. In turn the code allows managing virtual address (VA) mappings in compute VMs with the GEM_VA ioctl interface for greater control of buffers imported via DMA-BUF.

The focus on this patch series is providing greater flexibility around virtual address management for the AMD ROCm user-mode code and better interoperability between compute and graphics. With DMA-BUF this can also allow for sharing of memory between processes.

Anything improving the open-source ROCm compute stack is a win and even more so when better integrating with existing Linux interfaces like GEM_VA. See this patch series if interested in more of the technical details and work happening to the AMDKFD kernel compute driver.