Enable VA-API HEVC decode on Fedora with an AMD GPU

Steps#

1. Save the two scripts in an empty directory and work there.

   mkdir -p ~/vaapi-test && cd ~/vaapi-test
   

   Download amdgpu_video_caps.py and va_profiles.py from this page, or copy them from here. The first asks the amdgpu kernel driver through libdrm, the second asks libva.

   amdgpu_video_caps.py:

   # What the amdgpu kernel driver says the video block can do (AMDGPU_INFO_VIDEO_CAPS).
   import ctypes, os
   from ctypes import POINTER, byref, c_uint32, c_void_p, sizeof
   
   class CodecInfo(ctypes.Structure):
       _fields_ = [(f, c_uint32) for f in
                   ("valid", "max_width", "max_height", "max_pixels_per_frame", "max_level", "pad")]
   
   class VideoCaps(ctypes.Structure):
       _fields_ = [("codec_info", CodecInfo * 8)]
   
   CODECS = ["MPEG2", "MPEG4", "VC1", "H264", "HEVC", "JPEG", "VP9", "AV1"]
   lib = ctypes.CDLL("libdrm_amdgpu.so.1")
   lib.amdgpu_device_initialize.argtypes = [ctypes.c_int, POINTER(c_uint32), POINTER(c_uint32), POINTER(c_void_p)]
   lib.amdgpu_query_video_caps_info.argtypes = [c_void_p, ctypes.c_uint, ctypes.c_uint, c_void_p]
   
   fd = os.open("/dev/dri/renderD128", os.O_RDWR)
   major, minor, dev = c_uint32(), c_uint32(), c_void_p()
   assert lib.amdgpu_device_initialize(fd, byref(major), byref(minor), byref(dev)) == 0
   
   for kind, cap_type in (("decode", 0), ("encode", 1)):
       caps = VideoCaps()
       assert lib.amdgpu_query_video_caps_info(dev, cap_type, sizeof(caps), byref(caps)) == 0
       print(f"{kind}:")
       for name, c in zip(CODECS, caps.codec_info):
           if c.valid:
               print(f"  {name:5} {c.max_width}x{c.max_height} level {c.max_level}")
   

   va_profiles.py:

   # What the VA-API driver that libva actually loads offers, per profile.
   import ctypes, os
   from ctypes import POINTER, byref, c_char_p, c_int, c_void_p
   
   va = ctypes.CDLL("libva.so.2")
   va_drm = ctypes.CDLL("libva-drm.so.2")
   va_drm.vaGetDisplayDRM.restype = c_void_p
   va_drm.vaGetDisplayDRM.argtypes = [c_int]
   va.vaInitialize.argtypes = [c_void_p, POINTER(c_int), POINTER(c_int)]
   va.vaQueryVendorString.restype = c_char_p
   va.vaQueryVendorString.argtypes = [c_void_p]
   va.vaMaxNumProfiles.argtypes = [c_void_p]
   va.vaMaxNumEntrypoints.argtypes = [c_void_p]
   va.vaQueryConfigProfiles.argtypes = [c_void_p, POINTER(c_int), POINTER(c_int)]
   va.vaQueryConfigEntrypoints.argtypes = [c_void_p, c_int, POINTER(c_int), POINTER(c_int)]
   va.vaProfileStr.restype = c_char_p
   va.vaProfileStr.argtypes = [c_int]
   va.vaEntrypointStr.restype = c_char_p
   va.vaEntrypointStr.argtypes = [c_int]
   
   dpy = va_drm.vaGetDisplayDRM(os.open("/dev/dri/renderD128", os.O_RDWR))
   major, minor = c_int(), c_int()
   assert va.vaInitialize(dpy, byref(major), byref(minor)) == 0
   print(va.vaQueryVendorString(dpy).decode())
   
   profiles, n = (c_int * va.vaMaxNumProfiles(dpy))(), c_int()
   va.vaQueryConfigProfiles(dpy, profiles, byref(n))
   for p in profiles[:n.value]:
       eps, m = (c_int * va.vaMaxNumEntrypoints(dpy))(), c_int()
       va.vaQueryConfigEntrypoints(dpy, p, eps, byref(m))
       names = [va.vaEntrypointStr(e).decode().removeprefix("VAEntrypoint") for e in eps[:m.value]]
       print(f"  {va.vaProfileStr(p).decode().removeprefix('VAProfile'):26} {' '.join(names)}")
   

   Neither writes anything. Both open /dev/dri/renderD128 and print what comes back, using libdrm_amdgpu.so.1 (package libdrm) and libva.so.2 plus libva-drm.so.2 (package libva) through Python's ctypes. vainfo from libva-utils is the usual tool for the second list. It is not installed on this box, so its output is not shown here.

