The developer wants to continue the project from the codebase before they used the AMD ROCM code.

Previously, it allowed to run CUDA apps on Intel GPUs (integrated I think) and beat OpenCL in performance.

https://github.com/vosen/ZLUDA

  • Nawor3565
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    3 months ago

    The project started as an independently developed ZLUDA, meant for Intel GPUs. AMD started funding development of the project, expanding its scope to also work on AMD GPUs, with the condition that if AMD abandons it, the code would become open source. This happened a few months ago, but now for some reason AMD backtracked and pulled the open-source code for reasons we don’t know. AMD is usually pretty good with this stuff though, so I’m interested to find out what their motives are.

    • Vik@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I’m familiar with the timeline of events, it’s just that this post title is intentionally obscure. As for why, it could be due to a recent enforcement by NVIDIA of a specific part in their EULA

      Nvidia has banned running CUDA-based software on other hardware platforms using translation layers in its licensing terms listed online since 2021, but the warning previously wasn’t included in the documentation placed on a host system during the installation process. This language has been added to the EULA that’s included when installing CUDA 11.6 and newer versions.

      The restriction appears to be designed to prevent initiatives like ZLUDA, which both Intel and AMD have recently participated, and, perhaps more critically, some Chinese GPU makers from utilizing CUDA code with translation layers.

      My guess is that either AMD were directly contacted or preemptively closed off a legal loophole.

      E: I was wondering where I recognised this username from

    • j4k3@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Probably, AMD was only doing open source because Nvidia wasn’t. Now that it is no longer as advantageous since Nvidia is open sourcing (still no nvcc !!!), it is less advantageous. It’s typical capitalism conservative terminal brain rotting cancer. They don’t do the right thing unless it is profitable to do so. There is no big picture or ethics; just criminals and quarterly reports.