Release of Intel Linux NPU Driver version 1.5 now confirmed for Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake

Intel has recently released version 1.5 of its Linux NPU driver, which is a user-space driver component for Linux systems. This driver enables the use of the neural processing unit found within the Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” and newer processors. The release of this driver pairs with the IVPU kernel accelerator driver to create a complete open source solution for AI workloads using OpenVINO.

The new Intel Linux NPU Driver v1.5 follows the previous release of v1.2 back in March. Although there is no detailed changelog available, a compatibility/support matrix has been published for this version. This matrix confirms that the upcoming Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake SoCs will be supported by this open source software stack. The combination of this driver with the Linux 6.8 kernel, oneAPI Level Zero 1.17.2, and OpenVINO 2024.1 is reported to work well with the upcoming Core Ultra processors. Intel continues to provide stable support for Meteor Lake processors since their launch in December.

It is noteworthy that Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake have been confirmed to work with Intel’s public and open source NPU controller stack before their official launch. Support for Lunar Lake was initially introduced in the Linux 6.6 kernel, and the development of the kernel driver code has continued in subsequent versions. In comparison, AMD has not made significant progress in updating its XDNA Linux kernel driver released earlier this year on GitHub or providing details on their plans for future software adoption. Intel stands out in the AI race by consistently providing timely support for upstream and open source drivers for their NPUs and other hardware.

The Intel Linux NPU v1.5 driver source code and pre-built Ubuntu binaries can be downloaded from GitHub for those interested in trying out the latest release. Overall, Intel’s continuous development and support for open source drivers demonstrate their commitment to providing efficient AI solutions for their processors and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry.

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