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xakepp35
Asked: 2020-05-06 02:39:25 +0800 CST

How to set up vulkan?

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Problem: VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED

I have ubuntu 18.04, and I've downloaded and compiled example program, that draws triangle. It does not work, because cannot initialize vulkan context.

For install I've used apt install build-essential libglfw3-dev libvulkan-dev vulkan-utils

vulkaninfo is writing same thing.

Someone said, that I need to blacklist radeon and install amdgpu. It ruined the OS in a mindblowing way:

  • I've downloaded, installed ./amdgpu-pro-install -pro -no-32,
  • After reboot I got console only. I dont want to use console mode OS for debugging graphics APP! So
  • Did rollback: amdgpu-pro-uninstall and reboot again
  • After reboot fullscreen refreshes now taking like 5 seconds, I virtually see scanline, and mouse is jerky. OS is still usable, but very unpleasant, unresponsive feeling!

I did that on windows. It involves 4 pretty standart stps, thay you can do in a single, pretty standart way:

  • Install win
  • Install amd driver (only one driver, from official site, latest version)
  • Install vulkan sdk and glfw
  • Install free visual studio community, create project, add downloaded source code, press RUN

In result - You WILL SEE TRIANGLE, running at MAX FPS, that your GPU can afford. It is very simple, and with low entry level. Portable across any gpu, that claims to support vulkan. You focus on coding, but not on tweaking poorly designed OS graphics stack!

Now I need to do same in Ubuntu. What steps should I take?

graphics gpu-driver amdgpu-pro amdgpu vulkan

1 Answers

  1. After a day of shamanism with a tambourine, I've finally figured out: default driver is old radeon driver, instead of actual amdgpu (probably just because "it would show picture everywhere"). So basically you have to take following steps:

    • sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
    • Add the following line: blacklist radeon
    • sudo update-initramfs -u
    • sudo nano /etc/grub/default
    • Add options, based on your graphics card. (for my 390 i have to enable CIK)
    • sudo update-grub
    • sudo reboot

    After it you should be using amdgpu. To check currently selected driver, use:

    $ lspci -v | grep -i VGA -A 12

Kernel driver in use: amdgpu
Kernel modules: radeon, amdgpu

    To get vulkan SDK on Ubuntu (you would require at least glslc), no need to bother with tar - just check out premade packages. Bionic 18.04 packages are confirmed to work well on my fresh lubuntu 20.04

    PS. enter image description here

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