Linux Configuration

GPU profiling on Linux requires specific permissions depending on your GPU vendor.

NVIDIA Configuration

To allow non-root users to profile GPU kernels using CUPTI, you must relax the NVIDIA driver security restrictions.

1. Create a configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-profiler.conf

2. Add the following line:

   options nvidia NVreg_RestrictProfilingToAdminUsers=0

3. Apply changes and reboot:

   sudo update-initramfs -u
   sudo reboot

4. Verify:

   cat /proc/driver/nvidia/params | grep RestrictProfilingToAdminUsers

   It should output RestrictProfilingToAdminUsers: 0.

AMD Configuration

AMD GPUs require access to the KFD (Kernel Fusion Driver) and ROCm SMI devices.

1. Add your user to the required groups:

   sudo usermod -aG video $USER
   sudo usermod -aG render $USER

2. Log out and back in for group changes to take effect.

3. Verify ROCm SMI access:

   rocm-smi

   You should see GPU information (temperature, utilization, etc.) without sudo.

4. Verify HIP runtime:

   hipInfo

   This should list your AMD GPU devices.

tip

If rocm-smi requires sudo, check that /dev/kfd and /dev/dri/renderD* have the correct group permissions. On most distributions, installing ROCm sets these up automatically.