Microcode Blobs Added To Linux-Firmware For Latest AMD Hardware

Written by Michael Larabel in AMD on 4 September 2015 at 03:00 PM EDT. 23 Comments
AMD
The proprietary firmware files for Carrizo, Fiji, Tonga, and Topaz graphics processors from AMD have been added to the linux-firmware tree.

For the modern AMD graphics processors supported by the new AMDGPU DRM driver, their respective firmware files are now present within linux-firmware.git. For the past few months, these files were just available from Alex Deucher's personal website. Now being part of linux-firmware Git should see that they get rolled out in the next round of Linux distribution updates, etc.

These firmware files for Tonga/Fiji/Carrizo/Topaz are to be installed in /lib/firmware/amdgpu compared to the firmware files for all earlier AMD GPUs being in /lib/firmware/radeon. These files are necessary for hardware acceleration and without them the open-source AMD driver doesn't fully function. These firmware files also cover the UVD and VCE blocks to make for a full-functioning open-source driver.

It's these firmware files that have upset the GNU Linux-Libre folks. Additionally, the license on these newly-added files reads, "No reverse engineering, decompilation, or disassembly of this Software is permitted."

The commit landing the AMDGPU firmware files yesterday can be found here. The Fiji open-source driver changes are landing in Linux 4.3 while the Tonga/Carrizo support is already present with the AMDGPU roll-out in Linux 4.2, as outlined in Running The AMD Radeon R9 Fury With AMD's New Driver.

Meanwhile, I still haven't seen the signed firmware files anywhere for the Maxwell GTX 900 series from NVIDIA so there can be accelerated open-source Nouveau support.
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