The purpose of this page is to describe how the ARM MALI driver is integrated into Xilinx

Overview

Driver access and license

Note: From 2019.2 onwards Xilinx will not host the user-space binaries in the lounge. Customers can download from https://github.com/Xilinx/mali-userspace-binaries with appropriate branch.

Device tree binding

Runtime power management

The purpose of this page is to describe how the ARM MALI driver is integrated into Zynq™ UltraScale+™ MPSoC

Overview

Driver access and license

Note: From 2019.2 onwards the user-space binaries in the lounge are not hosted. Customers can download from https://github.com/Xilinx/mali-userspace-binaries with appropriate branch.

Device tree binding

Runtime power management

static const struct dev_pm_ops mali_dev_pm_ops = {
#ifdef CONFIG_PM_RUNTIME
        .runtime_suspend = mali_driver_runtime_suspend,
        .runtime_resume = mali_driver_runtime_resume,
        .runtime_idle = mali_driver_runtime_idle,
#endif
        .suspend = mali_driver_suspend_scheduler,
        .resume = mali_driver_resume_scheduler,
        .freeze = mali_driver_suspend_scheduler,
        .thaw = mali_driver_resume_scheduler,
        .poweroff = mali_driver_suspend_scheduler,
};
#endif

mali_platform_device_register()
{
        ...
        pm_runtime_set_autosuspend_delay(&&(mali_gpu_device.dev), 1000);
        pm_runtime_use_autosuspend(&&(mali_gpu_device.dev));
#endif
        pm_runtime_enable(&&(mali_gpu_device.dev));
        ...
}

mali_scheduler_queue_gp_job()
{
        ...
        _mali_osk_pm_dev_ref_get_async()
        .runtime_idle =..
}
 
mali_scheduler_drivercomplete_runtime_idle,
#endifgp_job()
{
        ...suspend
= mali_driver_suspend_scheduler,         .resume = mali_driver_resume_scheduler,_mali_osk_pm_dev_ref_pet_async()
        ..freeze = .
}

mali_platformpm_devicecommon_registersuspend()
{
        ...
         pm_runtime_set_autosuspend_delay(&&(mali_gpu_device.dev), 1000);if (0 < num_groups_down) {
                pmmali_executor_runtimegroup_usepower_autosuspend(&&(mali_gpu_device.dev)down(groups_down, num_groups_down);
#endif          pm_runtime_enable(&&(mali_gpu_device.dev));      }
 
...
}

mali_scheduler_queue_gp_job()
{
        ...
        _mali_osk_pm_dev_ref_get_async()
        ...
}
 
mali_scheduler_complete_gp_job()
{
        ...
        _mali_osk_pm_dev_ref_pet_async()
        ...
}

mali_pm_common_suspend()
{
        ...
        if (0 < num_groups_down) {
                mali_executor_group_power_down(groups_down, num_groups_down);
                }
 
        for (i = 0; i < num_l2_down; i++) {
                mali_l2_cache_power_down(l2_down[i]);
        }
 
        ...
}

• 2020.1
  • Summary

    • Mali headless egl backend now supports pixmap surface (particularly arm specific handle for dmabuf).

    • Should see incremental performance change over render to texture.

    • Customers can fetch the binaries from github repo: https://github.com/Xilinx/mali-userspace-binaries/tree/rel-v2020.1

• 2019.2
  • Summary

    • Upgrade to r9p0-01rel0: 

      • Kernel patches can be found here: https://github.com/Xilinx/meta-xilinx/tree/rel-v2019.2/meta-xilinx-bsp/recipes-graphics/mali/kernel-module-mali

    • Note: From 2019.2 onwards Xilinx will not host the binaries in the lounge

    • Customers can fetch the binaries from github repo: https://github.com/Xilinx/mali-userspace-binaries/tree/rel-v2019.2

•  2019.1
  • Summary
    • The variable to toggle different backend has been decoupled from DISTRO_FEATURES. A new variable "MALI_BACKEND_DEFAULT" is used to select backend.
    • Customer can now toggle libMali backend at runtime using update-alternatives. (details can be found below)
    • LibMali (wayland implementation) is made compatible with wayland 1.15
    • wayland-egl implementation will now come from wayland (>=1.14)
    • Bug fix in gbm implementaion  (API: gbm_bo_import)
    • Mali kernel space patches: https://github.com/Xilinx/meta-xilinx/tree/rel-v2019.1/meta-xilinx-bsp/recipes-graphics/mali/kernel-module-mali

• 2018.3
  • Summary
    • In addition to fbdev and X11, Mali now supports wayland/GBM and Headless-EGL backend. (details can be found below)
    • Mali kernel driver patches can be found https://github.com/Xilinx/meta-xilinx/tree/rel-v2018.3/meta-xilinx-bsp/recipes-graphics/mali/kernel-module-mali

• 2018.1
  • Summary
    • Upgrade to r8p0-01rel0: https://developer.arm.com/products/software/mali-drivers/utgard-kernel
    • Fix for compatibility with 4.14 Linux kernel
    • Patches available in https://github.com/Xilinx/meta-xilinx/tree/rel-v2018.1/meta-xilinx-bsp/recipes-graphics/mali/kernel-module-mali
• 2017.3
  • Summary
    • No change in kernel module
    • Fixed the linker issue in the user space library
• 2017.1
  • Summary
    • The in-tree source code has been deprecated
    • Upgrade to r7pp: https://developer.arm.com/products/software/mali-drivers/utgard-kernel#
    • Fix for compatibility with 4.9 Linux kernel
    • Patches available in https://github.com/Xilinx/meta-xilinx/tree/rel-v2017.1/recipes-graphics/mali/kernel-module-mali
• 2016.3
  • Summary
    • Remove compilation warning
    • Fix build error when profiling is enabled
  • Commits
    • 51056e4 staging: mali: r5p1-01rel0: Don't include mali_read_phys() for zynq/zynqmp
      dadb5e4 staging: mali: r5p1-01rel0: Remove unused trace macros

Selecting particular backends:

Wayland/GBM backend:

2019.1:

From 2019.1 release, selecting Mali backend is decoupled from 'DISTRO_FEATURES', another variable is introduced 'MALI_BACKEND_DEFAULT' to create proper link. By default, plnx build system will try to package all the backends in the rootfs and depending upon the value of 'MALI_BACKEND_DEFAULT' we create a link to the correct backend. Fbdev, X11, wayland and headless are the choices we have, assigning incorrect name would yield a link to headless.

