How is amdgpu firmware installed on LMDE5 desktop?

[malorn]

I have a long list of missing amdgpu firmware files. I also have a longer list of installed amdgpu firmware files which were automatically installed as I had no idea they were there until I looked. There must be a way to get firmware updates, but I have no idea how to get it to work. I prefer not to ignore the missing amdgpu firmware files.

Searches on the amd.com website were a waste of time as every search yielded no hits.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Curacao PRO [Radeon R7 370 / R9 270/370 OEM]

W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_gpu_info.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_ta.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_sos.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_ta.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_asd.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_sos.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_rlc.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_mec2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_mec.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_rlc.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_mec2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_mec.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_me.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_pfp.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_ce.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_sdma.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_sdma.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/sienna_cichlid_mes.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navi10_mes.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_vcn.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_vcn.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_smc.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/arcturus_smc.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/navy_flounder_dmcub.bin for module amdgpu

It may be more convenient to just have the file name:
arcturus_asd.bin
arcturus_gpu_info.bin
arcturus_mec.bin
arcturus_mec2.bin
arcturus_rlc.bin
arcturus_sdma.bin
arcturus_smc.bin
arcturus_sos.bin
arcturus_ta.bin
arcturus_vcn.bin
navi10_mes.bin
navy_flounder_ce.bin
navy_flounder_dmcub.bin
navy_flounder_me.bin
navy_flounder_mec.bin
navy_flounder_mec2.bin
navy_flounder_pfp.bin
navy_flounder_rlc.bin
navy_flounder_sdma.bin
navy_flounder_smc.bin
navy_flounder_sos.bin
navy_flounder_ta.bin
navy_flounder_vcn.bin
sienna_cichlid_mes.bin

 

[osprey]

What you seek is in the package: firmware-amd-graphics. Usual advice is to install it from the repositories of your distribution, LMDE5, e.g.:

apt install firmware-amd-graphics

 

[malorn]

What you seek is in the package: firmware-amd-graphics. Usual advice is to install it from the repositories of your distribution, LMDE5, e.g.:

apt install firmware-amd-graphics

I appreciate your suggestion and acted upon it:
lmde:~$ apt install firmware-amd-graphics
[sudo] password for james:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
firmware-amd-graphics is already the newest version (20210315-3).
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
linux-headers-5.10.0-15-amd64 linux-headers-5.10.0-15-common linux-headers-5.10.0-16-amd64 linux-headers-5.10.0-16-common linux-image-5.10.0-15-amd64 linux-image-5.10.0-16-amd64 mint-backgrounds-una
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

I suppose I will need to wait for the next update.

Thank you for your assistance.

 

[osprey]

Okay. It was possible to see whether the files mentioned in your post #1 were present on the system by inspecting the already installed package firmware-amd-graphics with:

apt-file list firmware-amd-graphics

Then you could see whether the message with a list of missing firmware files was covered by what is provided by the package. It seems to me that the firmware-amd-graphics package has supplied all the files you have listed. That does not mean that they are the latest versions of those files, and speculatively, that may be the source of the "missing firmware" messages.

Two observations occur to me. Firstly, the error message "Possible missing firmware" is not uncommon for graphics cards, the reason being that the code that makes the card run, the firmware does not always cover the full capability of the hardware of the card. If the graphics card is working without any deficiencies, then these messages can be ignored and regarded as harmless. Secondly, work on firmware is always progressing in the linux stratosphere, and the latest developments are available at links from kernel.org. It's quite possible to download the latest firmware which is not yet in the distribution repositories, say for example the amdgpu firmware at: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/amdgpu, and install it yourself in the relevant /lib/firmware directories. You need to know what you are doing, and whatever you install would be outside the packaging system and overwritten when the distribution you are on includes that latest firmware in its updated packages. Some users need to do this because they need what is provided, but the ordinary punter is likely to get by with waiting for the distribution repositories to catch up.

 

[malorn]

Okay. It was possible to see whether the files mentioned in your post #1 were present on the system by inspecting the already installed package firmware-amd-graphics with:

apt-file list firmware-amd-graphics

Then you could see whether the message with a list of missing firmware files was covered by what is provided by the package. It seems to me that the firmware-amd-graphics package has supplied all the files you have listed. That does not mean that they are the latest versions of those files, and speculatively, that may be the source of the "missing firmware" messages.

I just opened the folder. Seemed to be easiest for me.

Two observations occur to me. Firstly, the error message "Possible missing firmware" is not uncommon for graphics cards, the reason being that the code that makes the card run, the firmware does not always cover the full capability of the hardware of the card. If the graphics card is working without any deficiencies, then these messages can be ignored and regarded as harmless. Secondly, work on firmware is always progressing in the linux stratosphere, and the latest developments are available at links from kernel.org. It's quite possible to download the latest firmware which is not yet in the distribution repositories, say for example the amdgpu firmware at: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/amdgpu, and install it yourself in the relevant /lib/firmware directories. You need to know what you are doing, and whatever you install would be outside the packaging system and overwritten when the distribution you are on includes that latest firmware in its updated packages. Some users need to do this because they need what is provided, but the ordinary punter is likely to get by with waiting for the distribution repositories to catch up.

I used the link you provided and confirmed the presence of all but two of the files, navi10_mes.bin and sienna_cichlid_mes.bin.

Is there an installation routine? Or can I just drop the files into the folder? If there is something I should know, please inform me.

 

[KGIII]

Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.

You should do this. You have a backup kernel, so removing old kernels is just good housekeeping. They also take up a bunch of space.

 

[malorn]

You should do this. You have a backup kernel, so removing old kernels is just good housekeeping. They also take up a bunch of space.

I did not mention it, but I did execute the autoremove.

I would like to know the correct procedure to install the files.
OR, should I wait for the distribution update?

 

[KGIII]

OR, should I wait for the distribution update?

Unless you have to, I would always wait. Usually, by the time it reaches the masses, it has been fairly well tested. I value that stability.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Or ... you can read my response from two years ago

https://www.linux.org/threads/files-missing-in-lib-firmware-amdgpu-solved.30836/

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[malorn]

Unless you have to, I would always wait. Usually, by the time it reaches the masses, it has been fairly well tested. I value that stability.

Occam's Razor. The simplest solution is usually the best.

In this case it is the only solution as no install instructions have been found. In a previous manual install, I found that the files needed to be registered so the program will know the file is available. Knowing in the folder or file name to register the new files is essential.