How To Install AMD Radeon Driver on AlmaLinux 10

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install AMD Radeon Driver on AlmaLinux 10. AlmaLinux, as a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) derivative, requires careful attention to driver installation methods to ensure optimal GPU performance and system stability. This comprehensive guide covers multiple installation approaches, troubleshooting techniques, and optimization strategies for AMD graphics hardware on AlmaLinux 10.

Modern AMD Radeon graphics cards rely on proper driver installation for gaming, professional workflows, and compute tasks. Whether you’re running a Radeon RX 7000 series card or older hardware, choosing the right installation method ensures maximum compatibility and performance on your AlmaLinux system.

Understanding AMD Radeon Drivers on AlmaLinux

Driver Architecture and Components

AMD provides several driver options for Linux systems, each designed for specific use cases and hardware generations. The primary driver components include the kernel-mode AMDGPU driver, Mesa userspace libraries, and optional proprietary components for enhanced functionality.

The open-source AMDGPU driver handles modern AMD graphics hardware through kernel integration. This driver supports Radeon RX 400 series and newer cards, providing excellent compatibility with AlmaLinux’s kernel infrastructure. Mesa libraries complement the kernel driver by delivering OpenGL, Vulkan, and hardware acceleration capabilities.

AlmaLinux Compatibility Considerations

AlmaLinux 10 maintains RHEL compatibility while introducing distribution-specific package management requirements. AMD’s official installer scripts often require modifications to recognize AlmaLinux as a supported distribution. The system uses DNF package manager and follows Red Hat’s repository structure, affecting driver installation procedures.

Repository compatibility becomes crucial when installing AMD drivers on AlmaLinux. Official AMD repositories target specific RHEL versions, requiring careful version matching to avoid dependency conflicts. Understanding these compatibility layers helps select appropriate installation methods for your hardware configuration.

System Requirements and Prerequisites

Hardware Compatibility Assessment

Before proceeding with driver installation, verify your AMD graphics hardware compatibility with current driver versions. Modern AMDGPU drivers support Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture and newer designs, including RDNA and RDNA2 architectures found in recent Radeon cards.

Check your GPU model using system identification commands. Older Radeon cards predating the R9 300 series may require legacy driver approaches or open-source alternatives. PCIe slot configuration and power supply capacity also influence driver installation success.

Software Prerequisites and Dependencies

AlmaLinux 10 requires specific packages for successful AMD driver compilation and installation. Essential dependencies include kernel development headers, build tools, and Python setuptools for installer script functionality.

Update your system packages before beginning driver installation:

sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf install kernel-devel kernel-headers gcc make dkms
sudo dnf install python3-setuptools python3-wheel

Development tools enable DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) functionality, allowing driver modules to rebuild automatically during kernel updates. This prevents driver breakage when system updates occur.

Pre-installation System Preparation

Create system backup points before modifying graphics drivers. Driver installation affects kernel modules and system libraries, potentially causing boot issues if problems occur. Document current driver status for troubleshooting reference.

Remove conflicting graphics drivers and clear previous installation remnants:

sudo dnf remove xorg-x11-drv-nouveau
sudo dnf autoremove

Disable nouveau driver loading by creating blacklist configuration:

echo "blacklist nouveau" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf
sudo dracut --force

Identifying Your AMD GPU Hardware

Hardware Detection and Verification

Accurate hardware identification ensures proper driver selection and compatibility. Use PCI utilities to enumerate graphics hardware and determine appropriate driver packages.

Execute hardware detection commands:

lspci | grep -i vga
lspci | grep -i amd
sudo lshw -c video

These commands reveal GPU model information, PCI identifiers, and current driver status. Record this information for driver package selection and troubleshooting purposes.

Driver Compatibility Mapping

Match your hardware specifications with AMD’s driver compatibility matrix. Recent Radeon RX 6000 and RX 7000 series cards require current AMDGPU drivers, while older hardware may need different approaches.

Verify kernel module loading status:

lsmod | grep amdgpu
dmesg | grep -i amdgpu

Current module status indicates whether basic driver functionality exists before proceeding with advanced installations.

