A CUDA Back-End For Intel's Open-Source Driver?

[phoronix]

Phoronix: A CUDA Back-End For Intel's Open-Source Driver?

While there is the "Clover" branch of Mesa started by Zack Rusin for providing an OpenCL state tracker that can be used by Gallium3D hardware drivers, it hasn't yet amounted to much. The OpenCL state tracker is not yet working, hasn't been touched in months, and has yet to be integrated in the mainline Mesa code-base. However, as another GPGPU alternative, it looks like a CUDA back-end that's specific to Intel's open-source driver may end up being worked on...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=ODM2Mg

[MaestroMaus]

Seriously, Cuda? On Intel IGP's? Am I the only one who thinks this is one of the most stupid ways of burning recources that could be used a lot better somewhere else?

I mean; hardly anyone uses Cuda and those who do probably need a lot more then a miserable Intel IGP will offer. So who is going to use this? What is the point of making this?

[r1348]

Just another proof that the graphic stack development for linux is, generally speaking, clueless.

[Yuma]

I think you two are clueless. This is a group of researchers interested in experimenting with GPGPU backends. They're probably not interested in what you're interested in. They're interested in IGPs specifically because they feel that CPU-GPU integration is relevant to their research. Nobody said they were releasing anything or contributing anything to the Intel driver...

It's not brain surgery here, the guy's mail to the list is only 3 paragraphs long.

[Qaridarium]

don't waste your time on intel or nvidia get that stuff: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06...pu//print.html

Passiv cooled :-)

[mat69]

I don't get it.

If they are really that intersted into CPU/GPU stuff why strive for CUDA that was designed for GPU only?

I mean hack, OpenCL was at least designed with CPU in mind.
Yeah I know that to get very good performance you still have to write code specifically for CPU or certain types of GPUs, but still why CUDA?

[V!NCENT]

Why? Because they can and any knowledge can be usefull for noveau. Next.

[mat69]

Why? Because they can and any knowledge can be usefull for noveau. Next.

Wow. Great argument.

So people working on Intel drivers are supposed to get the knowledge for an driver for NVidia cards?

[marek]

This news is actually pretty cool.

[Veerappan]

This news is actually pretty cool.

Yeah, it's pretty cool, but I'd also like to see them put their efforts into finishing off the OpenCL state tracker.

Although, if they manage to get a working CUDA backend for the intel driver, then someone might be able to do like Nvidia does and provide an OpenCL -> CUDA wrapper/translator, which might be portable to other GPU architectures in the open source stack.