For example: Once you have selected libmali through 'petalinux-config -c rootfs', add following parameters to <plnx-proj-root>/project-spec/meta-user/conf/petalinuxbsp.conf to select wayland. 

MALI_BACKEND_DEFAULT = "wayland"

Users can still modify DISTRO_FEATURES, in order to reduce the size of rootfs, but remember selecting Mali backend wont be impacted.

2018.3:

From 2018.3 release, Mali will support wayland/GBM backend in addition to fbdev and X11.

For example: Once you have selected libmali through 'petalinux-config -c rootfs' unselect 'packagegroup-petalinux-matchbox' and 'packagegroup-petalinux-x11' and add following parameters to <plnx-proj-root>/project-spec/meta-user/conf/petalinuxbsp.conf 

DISTRO_FEATURES_append = " wayland"
IMAGE_INSTALL_append = " packagegroup-petalinux-weston"

This packagegroup ensures all the essential wayland/weston packages are packaged into the rootfs for having a wayland/weston application work out of the box. On boot, export following parameter in your terminal console.

export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/0/

Now, you can run sample benchmarking application glmark2-es2-wayland and glmark2-es2-drm.

X11 backend:

By default, Mali supports X11 backend. Just select libmali-xlnx package from 'petalinux-config -c rootfs'. The root filesystem should now have libmali with X11 support. Also, please select at least one window manager.

For example: packagegroup-petalinux-matchbox.

• 2023.1
  • Fix for compatibility with 6.1 Linux kernel
  • Updated clock name to match LIMA driver
  • Added attribute support for weston
  • Performance Issues with Weston 10+ in 2023.1. So below is AR for downgrading weston to 9.0.0
    • https://support.xilinx.com/s/article/000035056?language=en_US
• 2021.1
  • Update EGL headers
  • Fix for compatibility with 5.10 Linux kernel

Selecting particular backends:

You can select particular backend while configuring rootfs

File: project-spec/config/rootfs_config

petalinux-config -c rootfs

1. Wayland/GBM backend:

   By default, plnx build system will try to package all the backends in the rootfs and depending upon the rootfs config, we create a link to the correct backend. Fbdev, X11, wayland and headless are the choices we have.

   For example: Once you have selected libmali through 'petalinux-config -c rootfs', select backend to wayland and unselect 'packagegroup-petalinux-matchbox' and 'packagegroup-petalinux-x11' and select 'packagegroup-petalinux-weston'. After selection your rootfs_config will look as below. 

   Code Block
   theme Midnight
   CONFIG_libmali-xlnx=y CONFIG_mali-backend-wayland=y

   This packagegroup ensures all the essential wayland/weston packages are packaged into the rootfs for having a wayland/weston application work out of the box. On boot, export following parameter in your terminal console.

   
   

   Code Block
   theme Midnight
   export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/

   
   

   Now, you can run sample benchmarking application glmark2-es2-wayland.

2. X11 backend:

   By default, Mali supports X11 backend. Just select libmali-xlnx package from 'petalinux-config -c rootfs'. The root filesystem should now have libmali with X11 support. Also, please select at least one window manager. For example: packagegroup-petalinux-matchbox.

   Once you have selected libmali through 'petalinux-config -c rootfs', and selected backend to x11, your rootfs_config will look as below.

   
   

   Code Block
   theme Midnight
   CONFIG_libmali-xlnx=y CONFIG_mali-backend-x11=y

   
   

3. Fbdev backend:

   Just select libmali-xlnx package from 'petalinux-config -c rootfs' and select fbdev backend.

   Once you have selected libmali through 'petalinux-config -c rootfs' unselect 'packagegroup-petalinux-matchbox' and 'packagegroup-petalinux-x11'. Your rootfs_config will look as below.

   
   

   Code Block
   theme Midnight
   CONFIG_libmali-xlnx=y CONFIG_mali-backend-fbdev=y

   
   

4. Headless-EGL backend:

   Just select libmali-xlnx package from 'petalinux-config -c rootfs' and select headless backend. Unselect 'packagegroup-petalinux-matchbox' and 'packagegroup-petalinux-x11'.

   Once you have selected libmali through 'petalinux-config -c rootfs', and selected backend to headless, your rootfs_config will look as below.

   Code Block
   theme Midnight
   CONFIG_libmali-xlnx=y CONFIG_mali-backend-headless=y

   Please find more details for Headless rendering on below page.

   Mali 400 Headless rendering

Benchmark:

To run a benchmark example for x11 and wayland backend, please add below lines to build/conf/local.conf

IMAGE_INSTALL:append = "glmark2"

Related Links

• Xilinx Arm Mali-400 Driver Archive
• Linux Drivers
• Adding MALI userpace binaries in Yocto builds
• Zynq UltraScale＋MPSoC Graphics- GPU application debugging using ARM Mali Graphics Debugger tool
• Zynq UltraScale＋MPSoC Graphics- GPU Profiling using ARM Streamline performance analyzer
• Mali 400 optimization guide
• Xilinx ARM MALI 400 Support
• MALI developers