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NVIDIA Open GPU Kernel Modules Faces Critical Bug with Assertion Error on RTX 4500 GPUs

The NVIDIA Open GPU Kernel Modules project, which provides open-source Linux GPU kernel modules for NVIDIA GPUs, has encountered a critical bug affecting multiple RTX 4500 GPUs, as reported in Issue #694.

Recent Activity

Recent issues and pull requests indicate a focus on addressing stability and compatibility challenges. Notable issues include assertion errors with multiple GPUs (#694), performance degradation with GSP firmware (#693), and power management problems in hybrid graphics systems. These issues highlight ongoing struggles with driver stability and hardware compatibility.

Development Team and Recent Activity

  1. Russell Chou (russellcnv)

    • Recent Commit: 14 days ago
    • Commit Details: Version 550.40.67
    • Files Changed: 6 files with minor updates to documentation and build configurations.
  2. Gaurav Juvekar (gauravjuvekar)

    • Recent Commit: 21 days ago
    • Commit Details: Version 560.31.02
    • Files Changed: 40 files with extensive changes in GPU binaries, indicating updates or fixes.
  3. Bernhard Stöckner (niv)

    • Recent Commit: 23 days ago
    • Commit Details: Version 550.107.02
    • Files Changed: 66 files with significant modifications in the nvidia-drm directory.
  4. Milos Tijanic (mtijanic)

    • Recent Commit: 55 days ago
    • Collaborated with Bernhard Stöckner on related commits.

The team is actively working on bug fixes and enhancements, particularly in the nvidia-drm subsystem, with collaboration evident among members.

Of Note

The project faces significant challenges in maintaining stable performance across diverse hardware setups, necessitating focused efforts on power management and compatibility improvements.

Quantified Reports

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Quantified Commit Activity Over 30 Days

Developer Avatar Branches PRs Commits Files Changes
Gaurav Juvekar 1 0/0/0 1 40 91245
Bernhard Stöckner 1 0/0/0 1 66 1453
Russell Chou 1 0/0/0 1 6 30
None (hema203) 0 2/0/1 0 0 0
Leigh Scott (leigh123linux) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0

PRs: created by that dev and opened/merged/closed-unmerged during the period

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Recent GitHub Issues Activity

Timespan Opened Closed Comments Labeled Milestones
7 Days 2 0 3 0 1
30 Days 6 7 8 0 1
90 Days 26 15 53 0 1
1 Year 74 52 294 0 1
All Time 331 203 - - -

Like all software activity quantification, these numbers are imperfect but sometimes useful. Comments, Labels, and Milestones refer to those issues opened in the timespan in question.

Detailed Reports

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Recent Activity Analysis

The NVIDIA Open GPU Kernel Modules project has seen a steady influx of issues, with a total of 128 open issues currently. Recent activity indicates ongoing challenges related to driver stability, performance, and compatibility with various Linux distributions and hardware configurations. Notably, several users report critical bugs such as failures to resume from sleep, high power consumption at idle, and issues with external display support.

A recurring theme among the issues is the interaction between the open-source drivers and specific hardware setups, particularly those involving hybrid graphics systems (NVIDIA and integrated graphics). Users have also highlighted problems with power management features, such as Dynamic Boost not functioning correctly on AMD CPUs and inconsistent behavior when waking from suspend.

Issue Details

Most Recently Created Issues

  1. Issue #694: nvidia-open-560.28.03 gives assertion error in dmesg with 10 RTX 4500 GPUs

    • Priority: Bug
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Updated: N/A
  2. Issue #693: Animations after idling are noticeably choppy until GPU ramps up with GSP firmware enabled

    • Priority: Bug
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 3 days ago
    • Updated: 2 days ago
  3. Issue #688: gpuHandleSanityCheckRegReadError_GM107: Possible bad register read

    • Priority: Bug, NV-Triaged
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 19 days ago
    • Updated: 14 days ago
  4. Issue #662: Suspend sometimes causes a crash when using the open 555.52.04 drivers

    • Priority: Bug, NV-Triaged
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 68 days ago
    • Updated: 12 days ago
  5. Issue #650: Low fps on external monitor connected to nvidia hdmi port

    • Priority: Bug
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 80 days ago
    • Updated: 13 days ago

Most Recently Updated Issues

  1. Issue #694

    • Last updated today.
  2. Issue #693

    • Last updated 2 days ago.
  3. Issue #688

    • Last updated 14 days ago.
  4. Issue #662

    • Last updated 12 days ago.
  5. Issue #650

    • Last updated 13 days ago.

