Update to Ultimate AMD GPU Linux FAH Guide for OpenCL (FAH-Client v8 only)

[muziqaz]

Old guide can be found here: viewtopic.php?t=42491

Having written the first part in the link above, I realised few things about how AMD does things on Linux, and I made few mistakes up there. This prompted me to write much simpler strategy, cutting some of the steps. Basically AMD drivers come with Linux kernel, all one needs to do is download couple of ROCm/OpenCL packages. This guide will show, how to do it in various distros. This approach removes the need to work with amdgpu downloaded drivers and DKMS system, which is rather annoying. Also, every time you download new kernel, your GPU drivers get updated. Also this guide now supports ROCm up to 6.4.3 (and later, just don't use bleeding edge ). Lastly, this guide takes into consideration latest Linux package filing changes. Oh, and make sure you have done symlinking trick to not get failed WUs on certain cores: viewtopic.php?t=42789
Radeon 9000 series owners, you will have to remove mesa-opencl-icd package and restart in order for rusticl not to take over. FAH does not work with rusticl, yet. However, I'm hearing that AMD is pushing all their linux compute stack towards Mesa, so I guess FAH will have to adapt.

So:
People, who know how to add Radeon repo to their distro sources, you need to add ROCm 6.4.3 repo (or later) (from https://repo.radeon.com/rocm), and then install rocm-opencl-runtime and install ocl-icd-opencl-dev or, in some distros, ocl-icd-devel, restart fah-client service, or reboot the system, and you should be good to go. Your FAHclient v8 should report your GPU as supported in Web UI System Info section.

For others:

--Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Pop_OS:

Since amdgpu driver is already in the kernel, you just need rocm-opencl-runtime and icd loader. icd loader is within distro repos already, but only old rocm-opencl-runtime is available. We need to add radeon repo for upgrade.
Find Synaptic Package Manager, click Settings, Repositories. Fill in the fields as shown below in the screenshot and click OK:
Remember: 20.04 - Focal, 22.04 - Jammy, 24.04 - Noble


From terminal enter following:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install rocm-opencl-runtime (select 6.4.3)
sudo apt install ocl-icd-opencl-dev
sudo systemctl restart fah-client <---if you have fah-client already installed and running

Check Web UI System Info section if your GPU is now supported (Should say True next to Supported)

For Ubuntu 25.04 users, please follow this short guide on how to add a Radeon repo: viewtopic.php?p=371796#p371796

Thanks to AHelpingHand

--Linux Mint:

Since amdgpu driver is already in the kernel, you just need rocm-opencl-runtime and probably icd loader. icd loader is within distro repos already, but rocm-opencl-runtime is not. We need to add radeon repo for that.
Find Software Sources, click Additional Repositories, click Add. Enter the following lines and click OK:
For Mint 21

deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.radeon.com/rocm/apt/6.4.3 jammy main

For Mint 22

deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.radeon.com/rocm/apt/6.4.3 noble main

Click on green button, which will show up at the bottom right corner, and then close Software Sources window.

From terminal enter following:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install rocm-opencl-runtime
sudo systemctl restart fah-client
sudo apt install ocl-icd-opencl-dev
sudo systemctl restart fah-client <---if you have fah-client already installed and running

Check Web UI System Info section if your GPU is now supported (Should say True next to Supported)
Note: It is possible that Software Sources will not save your newly added repo, so you will have to re-add it again. I usually tick/untick newly added repo, reload cache again, and then close it. That seems to save the repo.

--Debian 12/13+:

Older than Debian 12 might have issues with drivers, but with more recent kernels things are working.
Since amdgpu driver is already in the kernel, you just need rocm-opencl-runtime and most likely icd loader. icd loader is within distro repos already, but not rocm-opencl-runtime. We need to add radeon repo for that.
Find Synaptic Package Manager, click Settings, Repositories. Fill in the fields as shown below in the screenshot and click OK:

Note this screenshot is best suited for Debian 13.
For Debian 12 write jammy under Distribution section.
Debian 13 is noble (I believe)

From terminal enter following:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install rocm-opencl-runtime
sudo apt install ocl-icd-opencl-dev
sudo systemctl restart fah-client <---if you have fah-client already installed and running

Check Web UI System Info section if your GPU is now supported (Should say True next to Supported)

--Fedora 40+:

Since amdgpu driver is already in the kernel, you just need rocm-opencl-runtime and probably icd loader. icd loader is within distro repos already, but not rocm-opencl-runtime. We need to add radeon repo for that.
Launch terminal, cd your way to /etc/yum.repos.d. Inside of it create empty file named ROCm.repo (it will ask for elevated permissions).
Then using your favorite terminal text editor, populate that file with following (I am using nano text editor as in: sudo nano ROCm.repo):

[ROCm]
name=ROCm
baseurl=https://repo.radeon.com/rocm/el9/6.4.3/main/
enabled=1
gpgkey=1
gpgkey=https://repo.radeon.com/rocm/rocm.gpg.key

Save it (for nano CTRL-X to Exit, Y to Save changes, and, if asked, click Enter).

