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

Table of Contents

Overview

Zynq™ UltraScale+™ MPSoC has the MALI 400MP GPU from ARM. The ARM MALI 400MP is an OpenGLES 2.0 capable GPU.

Driver access and license

The driver for MALI 400MP consists of Linux kernel driver and user library. The user space library is proprietary licensed and will have to be distributed as binaries. The user space library will be provided through AMD's PetaLinux release. The Linux kernel driver is GPL licensed, and downloadable from http://malideveloper.arm.com/. Until 2016.4, the kernel driver was hosted on github. From 2017.1, the kernel driver hosted on github is deprecated. This will now be downloaded from ARM website and packaged into the PetaLinux BSP.

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.

Release version
The driver is released periodically by ARM. Thus there can be multiple versions available. The default version in Kconfig points to the latest working release.

Device tree binding

The DT binding documentation is included in the driver release. Download the kernel driver tarball from http://malideveloper.arm.com/., unzip it and the DT binding documentation is available at the folder path.
"driver/documentation/devicetree/bindings/arm/mali-utgard.txt"

Runtime power management

The MALI driver supports fine grained runtime power management based on Linux runtime PM APIs, with its own scheduler. This section describes the flow of specific driver version, r9p0-01rel0, to give an overview.

First the driver implements the Linux runtime PM callbacks (in mali_kernel_linux.c), and the runtime pm is enabled in device initialization (arm.c)

Then, the driver has its own scheduler (mali_scheduler.c) that tracks any activities of all GPU processors (GP: geometry processor, PP: pixel processor). All activities on those processors are created as a job (ex, gp job / pp job) and scheduled through this scheduler. The scheduler tracks the completion of the job as well. Based on the status, the scheduler sets the runtime pm reference count accordingly (mali_scheduler.c). Below is an example for GP. Equivalent functions exist for PP.

When the reference count reaches to 0, the runtime_suspend callback will be triggered: runtime_suspend callback -> mali_driver_runtime_suspend() -> mali_pm_runtime_suspend() -> mali_pm_common_suspend(). mali_pm_common_suspend() performs a series of operations to put all relevant modules, ex, l2 cache and mmu, in idle state. Reverse operations is performed when resuming.

The driver level handling eventually triggers the platform level power domain management. Underlying runtime pm and genpd implementation triggers the firmware APIs at the end. It's not scope of this documentation.

GPU software stack

Open

Changelog

• 2024.2

  • Always install libgbm into sysroot

  • Implement GPU accelerated image composition to support screen rotation

• 2023.2

  • Using Weston 9.0.0 on selecting Mali driver and Weston 10.0.2 for LIMA driver

• 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

Building and running GPU applications:

Building

Petalinux

1. Create project

   source settings.sh petalinux-create -t project -s xilinx-zcu106-v2025.2-final.bsp

2. Setting Petalinux BSP configuration
   File: project-spec/meta-user/conf/petalinuxbsp.conf
   For generating rootfs for compiling application or any libraries add below configs

   EXTRA_IMAGE_FEATURES = "debug-tweaks dev-pkgs"

3. Benchmarking
   To run a benchmark example for x11 and wayland backend, please add below lines to project-spec/meta-user/conf/petalinuxbsp.conf

   IMAGE_INSTALL:append = "glmark2"

4. 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. 

      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.

      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.

      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.

      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.

      CONFIG_libmali-xlnx=y CONFIG_mali-backend-headless=y

      Please find more details for Headless rendering on below page.

      Mali 400 Headless rendering

5. Enabling packages/applications via rootfs configs

   petalinux-config -c rootfs

6. Building project

   petalinux-build

Yocto AMD-EDF (2026.1)

1. Create a Yocto repository by following the steps mentioned at AMD EDF Getting started.

2. Adding custom packages in yocto by adding below lines to build/conf/local.conf

   1. X11 backend

      MALI_BACKEND_DEFAULT = "x11" IMAGE_INSTALL:append = " glmark2 packagegroup-xilinx-multimedia"

   2. Wayland backend

      DISTRO_FEATURES:append = "wayland" IMAGE_INSTALL:append = " glmark2 weston packagegroup-core-weston"

   3. Fbdev backend

      DISTRO_FEATURES:append = "fbdev"

   4. Enabling QT applications

      IMAGE_INSTALL:append = " packagegroup-xilinx-qt"

3. Building Image and rootfs

   MACHINE=amd-cortexa53-mali-common bitbake edf-linux-disk-image

4. Generating SDK

   MACHINE=amd-cortexa53-mali-common bitbake edf-linux-disk-image -c do_populate_sdk cd <TMP_DIR>/deploy/sdk/ ./amd-edf-glibc-x86_64-edf-linux-disk-image-cortexa72-cortexa53-amd-cortexa78-mali-common-toolchain-26.06+release-<...>.sh