Analysis of Notable Issues

  • The assertion error in Issue #694 suggests a critical bug affecting multiple GPUs, which could impact users relying on these drivers for high-performance computing tasks.

  • The choppy animations reported in Issue #693 indicate potential performance degradation linked to power management features, particularly when transitioning between idle and active states.

  • Issue #688 highlights a possible bad register read that could lead to instability or crashes during operation, which is concerning for users operating in environments where reliability is paramount.

  • The crash upon suspend in Issue #662 reflects ongoing challenges with power management in the open-source driver context, particularly in hybrid graphics setups.

  • The low FPS issue on external monitors (Issue #650) points to potential limitations in how the open-source drivers handle multi-monitor configurations compared to proprietary solutions.

The common thread across these issues is the struggle for stable performance and compatibility across diverse hardware setups, particularly with newer kernels and graphics technologies like GSP firmware.

Conclusion

The current state of open issues within the NVIDIA Open GPU Kernel Modules repository reflects significant challenges that users face when utilizing these drivers in various environments. The focus on power management, performance optimization, and compatibility with hybrid systems will be crucial for future updates and improvements to this project.

Report On: Fetch pull requests



Overview

The dataset contains a total of 41 open pull requests (PRs) from the NVIDIA Open GPU Kernel Modules repository, with various contributions ranging from bug fixes to feature implementations. The PRs reflect ongoing development efforts, including enhancements for compatibility with newer kernels and improvements to existing functionalities.

Summary of Pull Requests

  1. PR #692: Fix 6.11 drm_fbdev_generic.h rename to drm_fbdev_ttm.h

    • State: Open
    • Created: 4 days ago
    • Renames a header file to align with kernel version 6.11 changes. All committers have signed the Contributor License Agreement (CLA).
  2. PR #686: Create devcontainer.json

    • State: Open
    • Created: 21 days ago
    • Introduces a configuration file for development containers. The intent behind this PR was questioned by a reviewer.
  3. PR #670: nvidia: bugfix when access remote vma

    • State: Open
    • Created: 51 days ago
    • Addresses an issue with incorrect address mapping in remote virtual memory access. CLA signed by all committers.
  4. PR #658: Patches for testing r555 stutter issues

    • State: Open (Draft)
    • Created: 76 days ago
    • A collection of patches aimed at addressing stutter issues in specific driver versions. Notably, it is not a formal pull request but rather a request for community testing.
  5. PR #657: GPU/FIFO: avoid possible invalid memory accesses

    • State: Open
    • Created: 76 days ago
    • Implements checks to prevent invalid memory access in FIFO handling. CLA signed by all committers.
  6. PR #656: Fix potential race condition in _rmapiRmControl

    • State: Open
    • Created: 77 days ago
    • Addresses a race condition that could lead to crashes or undefined behavior in the API control function. CLA signed.
  7. PR #655: Fix kernel memory leak in pNotifShare

    • State: Open
    • Created: 77 days ago
    • Fixes a memory leak issue that could lead to resource exhaustion over time. CLA signed.
  8. PR #647: nvswitch_get_link_handlers: initialize ->read_discovery_token method by default

    • State: Open
    • Created: 86 days ago
    • Ensures proper initialization of hardware link handlers to avoid null pointer dereferences.
  9. PR #630: Log an error message when nv_mem_client_init() fails due to missing IB peer memory symbols.

    • State: Open
    • Created: 118 days ago
    • Adds logging for better debugging when initialization fails due to missing symbols.
  10. PR #614: Fix NV2080_CTRL_CMD_GPU_GET_PID_INFO don't work correctly in container.

    • State: Open
    • Created: 152 days ago
    • Corrects PID translation issues when running in container environments.

