AMD has added a major AMD GPU kernel graphics driver update for DRM-Next, preparing more RDNA 3 code and a new GPU reset mode before the Linux 6.1 merge window closes. Each week we receive updates from AMD open source engineers as they steadily develop support for the company’s new technologies.
This week, AMD prepared to support for RDNA 3 graphics and the CDNA MI300 graphics accelerator card. AMD will add a new block of code to the kernel to assist in implementing this support.
However, how much of a performance boost AMD’s kernel support can bring to Linux 6.1 from this code is not yet known.
Here is a summary of the changes AMD made this week.
"amd-drm-next-6.1-2022-09-08: amdgpu: - Mode2 reset for RDNA2 - Lots of new DC documentation - Add documentation on different asic families - DSC improvements - Aldebaran fixes - Some spelling and grammar fixes - GFXOFF statistics support for vangogh - DC frame size fixes - NBIO 7.7 update - DCN version 3.2 update - DCN version 3.1.4 update - SMU 13.x update - Miscellaneous bug fixes - Rewrite DC register offset handling - GC version 11.x update - PSP 13.x update - SDMA 6.x update - GMC 11.x update - SR-IOV update - PSP's fix for TA uninstallation - DSC pass-through support - Miscellaneous code cleanup amdkfd: - ISA fixes for certain GC 10.3 IPs - Miscellaneous code cleanup radeon: - Delayed work release fixes - Use time_after for some jiffies calculations drm: - Support for DSC pass-through helper functions"
The uncertainty in AMD’s code is a strategy that the company is activating on an IP block-by-IP block basis. The company hasn’t fully disclosed how close they are to supporting Linux next year in terms of upcoming graphics and acceleration. There is also the question of whether the company will be ready for the new technology once it is launched.
AMD has also added “Mode2” reset support, covering the “Sienna Cichlid” RDNA 2 architecture and Radeon RX 6000 graphics. mode2 is an alternative graphics processing reset mode planned for multi-container use cases and other areas that require short GPU resets without affecting graphics memory and in turn without losing data.
Finally, AMD includes bug fixes and patches for the Aldebaran series, display stream compression (DSC) enhancements, VanGogh APU GFXOFF statistics support, SR-IOV updates, and various low-level code revisions.