2. Ask the kernel which codecs the video block decodes.

   $ python3 amdgpu_video_caps.py
   decode:
     H264  4096x4096 level 52
     HEVC  8192x4352 level 186
     JPEG  16384x16384 level 0
     VP9   8192x4352 level 0
     AV1   8192x4352 level 0
   encode:
     H264  4096x4096 level 0
     HEVC  8192x4352 level 0
     AV1   8192x4352 level 0
   

   Expected: an HEVC line under decode:. This is the kernel's AMDGPU_INFO_VIDEO_CAPS answer, read with libdrm's amdgpu_query_video_caps_info(): the 780M decodes H.264 up to 4096x4096 and HEVC up to 8192x4352. The answer has no profile field, so it can't tell Main from Main 10; the driver's list in step 3 can. If there is no HEVC line under decode:, this manual doesn't apply to your GPU.

3. List what Fedora's own VA driver offers.

   $ LIBVA_DRIVERS_PATH=/usr/lib64/dri python3 va_profiles.py
   libva info: VA-API version 1.23.0
   libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib64/dri/radeonsi_drv_video.so
   libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_23
   libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
   Mesa Gallium driver 26.2.5 for AMD Radeon 780M Graphics (radeonsi, phoenix, ACO, DRM 3.64, 7.2.10-200.fc44.x86_64)
     JPEGBaseline               VLD
     VP9Profile0                VLD
     VP9Profile2                VLD
     AV1Profile0                VLD EncSlice
     None                       VideoProc
   

   Expected: no H264… line and no HEVC… line. Fedora's driver decodes JPEG, VP9 and AV1 (VLD) and encodes AV1 (EncSlice). The GPU has HEVC (step 2), the driver build doesn't offer it. Fedora's mesa.spec passes no -Dvideo-codecs, so Mesa's default all_free applies, which Mesa's build options describe as enabling the codecs that aren't patent-encumbered.

   LIBVA_DRIVERS_PATH replaces libva's driver search list (colon-separated). Fedora builds libva to search /usr/lib64/dri-nonfree, then /usr/lib64/dri-freeworld, then /usr/lib64/dri. On a box without freeworld, plain python3 va_profiles.py tries the first two and loads the same Fedora file. With the variable set to /usr/lib64/dri, the command lists Fedora's driver even after step 8, which is how this page's "before" transcripts were made (Field notes).

4. Generate three 2-second test clips.

   ffmpeg -f lavfi -i testsrc2=size=1920x1080:rate=30 -t 2 -c:v libx265 -pix_fmt yuv420p10le main10.mkv
   ffmpeg -f lavfi -i testsrc2=size=1920x1080:rate=30 -t 2 -c:v libx265 -pix_fmt yuv420p main8.mkv
   ffmpeg -f lavfi -i testsrc2=size=1920x1080:rate=30 -t 2 -c:v libsvtav1 -pix_fmt yuv420p av1.mkv
   

   $ ls -l main10.mkv main8.mkv av1.mkv
   -rw-r--r--. 1 user user 1497381 Oct 25 16:24 av1.mkv
   -rw-r--r--. 1 user user 1215321 Oct 25 16:24 main10.mkv
   -rw-r--r--. 1 user user 1205903 Oct 25 16:24 main8.mkv
   

   Expected: three files of 1.2 to 1.5 MB here: HEVC Main 10, HEVC Main (8-bit), and AV1 as the control. libx265 and libsvtav1 are software encoders, so this step doesn't depend on the VA driver, and no sample downloads are needed. ffmpeg's decode log names each clip's codec and profile (the Stream #0:0: Video: line in step 5).

