This repository provides the AMD Open Source Driver for Vulkan (AMDVLK) for Radeon graphics adapters on Linux. It targets developers and power users seeking an open-source Vulkan implementation, offering features like Vulkan 1.4 support and extensive extension coverage, built upon AMD's Platform Abstraction Library (PAL) and LLVM-based Pipeline Compiler (LLPC).

How It Works

AMDVLK is built on AMD's Platform Abstraction Library (PAL), a shared component designed to encapsulate hardware and OS-specific details for various AMD drivers. This approach ensures consistency across platforms and compatibility with AMD developer tools. Shader compilation is handled by the LLVM-Based Pipeline Compiler (LLPC), which leverages LLVM's infrastructure for AMD GPUs to generate code objects compatible with PAL's pipeline ABI. This differs from AMD's closed-source driver, which uses a separate pipeline compiler.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Build from Source: Requires CMake 3.21+, C++20 support (GCC 9+, Clang 11+), Ninja, and specific development packages for Ubuntu/RedHat. Building also necessitates installing DirectXShaderCompiler and glslang.
• Pre-built Packages: Available via dpkg (Ubuntu) or rpm (RedHat), or through a dedicated APT repository for Ubuntu.
• Dependencies: Vulkan SDK (1.3.290+ recommended for shader compiler tools), libssl3 (Ubuntu), openssl-libs (RedHat).
• OS Support: Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 (amd64), RedHat 9.0/10.0 (x86-64).
• GPU Support: Radeon RX 9070, 7000, 6000, 5000 series, and Radeon Pro W5700/W5500. For pre-GFX10 GPUs, use v-2023.Q3.3 or older.
• Kernel: Recommended 5.3+ for upstream driver stack.
• Setup Time: Building from source involves significant dependency installation and compilation time. Pre-built packages offer faster deployment.
• Documentation: https://github.com/GPUOpen-Drivers/AMDVLK/blob/master/README.md

Highlighted Details

• Supports Vulkan 1.4 and over 180 extensions.
• Includes Radeon GPUProfiler tracing and built-in debug/profiling tools.
• Features mid-command buffer preemption and SR-IOV virtualization.
• Offers runtime settings for driver behavior customization and debugging.

Maintenance & Community

• Contributions are welcome via pull requests to the dev branch for XGL, LLPC, GPURT, and PAL. LLVM changes should target the LLVM trunk.
• Community channels are not explicitly listed in the README.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License: MIT License for contributions to XGL, LLPC, GPURT, and PAL. LLVM is under Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions. MetroHash and CWPack have Apache 2.0 and MIT licenses, respectively.
• Compatibility: Suitable for commercial use and linking with closed-source applications.

Limitations & Caveats

• The driver is primarily tested on specific Ubuntu and RedHat versions; other distributions may require manual configuration.
• Timeline semaphore extension requires Linux kernel 5.5+ or a Vulkan timeline semaphore layer.
• Some features like hardware performance counter collection via RenderDoc are planned for future releases.