Rock 5B GPU support under linux - does it even exist?

#1

Hello!

Does the official Debian and Ubuntu based image of Radxa support the Mali G610MC4 GPU in any way?
Or do any other linux distributions support it? If not, how to install it?
I’ve had my Rock 5B for a week, I’ve read all the available docs, but I still can’t see clearly.
For me it’s kind of disgusting that the device is advertised as having super fast GPU and NPU available, while in reality it seems unusable.
Can you give some kind of summary of what options are currently available for GPU acceleration?

Thanks in advance!

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#2

Yeah has its own Panfork.

#3

Thanks!

I see it uses the Rockchip 5.10 kernel (based on the ancient 2.4 kernel).
Any word on how GPU and other hardware support is in the mainline 6.6-6.7 kernel? I have read that there are encouraging results. Is there an image (even Armbian) that can be used to try it out?

#4

The ver4 of Panthor has just gone into Linux Next so maybe 6.8 and its pretty much complete mainline so we are all waiting to see.

All linuxes are based on previous linux releases, right to the 1st versions…
The Rockchip BSP is based on the Android Kernel port and why the BSP updates with Android LTS even if the have screwed with version numbers just to confuse more.
I think 6.1 is the next Android LTS and its just what Rockchip have more focus on

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#5

And what OS image would you recommend from the current selection, if the intended use would be a well-functioning Linux desktop primarily for mcu development?
The software I need works, I’ve tried it (e.g. Segger J-Link / Ozone / Systemview etc.). My problem is the many choices. Unfortunately - to be honest - none of the os/distros seem to be very mature.
Of course, I know it’s not to be compared to Raspberry Pi - mainly because of the size of the community and the software support.

Thanks really a lot for the help!

#6

https://github.com/Joshua-Riek/ubuntu-rockchip have been by a long way my preference, but limits to Ubuntu. It makes a lot of sense to stay with a distro and SoC for a Dev so they can give good support that likely have common issues on a number of similar SBC.
What I really like is that its very vanilla Ubuntu, meaning it works as all over Ubuntu’s and can be treated so.
Imo I have never liked Armbian because of the userside scripts and deviation from what also should be vanilla installs as the more you echo upstream the larger herd you are amongst.
https://github.com/Joshua-Riek/ubuntu-rockchip also has a mainline version that published one @ 6.6 but not much has been pushed into 6.7 of much change and fingers crossed that should all change with a working Panthor in 6.8.
Still to see if anyone has itchy fingers and has tried a very early 6.8 kernel build, but likely on release it will be there very soon.
A few of us due to a lot of cross-over have been wondering if all RK35xx boards can be supported Rk3566, rk3568, rk3588(s) for the same Ubuntu which is merely a port than an attempt at another distro and because of that I see it as better due to the large community and support upstream.

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#7

panthor v4 is not in linux next: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/next/linux-next.git/tree/drivers/gpu/drm/panthor?h=next-20240124

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#8

Linux 6.8-rc1 was created on Sunday, so the merge window is already closed, Panthor will not be there either way. Also, there will be v5 of the patch set.

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#9

https://lore.kernel.org/all/20240122163047.1954733-1-boris.brezillon@collabora.com/

oh well missed it by a day

#10

Way more than a day, I’m afraid: that’s a code review link, and you can see there that this patchset was not yet reviewed, so it’s not yet to be merged anyway.

#11

Thank you all very much for your help, now the picture is a bit clearer!

Otherwise, it still seems strange to me why even here on the wiki there is no summary of the current status of rk3588 mainline linux kernel support. Especially regarding the GPU.
I was socialized on RPi - as far as SBCs are concerned. I knew what I was getting into when I bought the 16GB Rock 5b, I gathered quite a lot of info. Yet, when it arrived, I was faced with having to pick up the knowledge I needed to use it from quite small crumbs of information.

Just a few examples not mentioned in the “official” wiki:

  • which parts of the SOC are referred to by the rather meaninglessly named thermal zones in the meaning of psensors / xsensors?
  • how can I change the threshold for turning on the PWM fan?
  • how can I modify the PWM fan speed curve as a function of temperature?
  • why is there a different SPI boot loader for Armbian?
  • how can I change the boot order?
  • how can I change the CPU core frequency?
#12

Hello GinKage,
I think you’re right. I’m using Fedora 40 Rawhide on my Rock 5B with kernel 6.8.0-0.rc0.20240112git70d201a40823.5.fc40.aarch64 and I can’t see any Panthor support there.

[root@rockpi5 ~]# inxi -G
Graphics:
Message: No PCI device data found.
Display: server: X.org v: 1.20.14 with: Xwayland v: 23.2.4 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
gpu: N/A tty: 255x59
API: EGL v: 1.5 drivers: kms_swrast,swrast platforms: gbm,surfaceless,device
API: OpenGL v: 4.5 vendor: mesa v: 24.0.0-rc2 note: console (EGL sourced) renderer: llvmpipe
(LLVM 17.0.6 128 bits)
API: Vulkan v: 1.3.268 drivers: llvmpipe surfaces: N/A
[root@rockpi5 ~]#

Gretings
Andreas