5. Decode the Main 10 clip through VA-API with Fedora's driver.

   $ LIBVA_DRIVERS_PATH=/usr/lib64/dri ffmpeg -hide_banner -v verbose -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -i main10.mkv -f null -
   […]
     Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main 10), 1 reference frame, yuv420p10le(tv, progressive, left), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 30 fps, 30 tbr, 1k tbn
   […]
   [VAAPI @ 0x5604256d4140] libva: Trying to open /usr/lib64/dri/radeonsi_drv_video.so
   […]
   [VAAPI @ 0x5604256d4140] VAAPI driver: Mesa Gallium driver 26.2.5 for AMD Radeon 780M Graphics (radeonsi, phoenix, ACO, DRM 3.64, 7.2.10-200.fc44.x86_64).
   […]
   [hevc @ 0x5604257bec40] No support for codec hevc profile 2.
   [hevc @ 0x5604257bec40] Failed setup for format vaapi: hwaccel initialisation returned error.
   [graph -1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x7fb718004e80] w:1920 h:1080 pixfmt:yuv420p10le tb:1/1000 fr:30/1 sar:1/1 csp:unknown range:tv alpha:unspecified
   […]
   [in#0/matroska,webm @ 0x5604256cc580]   Input stream #0:0 (video): 60 packets read (1211848 bytes); 60 frames decoded; 0 decode errors;
   […]
   Exiting with exit code 0
   

   Expected with Fedora's driver: No support for codec hevc profile 2., then Failed setup for format vaapi: hwaccel initialisation returned error. Profile 2 is libavcodec's number for HEVC Main 10, profile 1 is Main: main8.mkv fails the same way with profile 1 (Failure modes, row 2). ffmpeg then decodes all 60 frames in software. The filter graph gets pixfmt:yuv420p10le, a CPU pixel format.

   Gotchaffmpeg exits 0 on the software fallback

   A failed hwaccel setup doesn't fail the ffmpeg run. ffmpeg drops VA-API, decodes in software, and ends with 0 decode errors and Exiting with exit code 0, the same as the working run in step 12. An exit-code test passes on both. Look for the Failed setup line, and, with -hwaccel_output_format vaapi as here, for pixfmt:vaapi on the graph -1 input line.

6. Decode the AV1 control clip with the same driver.

   $ LIBVA_DRIVERS_PATH=/usr/lib64/dri ffmpeg -hide_banner -v verbose -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -i av1.mkv -f null -
   […]
   [VAAPI @ 0x555fc65982c0] libva: Trying to open /usr/lib64/dri/radeonsi_drv_video.so
   […]
   [graph -1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x7f2d10004ec0] w:1920 h:1080 pixfmt:vaapi tb:1/1000 fr:30/1 sar:1/1 csp:unknown range:tv alpha:unspecified
   […]
   [in#0/matroska,webm @ 0x555fc6585580]   Input stream #0:0 (video): 60 packets read (1496364 bytes); 60 frames decoded; 0 decode errors;
   […]
   

   Expected: no Failed setup line, and pixfmt:vaapi: the frames come out of the GPU as VA surfaces. The render node, libva and Fedora's driver work. Only the codec list is short.

7. Dry-run the install.

   sudo dnf install --assumeno mesa-va-drivers-freeworld
   

   Expected: one package to install, mesa-va-drivers-freeworld, and nothing to remove or downgrade. --assumeno answers no at the prompt, so nothing changes. On this box dnf's own log (/var/log/dnf5.log) names the run dnf install --assumeno mesa-va-drivers-freeworld. The terminal output, with the repository loading cut:

   […]
   Repositories loaded.
   Package                    Arch   Version         Repository                  Size
   Installing:
    mesa-va-drivers-freeworld x86_64 0:26.2.5-1.fc44 rpmfusion-free-updates  53.0 MiB
   
   Transaction Summary:
    Installing:         1 package
   
   Total size of inbound packages is 14 MiB. Need to download 14 MiB.
   After this operation, 53 MiB extra will be used (install 53 MiB, remove 0 B).
   Operation aborted by the user.
   

8. Install it.

   sudo dnf install mesa-va-drivers-freeworld
   

   Expected: the one-package transaction from step 7, then Complete!. Here dnf's log names the install dnf install -y mesa-va-drivers-freeworld, so there was no confirmation prompt. The terminal output:

   […]
   Package                    Arch   Version         Repository                  Size
   Installing:
    mesa-va-drivers-freeworld x86_64 0:26.2.5-1.fc44 rpmfusion-free-updates  53.0 MiB
   […]
   Running transaction
   [1/3] Verify package files              100% |  21.0   B/s |   1.0   B |  00m00s
   [2/3] Prepare transaction               100% |   1.0   B/s |   1.0   B |  00m01s
   [3/3] Installing mesa-va-drivers-freewo 100% |  33.7 MiB/s |  53.0 MiB |  00m02s
   Complete!
   

   The package is RPM Fusion's build of the same Mesa version with -Dvideo-codecs=h264dec,h264enc,h265dec,h265enc,vc1dec,av1dec,av1enc,vp9dec, installed into /usr/lib64/dri-freeworld/, the directory libva tries before Fedora's.

