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Even though these libraries are open source, it cannot be built without their proprietary, binary-only "AMD APP SDK" [1], only available for Linux and Windows. Bummer.

1. http://developer.amd.com/tools-and-sdks/heterogeneous-comput...




Actually it needs any OpenCL SDK, not AMD APP SDK specifically. If you were building for an Altera FPGA or an NVidia card you would use their OpenCL SDK. OpenCL is typically a LLVM frontend and backend for the hardware in question (or something similar). What they are releasing is in fact all the source for their FFT and BLAS implementations. They aren't opening up the compiler here, just the software that runs on top of it. The compiler itself probably has lots of stuff in it they consider competitive advantage so it will probably be a little while before they open that.


I concede but this is a start and AMD has shown a lot more inclination towards 'open' in the recent period. I think Raja Koduri joining them again is really good for the industry as a whole, not just for AMD.

Of late, I was thinking that AMD has not been doing well in the CPU division and now I feel that there is hope and we may see them pull off another Athlon...




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