5. These applications can also be installed with dnf

   dnf install packagegroup-xilinx-multimedia dnf install packagegroup-core-weston dnf install glmark2 dnf install packagegroup-xilinx-qt dnf install kmscube

Running applications

Pre-requisites

• Update-alternatives
  You should have all backends packaged in the rootfs and you can switch between multiple backends using update-alternatives commands as follows:
  To update a link

  update-alternatives --install /usr/lib/libMali.so.9.0 libmali /usr/lib/wayland/libMali.so.9.0 90 update-alternatives --install /usr/lib/libMali.so.9.0 libmali /usr/lib/fbdev/libMali.so.9.0 90 update-alternatives --install /usr/lib/libMali.so.9.0 libmali /usr/lib/x11/libMali.so.9.0 90 update-alternatives --install /usr/lib/libMali.so.9.0 libmali /usr/lib/headless/libMali.so.9.0 90

  To remove a link

  update-alternatives --remove libmali /usr/lib/libMali.so.9.0

  For more info, perform update-alternatives --help
  Alternate solution: Users can always modify links using "ln" commands

Run applications

1. glmark2

   1. x11 backend

      1. Run Xorg application in backend or start xserver service if not running

         Xorg -depth 16 & systemctl start xserver-nodm

      2. Run glmark application

         export DISPLAY=:0.0 glmark2-es2

   2. wayland backend 

      1. Start weston if not running

         systemctl start weston 

      2. Run glmark application

         export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/ glmark2-es2-wayland

2. QT applications

   1. x11 backend (Xorg should be running or xserver-nodm service should be started)

      1. Run Xorg or xserver service

         /usr/bin/Xorg -depth 16 &    (if Xorg or xserver-nodm service is not running) or systemctl start xserver-nodm

      2. Set environment variables

         export DISPLAY=:0.0 export QT_QPA_PLATFORM=eglfs export QT_QPA_EGLFS_WIDTH=1920 export QT_QPA_EGLFS_HEIGHT=1080 export QT_QPA_GENERIC_PLUGINS=evdevmouse,evdevkeyboard export QT_QPA_ENABLE_TERMINAL_KEYBOARD=1 export QT_QPA_FONTDIR=/usr/share/fonts/truetype export QT_QPA_PLATFORM_PLUGIN_PATH=/usr/lib/qt5/plugins export QML2_IMPORT_PATH=/usr/lib/qt5/qml

      3. Run example (eg: analogclock)

         cd /usr/share/examples/gui/analogclock/ ./analogclock

   2. Fbdev backend (Stop any Xorg or Weston if running)

      1. Set environment variables

         export DISPLAY=:0.0 export QT_QPA_EGLFS_INTEGRATION=eglfs_mali export QT_QPA_PLATFORM=eglfs::fb=/dev/fb0 export QT_QPA_EGLFS_FB=/dev/fb0 export QT_QPA_EGLFS_WIDTH=1920 export QT_QPA_EGLFS_HEIGHT=1080 export QT_QPA_GENERIC_PLUGINS=evdevmouse,evdevkeyboard export QT_QPA_ENABLE_TERMINAL_KEYBOARD=1 export QT_QPA_FONTDIR=/usr/share/fonts/truetype export QT_QPA_PLATFORM_PLUGIN_PATH=/usr/lib/qt5/plugins export QML2_IMPORT_PATH=/usr/lib/qt5/qml

      2. Run application (eg: dockwidget)

         cd /usr/share/examples/widgets/mainwindows/dockwidgets ./dockwidgets

   3. Wayland backend (weston should be running)

      1. If weston is not running, enable weston service

         systemctl start weston

      2. Set environment variables

         export DISPLAY=:0.0 export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/ export QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland export QT_WAYLAND_SHELL_INTEGRATION=xdg-shell (for >2023.1 release) export QT_WAYLAND_SHELL_INTEGRATION=wl-shell (till 2022.2 and older releases)

      3. Run application

         cd /usr/share/examples/widgets/widgets/sliders/ ./sliders   cd /usr/share/examples/gui/analogclock/ ./analogclock   cd /usr/share/examples/widgets/mainwindows/dockwidgets/ ./dockwidgets 

GPU Unified SDK Application Development

SDK repo: https://github.com/Xilinx/gpu-unified-sdk

1. Source SDK

   unset LD_LIBRARY_PATH source /yocto/build/tmp/deploy/sdk/environment-setup-cortexa72-cortexa53-amd-linux

2. Configure and build

   export AMD_SDK=<SDK_INSTALL_PATH> cmake -G Ninja \ -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \ -D CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=sdk.cmake \ -D SDK_Platform=<wayland/fbdev> \ -D SDK_PLATFORM_TARGET=zynqmp \ -D CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM=ninja \ -D GLES_WINDOW_W=3840 \ -D GLES_WINDOW_H=2160 \ -B build_dir ninja -C build_dir

Enabling LIMA

2026.1

2025.2

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