AMD OpenCL Support for 18.04?

Support & Help Requests Hardware
,
#1

Is there OpenCL support for 18.04 on AMD? There is an AMDGPU-PRO preview but when I tired it nothing happened. None of my OpenCL aware apps detected anything.

UPDATE: I got the silly thing to install finally. The AMD instructions failed to mention using sudo (doh!). Once that was accomplished clinfo returned something other than Number of Platforms = 0.

However, only darktable recognized that OpenCL was available but OBS does not. After some research I discovered that OBS’s “hardware acceleration” is just looking for nvenc to kick in Nvidia based hardware encoding. Rawtherapee (my preferred raw converter) is CPU bound at the moment with no plans for GPU enhancement that I know of so I am looking at upgrading to Threadripper or Threadripper 2 to keep performance up on that. The other apps will benefit as well so that is that.

Still looking for comments regarding this.

#2

Well, this will not be so useful for you to resolve actual problem but might be of use in the future.

As far as I have understand by now, Linux is something that everyone is permitted to see and change (if it knows how).

On the other side commercial software is protected by the law

I think companies are not ready to share anything for which they have to pay developers
So the Windows drivers will exists and also will be updtaed but for the Linux story is different.

For the next time consider shopping of the computer tested or already with Linux on it. And you will find - for the similar characteristics computers capable for Linux are bit a more expensive because of hardware in use. Cheaper hardware is cheap because it have been designed only to satisfy the one operating system such as a Windows.

#3

While I appreciate the advice, my current hardware is by no means cheap.

AMD Ryzen 1800X
32GB PC-2800 RAM
MSI B350M Arctic Mortar Motherboard
MSI RX580 8GB Graphics Card
500GB Intel NVMe SSD Drive
4TB WD Blue HDD (Home folder)
9TB USB 3.0 RAID Array (1st Stage Backup)

I am a professional photographer and use Ubuntu Mate as my daily driver. I also have 33 years of IT experience and know how to assemble a compatible computer system for any operating system you care to mention. However, specs on paper are one thing and real-world use is something else. The RX580 claims to have OpenCL support, and they do if you use the proprietary drivers. Same goes for Nvidia. They don’t want to give away the keys to the kingdom, I get that. I installed the proprietary AMD drivers and while they did provide an OpenCL stack, they managed to break a whole bunch of other applications including Kodi and Firefox among others.

If money were no object, I would get a Cavium-based ThunderX2 ARM workstation with 96 cores and compile the apps for that platform.

1 Like
#4

I absolutely understand your point of view.
It is almost same as my own or many other ordinary people which find themself confused between what they read and learn about the computers on the one side and mass production of computers and capitalism on the other.

Companies sometimes makes “seasonal operating system” (Microsoft Windows 8, 8.1. or 9) but they will drop them “because they are not satisfy”.
Similar story, but much more easy, for the computer manufacturers to start “production line” and then drop it.

The money is behind not your, mine or anybody others needs.
Without respect for the costumers indeed.

I am not a photo pro such as you are, even worse I am Linux beginner because I refuse the use of Microsoft Windows10 “peek-a-boo” technology over the user. Phrase “if you dont hide nothing then…” can be rejected with: “If I buy some apples from the producer on the market why the producer follows me after the shopping, in the name of his product”???

The size of RAM memory does not play the role, even size of HDD, or motherboard etc.
The problem is dropped support of the graphic card that you have.
And the lack of respect from the producer.

As I already said, my netbook is very old and I am about to shop the new computer, in no hurry.
But for sure will be Linux friendly.
But periodical news about Intel, nVidia or AMD which are not always Linux friendly makes situation bit a complicated.

Sorry for my English, it is not my native language.

#5

Have a look at ROCm GPU Server Driver Installation Guide for Linux. This seems to be the most current driver package from AMD including newest OpenCL driver. Let us know how it went - I’m thinking about using AMD hardware too.

#6

The ROCm Suite is for using GPU’s dedicated to compute tasks. Like running Ubuntu Server with no GUI. They even state that if you are running X11 these drivers will cause instability. Plus it is only rated for 16.04 at the moment. I am running 18.04 LTS.

#7

It uses OpenCL driver, which is included with the suite. You don’t have to use the rest. You may be right about lack of Ubuntu 18.04 compatibility, though.