A new Linux kernel patch addresses a long-standing video corruption issue affecting AMD Radeon HD 2000 and 3000 series GPUs. The bug caused frames to corrupt when the Unified Video Decoder (UVD) read data from system memory while the GPU performed draw calls.
The fix involves forcing UVD input buffers to remain in dedicated VRAM, a configuration already utilized by other chip families. The patch specifically covers the RV610, RV620, RV630, RV635, and RV670 chips, which share the legacy R600 firmware architecture.
The investigation and development of the patch were assisted by OpenAI's Codex. The contributor tested the solution on a Debian-based system using an iMac7,1 equipped with an RV610/M74 GPU. This development extends the software support for hardware originally launched in 2007.