9. Check the installed package.

   $ rpm -qi mesa-va-drivers-freeworld | grep -E "^(Version|Release|Install Date|Size|Vendor)"
   Version     : 26.2.5
   Release     : 1.fc44
   Install Date: Sun 25 Oct 2026 04:01:19 PM EET
   Size        : 55577925
   Vendor      : RPM Fusion
   

   $ dnf repoquery --installed --qf "%{name} %{from_repo}\n" mesa-va-drivers-freeworld
   mesa-va-drivers-freeworld rpmfusion-free-updates
   

   Expected: vendor RPM Fusion, the same version as mesa-dri-drivers (26.2.5 in Before you start), and an RPM Fusion repo. Size is in bytes: 55577925 is the 53 MiB from step 7.

10. Check that both drivers are on disk.

    $ rpm -qf /usr/lib64/dri/radeonsi_drv_video.so /usr/lib64/dri-freeworld/radeonsi_drv_video.so
    mesa-dri-drivers-26.2.5-1.fc44.x86_64
    mesa-va-drivers-freeworld-26.2.5-1.fc44.x86_64
    

    Expected: Fedora's file still belongs to mesa-dri-drivers, the new one to mesa-va-drivers-freeworld. Nothing of Fedora's was replaced. libva finds the freeworld file first.

11. List the profiles libva loads now.

    $ python3 va_profiles.py
    libva info: VA-API version 1.23.0
    libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib64/dri-nonfree/radeonsi_drv_video.so
    libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib64/dri-freeworld/radeonsi_drv_video.so
    libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_23
    libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
    Mesa Gallium driver 26.2.5 for AMD Radeon 780M Graphics (radeonsi, phoenix, ACO, DRM 3.64, 7.2.10-200.fc44.x86_64)
      H264ConstrainedBaseline    VLD EncSlice
      H264Main                   VLD EncSlice
      H264High                   VLD EncSlice
      HEVCMain                   VLD EncSlice
      HEVCMain10                 VLD EncSlice
      VP9Profile0                VLD
      VP9Profile2                VLD
      AV1Profile0                VLD EncSlice
      None                       VideoProc
    

    Expected: libva stops at /usr/lib64/dri-freeworld/, and the list now has H264ConstrainedBaseline, H264Main, H264High, HEVCMain and HEVCMain10, each with VLD (decode) and EncSlice (encode). JPEGBaseline is gone: the freeworld build lists no JPEG decode profile (Notes).

12. Decode the HEVC clips again, without the variable.

    $ ffmpeg -hide_banner -v verbose -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -i main10.mkv -f null -
    […]
    [VAAPI @ 0x55bc56360140] libva: Trying to open /usr/lib64/dri-nonfree/radeonsi_drv_video.so
    [VAAPI @ 0x55bc56360140] libva: Trying to open /usr/lib64/dri-freeworld/radeonsi_drv_video.so
    [VAAPI @ 0x55bc56360140] libva: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_23
    [VAAPI @ 0x55bc56360140] libva: va_openDriver() returns 0
    [VAAPI @ 0x55bc56360140] Initialised VAAPI connection: version 1.23
    [VAAPI @ 0x55bc56360140] VAAPI driver: Mesa Gallium driver 26.2.5 for AMD Radeon 780M Graphics (radeonsi, phoenix, ACO, DRM 3.64, 7.2.10-200.fc44.x86_64).
    […]
    [graph -1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x7f5fa4004ec0] w:1920 h:1080 pixfmt:vaapi tb:1/1000 fr:30/1 sar:1/1 csp:unknown range:tv alpha:unspecified
    […]
    [in#0/matroska,webm @ 0x55bc56358580]   Input stream #0:0 (video): 60 packets read (1211848 bytes); 60 frames decoded; 0 decode errors;
    […]
    Exiting with exit code 0
    

    Expected: libva opens the freeworld driver, there is no No support or Failed setup line, and the graph input is pixfmt:vaapi: the GPU decoded the 60 frames. The 8-bit clip:

    $ ffmpeg -hide_banner -v verbose -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -i main8.mkv -f null -
    […]
    [graph -1 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x7f9718004ec0] w:1920 h:1080 pixfmt:vaapi tb:1/1000 fr:30/1 sar:1/1 csp:unknown range:tv alpha:unspecified
    […]
    [in#0/matroska,webm @ 0x56516b88e580]   Input stream #0:0 (video): 60 packets read (1202435 bytes); 60 frames decoded; 0 decode errors;
    […]
    

    Expected: pixfmt:vaapi again.