How to install Driver to customized directroy rather than root？

[xiaoqiang-wang]

Dear, my friends,

I DO NOT want to install the Driver as root, I just want to install it under myself work directory.

Just like python2 and python3 can be installed to general user customized directory.

#

I'm trying to compile and install AMD Open GPU Driver on my Ubuntu. After I initialize the system environment and sync code to my work_dir.

I run build and install command as below:

Step 0. /home/andy/work_path$  cmake -G Ninja -S xgl -B xgl/builds/Release64  

after Step 0, I think I DO NOT want install it as root.
I just want install it under my work_dir rather than root. So I customize install directory with cmake argument "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="./install".

Step 1. /home/andy/work_path$  cmake -G Ninja -S xgl -B xgl/builds/Release64 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DLLVM_PARALLEL_LINK_JOBS=8 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="./install"

Step 2 ./home/andy/work_path$ cmake --build xgl/builds/Release64

After Step 2, I see the "amdvk.so" and "amdllpc" binary files have successfully generated. then I try to run Step 3.

step 3 ./home/andy/work_path$ cmake --install xgl/builds/Release64 --component icd

Errors

when I try Step 3 to install it, It report below error, It still need root privileges.

CMake Error at xgl/builds/Release64/cmake_install.cmake:54 (file):   file cannot create directory: /etc/vulkan/icd.d.  Maybe need administrative  privileges.

Questions

Q1: Can I install the driver as "general user", rather than root? How can I customize the install directory.

# Before run do Step 1, I have run the default command in Step 0.

Q2: Does this problem caused by I not clean the default setting? How I can clean all default setting and customize my install directory.

Sincerely xiaoqiang-wang

[JaxLinAMD]

Hi @xiaoqiang-wang, the way you use "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="./install" is correct, but some files must be installed to /etc/vulkan/icd.d even though you choose to install to customized directory. amdvlk64.so can be installed to any directory you specified, but for amd_icd64.json, it will always be installed to /etc/vulkan/icd.d.

Could you try if "sudo cmake --install xgl/builds/Release64 --component icd" works?

[xiaoqiang-wang]

Dear Lin, 🥇 I thanks your kindly reply very much. This machine is used by several users, so I DO NOT want my install will change system config.

😀 I have got what I wanted "amdvk.so" and "amdllpc" binary files after Step 2. and currently on learning "amdllpc" workflow. So, I stop after Step 2.

when one day, I got a machine for myself. I will try the install command "sudo cmake --install xgl/builds/Release64 --component icd".

Sincerely xiaoqiang-wang

[Flakebi]

Hi, If you want to use your compiled driver, you can edit the amd_icd64.json file (which should be in the same directory as amdvlk64.so) and change the path in library_path to your compiled amdvlk64.so (relative paths like ./amdvlk64.so also work). When running Vulkan applications, start them with VK_ICD_FILENAMES=/path/to/your/amd_icd64.json (e.g. VK_ICD_FILENAMES=/home/andy/work_path/xgl/builds/Release64/icd/amd_icd64.json vkcube or set this variable in your ~/.profile or ~/.bashrc) to use this driver.

[xiaoqiang-wang]

Dear @Flakebi ， thanks a lot my friend. 👍 you are really expert on the Driver useage.
💯 I think your solution is what I wanted.

# But I still have a qusetion,

Can I get an Open-Source AMDGPU simulator that can co-work with above Driver?

Sincerely xiaoqiang-wang

[JaxLinAMD]

@Flakebi thanks for the help, learned new knowledge :)

[Flakebi]

Can I get an Open-Source AMDGPU simulator that can co-work with above Driver?

I’m not aware of any simulator. The closest thing is probably the “Infinitely Fast Hardware” mode: https://github.com/GPUOpen-Drivers/AMDVLK#runtime-settings (I never used that so far, so I don’t know what exactly it does)

[dstutt]

IFH mode drops all calls before they are actually sent to the GPU hardware. This is most useful when evaluating driver performance (pretending that the hardware is infinitely fast, hence the name), or determining if there's a bug (crash) in driver side code (rather than anything running on the GPU itself).

[xiaoqiang-wang]

Hello, @dstutt my friend, 😀 Thanks for your kindly reply. can you give me some suggestion, how to get a Simulator (not on GPU hardware, not drops draw-calls) that can co-work with above Driver?

Does the corresponding Simulator is part of intellectual property of AMD, not published on github?

[jinjianrong]

Simulator is not published

[xiaoqiang-wang]

😃 Hello @jinjianrong my friend, thanks for your reply very much.

Will it be published in future? Can I find a old version Simulator?

[jinjianrong]

I don't think simulator will be published.

[xiaoqiang-wang]

@jinjianrong 😃 Thank you all the same.

I'm currently learning the amdllpc compiler work-flow, not have a simulator both OK .

sincerely xiaoqiang-wang