Host software glossary

Host software glossary#

2026-02-20

4 min read time

Applies to Linux and Windows

This section provides brief definitions of development tools, compilers, libraries, and runtime environments for programming AMD GPUs.

AMD SMI#: The amd-smi command-line utility queries, monitors, and manages AMD GPU state, providing hardware information and performance metrics. See amdsmi:index for detailed usage.
HIP C++ language extension#: HIP extends the C++ language with additional features designed for programming heterogeneous applications. These extensions mostly relate to the kernel language, but some can also be applied to host functionality. See HIP C++ language extensions for language fundamentals.
HIP compiler#: The HIP compiler amdclang++ compiles HIP C++ programs into binaries that contain both host CPU and device GPU code. See ROCm compiler reference for compiler flags and options.
HIP runtime API#: The HIP runtime API provides an interface for GPU programming, offering functions for memory management, kernel launches, and synchronization. See Using HIP runtime API for API overview.
HIP runtime compiler#: The HIP Runtime Compiler (HIPRTC) compiles HIP source code at runtime into AMDGPU binary code objects, enabling just-in-time kernel generation, device-specific optimization, and dynamic code creation for different GPUs. See Programming for HIP runtime compiler (RTC) for API details.
ROCgdb#: ROCgdb is AMD’s source-level debugger for HIP and ROCm applications, enabling debugging of both host CPU and GPU device code, including kernel breakpoints, stepping, and variable inspection. See ROCgdb documentation for usage and command reference.
ROCm and LLVM binary utilities#: ROCm and LLVM binary utilities are command-line tools for examining and manipulating GPU binaries and code objects. See ROCm binary utilities for utility details.
ROCm software platform#: ROCm is AMD’s GPU software stack, providing compiler toolchains, runtime environments, and performance libraries for HPC and AI applications. See What is ROCm? for a complete component overview.
rocprofv3#: rocprofv3 is AMD’s primary performance analysis tool, providing profiling, tracing, and performance counter collection. See Using rocprofv3 for profiling workflows.