AMD Publishes R600 and R700 3D Code
Close to year's end, U.S. chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has released the Linux code for its ATI R600 and R700 microprocessors.
As the Phoronix hardware portal announces, AMD is delivering to open source developers, through the release of the code, the tools to support 3D for all ATI graphics processors, even for the newest cards. Per the announcement, "For end-users, today's releases are a significant milestone in the step towards open-source ATI 3D support on the Linux desktop." Also, "there is a chance" that the Linux distro will be available the second quarter of 2009 and include the 3D support.
Developers having been waiting for AMD's announcement since the ATI graphics processors first started to appear on the market. The California chipmaker acquired the ATI graphics specialists in October 2006 and adopted a strategy in September 2007 to release documentation for its ATI drivers under Open Source licensing. The first free drivers in cooperation with Novell appeared shortly thereafter and AMD released documentation for further processors in February 2008, albeit under a non-disclosure agreement.
Phoronix explained why it took almost 15 months to release the R600 documentation: "[AMD coworkers] John Bridgman and Alex Deucher have been working on deciding what code or documentation is needed for programming, sanitize it of any information not relevant to bringing up the 3D engine, remove any details concerning future ATI hardware, and then getting all of this work cleared by AMD's lead software and hardware architects so that it can be publicly released without any NDAs or other string attached."
The currently released documentation focuses solely on the 3D engine, but AMD promises further specifications, such as for the Unified Video Decoder. The code has been available up to now for free in various git repositories at the freedesktop.org website.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
The GNU Project Celebrates Its 40th Birthday
September 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the GNU Project, and it was celebrated with a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.
-
Linux Kernel Reducing Long-Term Support
LTS support for the Linux kernel is about to undergo some serious changes that will have a considerable impact on the future.
-
Fedora 39 Beta Now Available for Testing
For fans and users of Fedora Linux, the first beta of release 39 is now available, which is a minor upgrade but does include GNOME 45.
-
Fedora Linux 40 to Drop X11 for KDE Plasma
When Fedora 40 arrives in 2024, there will be a few big changes coming, especially for the KDE Plasma option.
-
Real-Time Ubuntu Available in AWS Marketplace
Anyone looking for a Linux distribution for real-time processing could do a whole lot worse than Real-Time Ubuntu.
-
KSMBD Finally Reaches a Stable State
For those who've been looking forward to the first release of KSMBD, after two years it's no longer considered experimental.
-
Nitrux 3.0.0 Has Been Released
The latest version of Nitrux brings plenty of innovation and fresh apps to the table.
-
Linux From Scratch 12.0 Now Available
If you're looking to roll your own Linux distribution, the latest version of Linux From Scratch is now available with plenty of updates.
-
Linux Kernel 6.5 Has Been Released
The newest Linux kernel, version 6.5, now includes initial support for two very exciting features.
-
UbuntuDDE 23.04 Now Available
A new version of the UbuntuDDE remix has finally arrived with all the updates from the Deepin desktop and everything that comes with the Ubuntu 23.04 base.