While new feature code is not normally allowed at the end of the merge window for a given Linux kernel release cycle, Linus Torvalds has decided to merge the newly released open source driver code for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 “Amper” graphics cards. for the Linux 5.11 kernel which will launch as stable in February.
Before this weekend’s Linux 5.11 rc4 release, Linus Torvalds merged the new initial open source code for the NVIDIA RTX 30 / Ampere GPUs via the Nouveau driver. It was good with him that he allowed this late addition to Linux 5.11, as the new hardware support is all standalone and cannot take back the existing NVIDIA GPU support in the Nouveau driver. This is therefore one of the rare times that he allows new code to be added to a merge window, as there is a minimal risk that it could take back the status quo of hardware support.
But as explained in the above article yesterday, this initial open-source GeForce 3000 series hardware support is only limited to setting core modes without any hardware acceleration. The initialization of the various engines of the GPU depends on the signed firmware blobs yet to be published by NVIDIA. Even then, there is the re-clock / performance situation as the major hurdle left for all GPUs outside the GeForce GTX 950 series …
At least for the upcoming Linux 5.11 kernel, the open source Nouveau driver should be good enough to ensure that your screen is properly lit with an NVIDIA RTX 30-series GPU, so you can have a pleasant viewing experience while having your own property is going to download. NVIDIA core graphics driver for enjoying a complete, high-performance experience. Until the 3D acceleration and all other limitations were addressed (including no open source Vulcan driver), the only reasonable path with the RTX 30 series is to use NVIDIA’s high quality platform but own driver.
The initial Ampere mode setting code added Linux 5.11 through this merger.
Also notable in the Linux Git tree are this week’s DRM fixes that include new AMD Renoir PCI IDs, a graphics engine solution for Sienna Cichlid, and other random fixes. On the Intel side, the Intel Haswell GT1 solution is also there after half a year of support. Meanwhile, the next cycle (Linux 5.12) is then the ability to possibly eliminate Intel graphics security mitigations that led to the problem in the first place and could also adversely affect Intel graphics performance.