Implications of Linux support for AMD Fusion APUs?

Question

As I understand it, the Linux kernel has had good support for Intel and AMD CPUs (pretty obvious since your OS installs and runs fine!).

But now that AMD is releasing their new Fusion APUs, is it just a gimmick marketing scheme and can be treated as a CPU by the Linux kernel, or is this APU something new and new kernel support needs to be added? Since the Fusion APUs are slated to include the functions of the GPU, will Linux be able to take advantage of all its functions?

This might have implications on whether my next Linux machine can and/or should be based on AMD Fusion hardware or not.

Answer 1

AMD Fusion Brazos (Zacate E-350 and Ontario C-50) is just supported in Linux kernel 2.6.38 and above. But it's not fully supported. I mean you can't get the similar performance of Fusion platform in Linux environment that you can get in Windows environment.

Reasons? The Open Source drivers for the Fusion platform on Linux is not fully polished. Specifically, the graphics and power section is still a bit buggy.

Proof? I am running Windows 7 and Linux Mint 11 on Asus 1215B sporting AMD Fusion C-50 processor and Hudson M1 chipset. As of now, the performance and experience on Windows 7 has been better.

Hope? I am sure the later Linux kernels (kernel 3.0 and above) and improvements in XOrg will improve the experience/performance.

Answer 2

Kernel 2.6.38 and above will support AMD Fusion Ontario and Zacate APUs.

Answer 3

As I see it the APU is a combination of the CPU and GPU integrated into one thing, so support should be fairly easy. I don't know about specific details, but AMD said that APU is fully supported in Linux.