AMD has been announced that its new graphics driver stack for the Linux operating system is finally ready to be rolled out to compatible systems. The new gaming-optimized AMD GPU-PRO diver supports Ubuntu version 16.04, and Valve has also added it to the latest version of SteamOS.

Normally, Linux users have two options when acquiring AMD graphics drivers. The first, and perhaps the easiest, comes bundled with any flavor of Linux. This is the default Radeon driver which is open-source. However, this driver is only effective when used for basic desktop workloads and light gaming. The driver is slower compared to AMD's gaming-optimized driver, especially when it comes to 3D rendering.

Like Us on Facebook

Another option is the closed-sourced driver provided by AMD called "fglrx." Since it is closed-sourced, users need to install it after installing their Linux operating system of choice. The closed-source nature of the driver also means trouble for AMD developers in keeping it up to date with the latest version of Linux kernel and graphical X server, according to PC World.

With the latest AMDGPU, AMD is adopting a new hybrid approach. The core driver, dubbed AMDGPU, is open-source. This means that developers will have an easy time improving it and keeping it up to date. Since it is open-source, in can also be bundled with any Linux distribution. In fact, the latest Ubuntu 16.04 is being shipped with a built-in installer for AMDGPU.

Additionally, AMD will also release a closed-source binary package called AMDGPU-PRO. This component will give Linux users a more optimized 3D performance, especially in gaming. Essentially, the AMDGPU-PRO is an upgrade to the underlying open-source driver to give users a more streamlined performance when it comes to 3D rendering.

Since the new Linux drivers are still in their infancy, they do not support as many AMD graphics card as the old driver does. According to AMD, the drivers are only compatible with the following GPUs: R9 285, R9 380, R9 380X, R9 M395X, R9 Nano, R9 Fury, and R9 Fury X.

TagsAMD, AMDGPU-Pro, AMD drivers, AMD Linux driver, AMD news, AMD latest driver, linux, Linux distribution