From terminal enter following:

sudo dnf update
sudo dnf install rocm-opencl-runtime
sudo systemctl restart fah-client <---if you have fah-client already installed and running
sudo dnf install ocl-icd-devel
sudo systemctl restart fah-client

Check if Web UI System Info shows True next to Supported. If the damn thing still shows False, install ocl-icd package. But I doubt this is needed, since this is already installed.

--ArchLinux, Manjaro, Endeavours:

There is no Radeon repo for you, btw. I asked AMD, cannot remember the answer... But I think their response was, that things are available from AUR repos.

Here is what I've done to get my Endeavour OS going:
Build fah-client: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/foldingathome
Install built package:

sudo pacman -U fahpackagebtw.pkg.tar.zst

From terminal:

sudo systemctl enable fah-client
sudo systemctl start fah-client.service
sudo usermod -a -G render fah-client
sudo pacman -S rocm-opencl-sdk
sudo pacman -S ocl-icd

Restart the PC
Open your browser, punch in: v8-4.foldingathome.org (the beginning of the URL should match your fahclient version, so in the future when you build v8.5, url should start with v8-5.foldinglalalala).
Log in to your fah account (remember passkey is not your password, and v7 never had accounts).
Click on "i" looking icon on right hand side, it should show Supported: True under your GPU(s).
If it still says False, try

sudo usermod -a -G render yourusernameonthatOS
sudo usermod -a -G video yourusernameonthatOS <--- yeah, these will not gonna help, but I believe in magic

And restart your PC.
If it still says False, consider other more wonderful distros out there, which are not trying to make your hobby as a full time job (unpaid)
Thanks to @untilitdid and @calxalot for ideas.
Oh, you might get away with just rocm-opencl-runtime package instead of the whole SDK.

--OpenSuse:

Following has issues with dependencies
amdgpu driver is already in the kernel.
Add https://repo.radeon.com/rocm/zyp/6.4.3/main/ to your Yast Software Repositories app.

From terminal enter following:

sudo zypper in rocm-opencl-runtime <---Choose Solution 2, to ignore the dependency (I asked AMD why this is the issue, hope they'll fix it)
sudo systemctl restart fah-client <---if you have fah-client already installed and running

ocl-icd-devel is pulled with runtime installation, so just restart fah-client service and
check Web UI System Info section if your GPU is now supported (Should say True next to Supported)

Few notes:
Latest distribution versions have changed something to the way they boot, so FAHClient seem to start before all the OS components are loaded, so every time you reboot Ubuntu 25.04, or Debian 13, or Mint 22, or EndeavourOS, you have to run the following command in terminal:

sudo systemctl restart fah-client

Dev is looking into how to "fix" this, not sure when the "fix" will be ready. v8.5.1 alpha does not have it yet.
If all the above guide still does not get your GPUs recognised, try following:

sudo usermod -a -G render fah-client <---system restart is required afterwards

ocl-icd-devel or ocl-icd-opencl-devel package requirement is now global, even evil doers on nVidia side need one of these packages now. This is apparently global Linux thing, not just vendor agnostic.
And, finally, as noted before, this might be obsolete, if/when we get HIP Fahcore, but even if this happens tomorrow, we will be long way from completely moving away from opencl.

Edit history:
-Added distro icons for easy identification
-Added working method for Arch based distros
-Swapped rocm-opencl-sdk with rocm-opencl-runtime
-Added info about v8.5.1 not needing icd loader anymore
-Removed info about v8.5.1 not needing icd loader anymore bugs bugs
-Changed syntax in few places
-Added link to shortened directions for Ubuntu 25.04

[muziqaz]

Above is compatible with ROCm 7.0 and 7.0.1

[maciej_ficek]

I installed rocm-opencl-sdk and rocm-opencl-runtime on Manjaro but Radeon still does not work:

Here are my listings from clinfo (i have other nvidia GPU on eGPU):

https://pastebin.pl/view/a5ac90ce - it kinda shows some AMD stuff but number of devices: 0, so it like doesnt connect AMD card with the OpenCL

My Radeon worked when FAH displayed it as "gfx1102" in web client, one day I updated everything and I cannot repait it.

[muziqaz]

I installed rocm-opencl-sdk and rocm-opencl-runtime on Manjaro but Radeon still does not work:

Here are my listings from clinfo (i have other nvidia GPU on eGPU):

https://pastebin.pl/view/a5ac90ce - it kinda shows some AMD stuff but number of devices: 0, so it like doesnt connect AMD card with the OpenCL

My Radeon worked when FAH displayed it as "gfx1102" in web client, one day I updated everything and I cannot repait it.

Are there any opencl-icd's available in Arch repos?
clinfo is no longer reliable to see if opencl is doing well or not. All of my test systems show clinfo as blank, yet FAH sees them

[maciej_ficek]

I installed rocm-opencl-sdk and rocm-opencl-runtime on Manjaro but Radeon still does not work:

Here are my listings from clinfo (i have other nvidia GPU on eGPU):

https://pastebin.pl/view/a5ac90ce - it kinda shows some AMD stuff but number of devices: 0, so it like doesnt connect AMD card with the OpenCL

My Radeon worked when FAH displayed it as "gfx1102" in web client, one day I updated everything and I cannot repait it.

