Re: [gentoo-user] Do I need firmware for an integrated graphics unit?

[Michael <confabulate@kintzios.com>]

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On Wednesday, 21 August 2024 13:04:44 BST Alan Mackenzie wrote:
> Hello, Michael.
> 
> On Wed, Aug 21, 2024 at 12:37:53 +0100, Michael wrote:
[snip ...]
> > lspci | grep -i VGA
> 
> I've tried that already.  I get
> 
>     VGA compatible controller, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc [AMD/ATI] Raphael
> (rev c4)
> 
> , which fails to identify the GPU cores.  Raphael, I believe, is just the
> code name for the entire processor.
> 
> > and
> > 
> > lshw -C cpu
> > 
> > lshw -C display
> 
> They don't give me any more information, either.

Try a different liveUSB, as already suggested.  It could come with the 
necessary modules/firmware and will load them, making it easy to identify 
firmware file names to copy over.


> > The above will show which APU you are using and its GPU cores.  Then it is
> > a matter of looking here for the corresponding GPU chipset and
> > microarchitecture you need to enable in the kernel:
> > 
> > https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/AMDGPU#Feature_support
> 
> I've tried that already.  "Raphael" does not appear in that document.

Yes, Raphael is not listed in the wiki page.  :-(

If you're happy to experiment, you could try configuring your kernel for 
RDNA2, or even RDNA3, before you boot with it and see what firmware the kernel 
complains is missing in dmesg.  The error message of missing firmware will 
point to the relevant chipset's firmware you should add to your kernel.


> > Alternatively, as Wol mentioned, you can set up your kernel graphics
> > drivers as modules (temporarily) and inspect dmesg to find out what
> > firmware is being loaded.  Then use this information to add the firmware
> > file names to be built in the kernel and also configure to be built-in
> > any kernel graphics drivers.
> That would involve me learning how to make and handle a modular kernel,
> something I'd really rather not have to do.

Well, there's nothing to it really.  Just configure your kernel with the 
drivers needed by your graphics card, but set them as modules.  Then boot with 
it and check dmesg.  The kernel will load the modules and try to fetch the 
requisite firmware.

Once you know what you need to configure in the kernel switch over the drivers 
to be built in-kernel and add your firmware files.


> Why is the identity of the
> necessary firmware for Ryzen APUs such a closely guarded secret?

I agree, you should not have to guess which driver and firmware you need for 
your graphics.  Perhaps the Wiki page has not caught up with the latest 
hardware - something to contribute to once you get yours running.  ;-)

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