11-41. Additional PRs cover various topics including README updates, bug fixes, feature enhancements, and code refactoring efforts.

Analysis of Pull Requests

The current set of open pull requests reflects a robust and active development environment within the NVIDIA open-source GPU kernel modules project. Several themes emerge from the analysis:

Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements

A significant number of PRs focus on bug fixes, particularly those addressing memory management issues (e.g., PRs #655 and #657) and race conditions (e.g., PR #656). These types of fixes are critical for maintaining system stability and performance, especially given the complexities involved in GPU driver interactions with the Linux kernel.

Compatibility Enhancements

Several PRs aim to enhance compatibility with newer kernel versions or specific configurations (e.g., PRs #670 and #614). This indicates an ongoing commitment from contributors to ensure that the drivers remain functional across various Linux distributions and kernel updates, which is essential for user adoption and satisfaction.

Community Engagement

The presence of draft PRs like #658 suggests an active engagement with the community for testing and feedback before formal integration into the codebase. This collaborative approach is beneficial as it allows for real-world testing scenarios that can uncover issues not identified during initial development phases.

Documentation and Usability Improvements

There are multiple PRs aimed at improving documentation (e.g., PRs #495 and #686), which are crucial for user onboarding and effective usage of the modules. Clear documentation helps reduce barriers for new users and enhances overall project accessibility.

Anomalies and Concerns

Despite the positive aspects, there are concerns regarding the volume of open pull requests (41), which may indicate potential bottlenecks in review processes or resource allocation within the project team. Additionally, some PRs have been open for extended periods without merging or closure, which could lead to fragmentation of efforts if not addressed promptly.

In conclusion, while the NVIDIA open GPU kernel modules project demonstrates strong community involvement and ongoing development efforts, attention should be given to managing pull request backlogs effectively to maintain momentum and ensure timely integration of valuable contributions into the main codebase.

Report On: Fetch commits



Repo Commits Analysis

Development Team and Recent Activity

Team Members and Their Recent Activities

  1. Gaurav Juvekar (gauravjuvekar)

    • Recent Commit: 21 days ago
    • Commit Details: Version 560.31.02
    • Files Changed: 40 files with a total of ~45,696 additions and ~45,549 deletions.
    • Notable Changes: Significant changes in generated files related to GPU binaries, indicating updates or fixes for multiple GPU architectures.
  2. Russell Chou (russellcnv)

    • Recent Commit: 14 days ago
    • Commit Details: Version 550.40.67
    • Files Changed: 6 files with a total of 30 changes.
    • Notable Changes: Minor updates to CHANGELOG.md and README.md, along with kernel build configurations.
  3. Bernhard Stöckner (niv)

    • Recent Commit: 23 days ago
    • Commit Details: Version 550.107.02
    • Files Changed: 66 files with a total of ~1,453 additions and ~442 deletions.
    • Notable Changes: Extensive modifications across various kernel modules, particularly in the nvidia-drm directory, suggesting ongoing enhancements or bug fixes.
  4. Milos Tijanic (mtijanic)

    • Recent Commit: 55 days ago
    • Commit Details: Version 555.58
    • Collaboration: Worked alongside Bernhard Stöckner on related commits.

Patterns and Themes

  • Active Development Cycle: The team is actively committing changes, with notable contributions from Gaurav Juvekar and Bernhard Stöckner in the last month.
  • Focus on Bug Fixes and Enhancements: The recent commits indicate a focus on improving existing features and fixing bugs within the GPU kernel modules, particularly in the nvidia-drm subsystem.
  • Collaborative Efforts: There is evidence of collaboration among team members, particularly between Milos Tijanic and Bernhard Stöckner, highlighting teamwork in addressing issues or implementing features.
  • High Volume of Changes in Generated Files: Gaurav's recent commit shows a significant amount of changes in generated files, which may indicate updates to GPU firmware or driver capabilities.

Conclusion

The development team for the NVIDIA Open GPU Kernel Modules is actively engaged in enhancing the codebase with a focus on bug fixes and feature improvements. Collaboration among team members is evident, contributing to a robust development environment aimed at maintaining and advancing NVIDIA's open-source GPU drivers.