Are there any opencl-icd's available in Arch repos?
clinfo is no longer reliable to see if opencl is doing well or not. All of my test systems show clinfo as blank, yet FAH sees them

There is, but it does not help.

Here is my full story:
viewtopic.php?t=43227

Since that post, I tried opencl-amd (which teoretically has ROCm 7.0) and POCL, both did not work. I am not Linux master. Im just a dreamer who wanted to help people and bought AMD GPU ONLY to provide computing power for scientific research. I've spent already like 50 hours or more trying to repair that GPU on Manjaro and it does not work (by the way, on Windows I couldnt set up that device also). I can pay the person who helps me.

[muziqaz]

What is your system info section of FAHClient web ui showing you?
I booted into my Endeavours distro, will see if we can work things out. I'm sure there is something simple missing.
As a side test: have you tried removing nVidia GPU from the system and then trying? On Windows those two don't work together most of the time. Is it possible nVidia messed something up with their recent drivers that they clash on Linux too?

[muziqaz]

While I'm battling Arch Linux ethos of build everything yourself and fail, here is some guidance which might help with opencl:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GPGPU#OpenCL

[muziqaz]

ok Arch Linux "how to":
Here is what I've done to get my Endeavour OS going:
Build fah-client: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/foldingathome
Install built package:

sudo pacman -U fahpackagebtw.pkg.tar.zst

From terminal:

sudo systemctl enable fah-client
sudo systemctl start fah-client.service
sudo usermod -a -G render fah-client
sudo pacman -S rocm-opencl-sdk
sudo pacman -S ocl-icd

Restart the PC

Open your browser, punch in: v8-4.foldingathome.org (the beginning of the URL should match your fahclient version, so in the future when you build v8.5, url should start with v8-5.foldinglalalala).
Log in to your fah account (remember passkey is not your password, and v7 never had accounts).
Click on "i" looking icon on right hand side, it should show Supported: True under your GPU(s).
If it still says False, try

sudo usermod -a -G render yourusernameonthatOS
sudo usermod -a -G video yourusernameonthatOS <--- yeah, these will not gonna help, but I believe in magic

And restart your PC.
If it still says False, consider other more wonderful distros out there which are not trying to make your hobby as a full time job (unpaid)

[calxalot]

I think you want

Code: Select all

sudo systemctl enable fah-client

before start

[muziqaz]

I think you want

Code: Select all

sudo systemctl enable fah-client

before start

Will that set up automatic service start? Let me try
Yes, it frikkin does

[NetoriusNick]

Thanks once again Muziqaz for this update.


This has prompted me to give this another go on my 22.04 Ubuntu server, (solved all the other issues due to instructions changing / being sparse)

I am still having an issue with my AMD card, it is being reported as not supported despite your above steps.

09:53:12:I3:gpus = {
09:53:12:I3: "gpu:10:00:00": {"vendor": 4098, "device": 26751, "type": "amd", "supported": false, "description": "Vega 10 XL/XT [Radeon RX Vega 56/64]"}
09:53:12:I3:}

Sorry but I feel like I am missing something simple. (being the ID10T I am)

[muziqaz]

Thanks once again Muziqaz for this update.


This has prompted me to give this another go on my 22.04 Ubuntu server, (solved all the other issues due to instructions changing / being sparse)

I am still having an issue with my AMD card, it is being reported as not supported despite your above steps.

09:53:12:I3:gpus = {
09:53:12:I3: "gpu:10:00:00": {"vendor": 4098, "device": 26751, "type": "amd", "supported": false, "description": "Vega 10 XL/XT [Radeon RX Vega 56/64]"}
09:53:12:I3:}

Sorry but I feel like I am missing something simple. (being the ID10T I am)

What is clinfo reporting?
Which kernel? Check if amdgpu module is being used:

sudo lspci -v | grep amdgpu

This should output 2 lines: kernel driver in use and kernel modules.
Open gpus.json (wherever it is stored in Linux) with txt editor, and search for 687f, see if any results come up (it should).
From terminal run:

groups fah-client

see if it is in render group, if not add it by terminal command:

sudo usermod -a -G render fah-client

and obviously make sure you have icd loader installed as well as rocm-opencl-sdk (nothing wrong to try installing it again, and if it says it is already installed, you just say No to reinstall, that at least will tell you that you did not miss any steps. Obviously a reboot after the whole thing is in order just to be sure things got enabled.

[NetoriusNick]

This WAS me being an ID10T.
I did not have rocm-opencl-sdk installed and had missed the install failure message this is now working. Note (not that it is important) the name has changed to gfx900:xnack

[muziqaz]

This WAS me being an ID10T.
I did not have rocm-opencl-sdk installed and had missed the install failure message this is now working. Note (not that it is important) the name has changed to gfx900:xnack

Yeah, that is a code name for your GPU arch

[NetoriusNick]

ah everyday is a school day thank you once again