I very strongly agree with Jack on this. If only a single program / python module uses CUDA, it is wasteful to have to build and install a new toolchain, and to rebuild everything on the system, including Python and perhaps even X11 (if using matplotlib).
But there may be something I have overlooked. Best regards Jakob > On 19 Mar 2018, at 15:49, Jack Perdue <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On 03/19/2018 09:43 AM, Joachim Hein wrote: >> Hi, >> >> I am currently installing tensorflow via easybuild (I assume many of us do >> these days) and am trying to understand EasyBuild’s ideas on toolchains >> supporting cuda. >> >> I looked at TensorFlow-1.5.0-goolfc-2017b-Python-3.6.3.eb, which builds >> ontop of a toolchain containing GCC, Cuda (installed as a compiler module), >> and OpenMPI, Blas, FFTW etc. >> >> I now noticed that there is a new >> TensorFlow-1.6.0-foss-2018a-Python-3.6.4-CUDA-9.1.85.eb, which is accepted >> into the development branch (PR 6016). This builds ontop a “vanilla” >> foss-2018a toolchain, using a Cuda and cuDNN modules installed as a core >> module (system compiler). >> >> I am wondering how do we want to organise us in future? Do we want to >> continue with the goolfc idea or do we go for a “core” cuda and cuDNN? I >> feel this needs standardising soonish. It is also something I feel I need >> to document for my users, who want to build their own cuda based software. >> What models should be loaded to build software. >> >> Any comments, how we take this further? >> >> Best wishes >> Joachim >> > > FWIW ($.02) I'm partial to the latter approach since it allows > more flexibility of CUDA version without redefining an entire > toolchain (which then requres everything to be rebuilt (e.g. Python) > whether they need CUDA or not). > > Jack Perdue > Lead Systems Administrator > High Performance Research Computing > TAMU Division of Research > [email protected] http://hprc.tamu.edu > HPRC Helpdesk: [email protected] > > > -- Jakob Schiøtz, professor, Ph.D. Department of Physics Technical University of Denmark DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark http://www.fysik.dtu.dk/~schiotz/
