Description of problem: The nvidia-current-cuda-opencl package description is confusing for users. It is written that this package is not required for normal use but only for HPC. However it is a mandatory package to use openCL in Darktable with Nvidia non free drivers. Maybe the second sentence ("This package is not required for normal use, it provides libraries to use NVIDIA cards for High Performance Computing (HPC).") have to be deleted. I think this problem is the same for all versions of nvidia-cuda-opencl packages. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): 430.64-4
Priority: Normal => Low
The pkg description seems fair enough. Just deleting the 2nd sentence would leave the description even more enigmatic. The problem is more to define "to use NVIDIA cards for High Performance Computing (HPC)". What happens with Darktable without this package? Does it work? How do you know it is wanted? It could theoretically be made a requirement of the host nVidia driver packages, always included. Would that matter? Unfortunately a lot of pkg descriptions beg the question "When do I need it?", and in the absence of specific higher level packaging 'requires' imply some technical knowledge for the user to know. This one seems to fall in that category.
CC: (none) => lewyssmith
Darktable works without this package but, in the options, the Opencl support is indicates as unavailable. If you install the lib64opencl1, lib64opencl-devel and opencl-header, and launch darktable from command line, it tells you that "libraries are found" but "could not get platforms". And the Opencl acceleration option is still disable in the software. However, people who install Nvidia drivers from Nvidia web site have opencl support enable. I think Nvidia provides opencl directly on the drivers when you download it in the website. Because opencl support is in the documentation of Darktable and some users have a good graphic card but average or poor CPU, the often ask on forum how to enable opencl support in darktable. And I spend several month to understand how to enable it because several different libraries are mandatory. What is confusing is that people who can be skilled on photography editing software are not necessarily skilled in HPC or Graphic Card so they don't think installing this package. Moreover using Opencl for graphics is not really for "HPC computing". Of course the best way, is to modify the requirement of darktable package depending on the GPU (Nvidia, AMD or Intel) and the drivers (free or non-free) used. But I think it's a very difficult work for "a bug" with minor severity and low priority and it will be easier to change the description of the package or always provide opencl packages with Nvidia drivers. Because I'm a NVidia user I wrote for this package. But I think it's a more general bug with draktable. For example here for Nvidia : https://www.mageialinux-online.org/forum/topic-25958-1+opencl-et-darktable.php Here for AMD : https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?t=13309&p=77942 Should I change this bug to a darktable bug ? But is it possible to fix it on darktable ?
You have echoed my own thoughts. I think the easiest way would be to make the nVidia drivers automatically require nvidia-current-cuda-opencl ; too difficult to deduce when to require it. Possibly a 'recommends"? This would effect the upcoming MGA8. Assigning to Drivers for their verdict.
Assignee: bugsquad => kernelCC: lewyssmith => (none)
Mageia 7 is EOL since July 1st 2021. There will not have any further bugfix for this release. You are encouraged to upgrade to Mageia 8 as soon as possible. @reporter, if this bug still apply with Mageia 8, please let us know it. @packager, if you work on the Mageia 7 version of your package, please check the Mageia 8 package if issue is also present. In this case, please fix the Mageia 8 version instead. This bug report will be closed OLD if there is no further notice within 1st September 2021.
Still valid in Mageia 8. The recommends of Nvidia package have not been modified.
Version: 7 => 8