Don't want to see articles from a certain category? When logged in, go to your User Settings and adjust your feed in the Content Preferences section where you can block tags!
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.
GOL user nauticalnexus has put up a Linux Kernel for Arch users that will allow you to use AMDGPU and AMDGPU PRO on older AMD cards.

Note: I am not an Arch user, nor do I own any AMD card to test it myself. I have spoken to the author who put this Kernel up and they claim it's pretty stable.

This could be a good way for some of you on the older Sea Islands cards to get things working until official support comes in a later Kernel.

The cards that this should add support for are: HD7790, R7 260/260x, R9 290/290x, R7 360/360x and the R9 390/390x.

AMDGPU already supports some Sea Islands cards, but not all of them. This Kernel should allow you to try it out on other cards that are hidden behind a flag that currently disables a bunch of them.

It's still experimental, so try it at your own risk.

They also sent over a shot of it running:
image

Find the packages here. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: AMD
0 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by . You can also follow my personal adventures on Bluesky.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
All posts need to follow our rules. For users logged in: please hit the Report Flag icon on any post that breaks the rules or contains illegal / harmful content. Guest readers can email us for any issues.
13 comments Subscribe

z3ntu 19 Aug 2016
No Southern Islands for me :(


Last edited by z3ntu on 21 Aug 2016 at 9:32 pm UTC
pete910 19 Aug 2016
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Mageia has had the 4.7 kernel with this option for a few weeks now :P It's what I' using on my 290x
sehraf 19 Aug 2016
For anybody curios here is the wiki entry
Might also be interesting for -ck users or anybody else who builds his own kernel.
thegh0st 19 Aug 2016
Nice inspiration of theme and icons. Just installed them via:
sudo pacman -S arc-icon-theme gtk-theme-arc
Thx alot!
DamonLinuxPL 19 Aug 2016
Mageia has had the 4.7 kernel with this option for a few weeks now :P It's what I' using on my 290x

You mean 4.7 from Cauldron repository? (testing from upcoming Mageia 6?)
lejimster 19 Aug 2016
What about R9 270 support? I believe its the 7850 rebrand?

What are the benefits of using this Kernel? Kthxta
pete910 19 Aug 2016
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Mageia has had the 4.7 kernel with this option for a few weeks now :P It's what I' using on my 290x

You mean 4.7 from Cauldron repository? (testing from upcoming Mageia 6?)

Yes.
ElectricPrism 20 Aug 2016
Why is Arch the sensible linux distro for gaming? Well because we have pacman of course!!
Dreakon 20 Aug 2016
Why is Arch the sensible linux distro for gaming? Well because we have pacman of course!!

It really can't be overstated how great pacman/AUR are. They've made finding and installing software much easier than hunting around for PPAs. And though Arch may have a rep for being a difficult distro for newbies, Distro's like Antergos and Manjaro do a great job of lowering the barrier of entry.
Enverex 20 Aug 2016
@Dreakon: ElectricPrism was making a joke...
Dreakon 21 Aug 2016
@Dreakon: ElectricPrism was making a joke...

Ah yes, I see it now. Soaring way above my head.
wojtek88 21 Aug 2016
I don't have AMD GPU but I really hope users of those cards will finally be able to use stable, decent drivers. So I hope official support will come, but before it comes, such a solutions are golden.
Did anyone try it? How does it work? Do Feral titles work with this drivers? What is the performance in general?
Please share your findings guys!
etonbears 21 Aug 2016
The AMD Beta driver currently available on their website has worked fine for my R9 290 on the current Ubuntu kernel ( 4.4, I think ) since it was released several weeks ago after first appearing in the SteamOS brewmaster repo.

It's the first time in years I have had a stable, fast graphics driver and access toe the VTs, which always seemed to disappear when I loaded catalyst. It may still be beta, but I have had no crashes and now get a perfect task switching experience under unity ( where before flickering and z-order problems abounded ).

So, my experience has been very positive, so far, and I think it reflects well on the decision to unify the kernel portion of the AMD graphics stack.
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.