Installation Method 1: Repository-Based Installation

Adding Official AMD Repositories

AMD provides repository-based installation through their amdgpu-install script, designed for RHEL-compatible distributions. This method offers automated dependency resolution and streamlined package management.

Download and install the AMD repository configuration:

wget https://repo.radeon.com/amdgpu-install/6.4.1/rhel/9.6/amdgpu-install-6.4.60401-1.el9.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install ./amdgpu-install-6.4.60401-1.el9.noarch.rpm

The repository installer may require AlmaLinux recognition modifications. If installation fails due to distribution detection, proceed to manual compatibility adjustments.

Package Installation and Configuration

Execute driver installation using AMD’s automated script with appropriate use case parameters:

sudo amdgpu-install -y --usecase=graphics,rocm

This command installs graphics drivers alongside ROCm compute capabilities for GPU acceleration workloads. The installation process downloads kernel modules, Mesa libraries, and associated dependencies automatically.

Monitor installation progress and address any dependency conflicts that arise. Large package downloads may require stable internet connectivity and sufficient storage space.

User Group Configuration and Permissions

Configure user permissions for GPU hardware access:

sudo usermod -a -G render,video $LOGNAME

Group membership enables non-root GPU access for graphics applications and compute workloads. Log out and back in to activate new group permissions, or use newgrp commands for immediate activation.

Installation Method 2: Manual Package Installation

Addressing AlmaLinux Compatibility Issues

AMD’s official installer may not recognize AlmaLinux as a supported distribution, requiring manual intervention to proceed with installation. Modify the installer script to include AlmaLinux compatibility or use force installation parameters.

Edit the amdgpu-pro-install script to add AlmaLinux support:

sudo nano /usr/bin/amdgpu-install

Locate distribution detection logic and add AlmaLinux entries alongside existing RHEL configurations. This modification enables the installer to proceed with package installation.

Manual Package Resolution and Installation

Download driver packages directly from AMD’s repository for manual installation:

wget https://repo.radeon.com/amdgpu-install/6.4.1/rhel/9.6/
sudo dnf install amdgpu-dkms-*.rpm
sudo dnf install mesa-amdgpu-*.rpm

Manual installation provides greater control over package selection and dependency resolution. Address individual package conflicts as they arise during installation.

Dependency Management and Conflicts

Resolve dependency conflicts manually when automated installation fails. Common issues include library version mismatches and package conflicts with existing system components.

Use DNF’s dependency resolution capabilities:

sudo dnf install --best --allowerasing package-name

This approach allows DNF to remove conflicting packages while installing required dependencies.

Installation Method 3: RPM Fusion Alternative

Enabling RPM Fusion Repository

RPM Fusion provides community-maintained AMD drivers that offer better AlmaLinux compatibility than official AMD packages. This approach simplifies installation while maintaining good hardware support.

Install RPM Fusion repositories for AlmaLinux:

sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/el/rpmfusion-free-release-10.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/el/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-10.noarch.rpm

Update repository metadata after adding new sources:

sudo dnf update

Installing Community-Maintained Drivers

Install AMD drivers through RPM Fusion’s packaging:

sudo dnf install akmod-amdgpu

AKMOD packages automatically rebuild kernel modules when system updates occur, maintaining driver functionality across kernel versions. This approach reduces maintenance overhead compared to manual driver compilation.

The installation process handles dependency resolution automatically while maintaining compatibility with AlmaLinux’s package management system.

Post-Installation Configuration

X11 Display Server Configuration

Configure X11 for optimal AMD driver functionality. Modern installations often work without manual Xorg configuration, but custom setups may require specific adjustments.

Generate X11 configuration if needed:

sudo X -configure
sudo cp /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Modify display driver sections to reference AMDGPU explicitly:

Section "Device"
    Identifier "AMD Graphics"
    Driver "amdgpu"
EndSection

Wayland Compositor Support

Wayland provides modern display server functionality with better AMD driver integration. Ensure Wayland sessions can access GPU hardware acceleration properly.

Configure environment variables for Wayland AMD support:

export MESA_LOADER_DRIVER_OVERRIDE=radeonsi
export __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=mesa

Add these variables to shell profiles for persistent configuration across user sessions.

