Intel Begins Rolling Out APX & AVX10 Binaries For Their Linux Distribution

Ahead of any processors being released with support for Advanced Performance Extensions (APX) and Advanced Vector Extensions 10 (AVX10), Intel's in-house Clear Linux distribution is already beginning to roll-out binaries compiled for APX+AVX10 use.

At a time that Linux distributions are finally looking at beginning to offer distribution packages compiled for the x86-64-v2 and/or x86-64-v3 micro-architecture feature levels, Intel's performance-oriented Clear Linux distribution has already been offering x86-64-v2 / x86-64-v3 optimizations for a while plus x86-64-v4 for the AVX-512 optimized packages as well as leveraging compiler function multi-versioning (FMV) as another one of their techniques to ensure optimal code paths for a given processor are being leveraged for performance-sensitive software. Taking things further, they are already beginning to roll-out APX+AVX10 optimized binaries.

They announced that beginning this week they will be adding APX + AVX10 compiled software to Clear Linux for complementing their existing x86-64 v2/v3/v4 optimization levels. The initial focus will be on an APX+AVX1 optimized versions of base components like the GNU C LIbrary and Python. As they transition to the upcoming GCC 14 compiler with more APX/AVX10 support, they will gradually begin rolling out more optimized packages for benefiting future Intel processors with APX and AVX10 capabilities.

More details on beginning their AVX10/APX roll-out via ClearLinux.org.

AVX10.1/512 will be found with the Intel Xeon Granite Rapids processors launching later this year. I haven't seen any material on Advanced Performance Extensions (APX) availability, but given the timing of their enablement and beginning to see Clear Linux packages now, APX too may be coming this year with Granite Rapids. Though the current GCC documentation for the "graniterapids" (and "sierraforest") targets do not make any mention yet of enabling APX nor with any of the other Intel CPU targets currently found within the GCC codebase. In any event great seeing Intel going with this software support and optimized binaries early.