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AMDGPU-PRO 16.50 actually released, with FreeSync and wider GPU support

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As expected (from the leak), AMD has pushed out AMDGPU-PRO 16.50 for Linux which includes FreeSync support along with support for a wider set of cards.

Highlights of this release:
* FreeSync
* Provides support for
- AMD Radeon™ R7 M465X
- AMD Radeon™ R7 M370
- AMD Radeon™ R7 M350
* Install scripts for RedHat Enterprise Linux 7.3, CentOS 7.3, CentOS 6.8, and SLED/SLES 12 SP2
* DirectGMA for OpenGL

It's only compatible with a specific set of distributions:
- RedHat Enterprise Linux 7.3 (64-bit version)
- RedHat Enterprise Linux 6.8 (64-bit version)
- Ubuntu 16.04 (64-bit version)
- CentOS 7.3 (64-bit version) will be supported after distro official release
- CentOS 6.8 (64-bit version)
- SLED/SLES 12 SP2 (64-bit version)

They say it has support for the following API's:
- OpenGL 4.5 and GLX 1.4
- OpenCL™1.2
- Vulkan™ 1.0
- VDPAU
For some reason Dota 2 with Vulkan gets a special mention, making it seem like other Vulkan titles wouldn't work, which is odd.

It is available to download right now.

No word on any performance improvements in the release notes, as most of the work tends to go into the Windows driver. The Windows driver got a big update with a bunch of new shiny stuff and we didn't really see much.

See the release notes here. The download links are available there too. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: AMD, Drivers
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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adamhm Dec 9, 2016
Quoting: artvandelay440So as a long time Nvidia devotee on Linux, can someone explain to a relative AMD outsider- are their cards ready for no-fuss Linux gaming support? Is the driver install process as simple as Vvidia? I ask as someone looking at alternatives for my next GPU upgrade.

I bought an RX480 a while ago for testing AMD's new drivers, but I'm still using my Nvidia 750Ti on my main system. Nvidia currently offers the best performance, compatibility, feature support and ease of use (if using the proprietary drivers PPA).

AMD are quickly catching up with their new AMDGPU & AMDGPU-PRO drivers though. For now I would recommend using the AMDGPU-PRO driver if you have an AMD graphics card, as it offers the best compatibility and feature support between the two (performance is about the same overall I think - some games run better on AMDGPU, some run better on AMDGPU-PRO).

To use the open source AMDGPU drivers you will need to upgrade the kernel to 4.8+/the latest available and install an updated version of Mesa (I recommend using the new stable Mesa PPA: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/ubuntu-now-has-a-community-built-ppa-for-stable-versions-of-mesa.8688 )

To use the AMDGPU-PRO hybrid driver, download it from AMD's website and follow their instructions to install it. AFAIK there is currently no convenient PPA for updated stable AMDGPU or AMDGPU-PRO like there is for Nvidia's proprietary drivers.


Last edited by adamhm on 9 December 2016 at 3:26 pm UTC
redshift Dec 9, 2016
Concerning DAL(DC) support on AMD. It looks like AMD's latest code wasn't accepted in the mainline linux.
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMDGPU-DC-DRM-No
MayeulC Dec 9, 2016
Quoting: redshiftConcerning DAL(DC) support on AMD. It looks like AMD's latest code wasn't accepted in the mainline linux.

So much FUD spreading on this topic. Firstly, I have to note that it was a request for comments, not an actual pull request.

The answer was pretty clear: No Hardware Abstaction Layer (HAL). They got some comments, at least. DC will be included sooner or (way) later, by AMD or by the community, but not in its current form :)
gabsd84 Dec 10, 2016
For those interested in following the discussion on the DC code, see this thread on the AMDGFX list:

https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/amd-gfx/2016-December/003863.html

The follow up responses provide a lot of context on what is going on. It seems from reading through the lengthy posts that the DC code has been reworked quite a bit already with the total lines of code dropping from about 90K to somewhere around 60K. There are still issues to be resolved (mainly the hardware abstraction layer code), but overall things are heading in the right direction. Some of the responses from the AMD devs also provide an insight on what is happening in the organisation. It seems that Linux driver development is becoming more integrated into their new hardware bring up and they are trying to achieve the same performance and power efficiency on Linux as they have on Windows.
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