System Service and Boot Configuration

Enable necessary system services for GPU functionality:

sudo systemctl enable amdgpu-dkms
sudo systemctl start amdgpu-dkms

Configure module loading at boot time through modprobe configuration files to ensure consistent driver availability.

Verification and Performance Testing

Driver Installation Verification

Confirm successful driver installation using multiple verification methods. Check kernel module loading, OpenGL functionality, and hardware acceleration capabilities.

Verify AMDGPU module loading:

lsmod | grep amdgpu
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL vendor"

OpenGL vendor information should display AMD or Mesa references, indicating proper driver initialization.

Hardware Acceleration Testing

Test GPU hardware acceleration using built-in utilities and benchmarking tools:

vainfo  # Video acceleration information
vdpauinfo  # VDPAU acceleration status
glxgears  # Basic OpenGL performance test

These utilities confirm that video decoding, GPU acceleration, and OpenGL functionality work correctly with installed drivers.

Performance Benchmarking

Evaluate GPU performance using standardized benchmarking applications. Tools like Phoronix Test Suite provide comprehensive graphics performance evaluation across multiple workloads.

Install benchmarking utilities:

sudo dnf install phoronix-test-suite
phoronix-test-suite benchmark opengl

Document baseline performance metrics for future comparison and troubleshooting reference.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Installation Failure Resolution

Driver installation failures often stem from dependency conflicts, repository access issues, or distribution recognition problems. Systematic troubleshooting approaches help identify and resolve these issues effectively.

Common installation problems include:

• Package dependency conflicts with existing system libraries
• Repository connectivity issues preventing package downloads
• AlmaLinux distribution detection failures in AMD installer scripts
• Kernel module compilation errors due to missing build dependencies

Address dependency conflicts using DNF’s conflict resolution:

sudo dnf install --best --allowerasing amdgpu-dkms

Runtime and Display Issues

Black screen problems, graphics corruption, and system instability indicate runtime driver issues requiring careful diagnosis. These problems often result from configuration conflicts, hardware compatibility issues, or power management settings.

Recover from black screen issues using kernel parameters:

# Add to GRUB configuration
amdgpu.dc=0 amdgpu.dpm=0

Boot into recovery mode if display output fails completely, then modify driver configuration from command line interface.

Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques

System log analysis provides detailed information about driver failures and hardware issues. Monitor system logs during driver loading and application execution to identify specific problems.

Analyze kernel and driver logs:

dmesg | grep -i amdgpu
journalctl -u display-manager

Log entries reveal module loading failures, hardware initialization problems, and runtime errors that guide troubleshooting efforts.

Security Considerations and Best Practices

Driver Update Management

Maintain current driver versions to address security vulnerabilities and performance improvements. Automated update mechanisms help ensure consistent security posture while maintaining system functionality.

Configure automatic driver updates through system package management:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled amdgpu
sudo dnf update amdgpu-dkms

Regular updates prevent security exposure while maintaining optimal hardware performance.

System Hardening and Access Control

Configure appropriate user permissions and system access controls for GPU hardware. Limit GPU access to authorized users while maintaining functionality for legitimate applications.

Review and configure GPU device permissions:

ls -la /dev/dri/
sudo usermod -G render,video username

Proper permission configuration balances security requirements with application functionality needs.

Performance Optimization and Maintenance

Kernel Parameter Tuning

Optimize AMD driver performance through kernel parameter adjustments. These modifications affect power management, memory allocation, and hardware scheduling behavior.

Configure performance-oriented kernel parameters:

# Add to /etc/default/grub
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="amdgpu.ppfeaturemask=0xffffffff amdgpu.dpm=1"
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

Performance tuning requires careful testing to ensure system stability while improving GPU utilization.

Long-term Maintenance Strategies

Establish maintenance routines for driver updates, performance monitoring, and configuration management. Regular maintenance prevents performance degradation and security vulnerabilities.

Create maintenance scripts for automated driver health checks:

#!/bin/bash
# AMD driver health check script
lsmod | grep amdgpu || echo "AMD driver not loaded"
glxinfo | grep -i amd || echo "OpenGL acceleration not available"

Congratulations! You have successfully installed AMD Radeon Driver. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the AMD Radeon Driver on AlmaLinux OS 10 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official AMD website.