# Install AMD ROCm on a GPU server

> Set up an AMD GPU for compute on Ubuntu 24.04 with AMD's amdgpu-install package: kernel driver, ROCm, user groups and the rocminfo, clinfo and amd-smi checks.

Difficulty: Intermediate

**ROCm** is AMD's open software stack for GPU computing: drivers, runtimes, compilers and libraries used by PyTorch, llama.cpp, Ollama and many other tools. This guide follows AMD's quick start for **Ubuntu 24.04** on a GPU server with an AMD GPU.

## Before you start

- A GPU VPS, GPU VDS or GPU dedicated server with an **AMD GPU** that AMD lists as supported by the ROCm release you install.
- **Ubuntu 24.04 LTS**, fully updated and rebooted. AMD also documents Debian 12 and 13 and RHEL-based systems; use the commands on AMD's page for those.
- Check that the GPU is visible: `lspci | grep -iE "vga|display|3d"`.

## Step 1: Register AMD's repository

AMD's quick start installs a small package that adds its repositories. At the time of writing the page uses this file for Ubuntu 24.04 (`noble`); copy the current file name from AMD's quick start page:

```bash
wget https://repo.radeon.com/amdgpu-install/7.2.4/ubuntu/noble/amdgpu-install_7.2.4.70204-1_all.deb
sudo apt install ./amdgpu-install_7.2.4.70204-1_all.deb
sudo apt update
```

## Step 2: Install the kernel driver

```bash
sudo apt install "linux-headers-$(uname -r)" "linux-modules-extra-$(uname -r)"
sudo apt install amdgpu-dkms
```

## Step 3: Install ROCm and set permissions

```bash
sudo apt install python3-setuptools python3-wheel
sudo usermod -a -G render,video $LOGNAME
sudo apt install rocm
```

The `render` and `video` groups give your user access to the GPU devices. Reboot to load the driver and apply the groups:

```bash
sudo reboot
```

## Step 4: Verify

```bash
rocminfo | grep -i "Marketing Name:"
clinfo | grep -i "Board name:"
amd-smi version
```

**Verify:** `rocminfo` and `clinfo` name your GPU, and `amd-smi version` prints its versions.

## Step 5: Libraries and paths (when needed)

AMD's post-installation steps add the ROCm libraries to the system linker:

```bash
echo -e "/opt/rocm/lib\n/opt/rocm/lib64" | sudo tee /etc/ld.so.conf.d/rocm.conf
sudo ldconfig
```

If a tool is not found, add the ROCm binaries to your path, for example `export PATH=$PATH:/opt/rocm/bin` in `~/.bashrc`.

## Troubleshooting

**`rocminfo` shows only the CPU agent, or reports permission errors.** Your user is not in the `render` and `video` groups yet, or you have not logged in again since adding them. Check with `groups`.

**The `amdgpu-dkms` build fails.** The headers for the running kernel are missing. Install `linux-headers-$(uname -r)` and reboot into the newest kernel before you try again.

**Packages are not found after `apt update`.** The repository for your Ubuntu release is not registered, or you used an installer file for another release. Use the file for `noble` (Ubuntu 24.04) from AMD's page.

**The GPU is not supported.** ROCm releases support a defined list of GPUs. Check AMD's compatibility list; for unsupported GPUs, tools with a Vulkan backend may still work.

More in [GPU troubleshooting](/guides/gpu-troubleshooting).

## Next steps

- Containers: [GPUs in Docker containers](/guides/gpu-in-docker-containers).
- Run models: [install Ollama](/guides/install-ollama).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which operating system should I use for ROCm?

One that AMD lists as supported. At the time of writing, AMD's installation guide lists Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04, Debian 13 and 12 and several RHEL-based releases; the newest Ubuntu release may follow later.

### Does every AMD GPU support ROCm?

No. AMD publishes a compatibility list of supported GPUs per ROCm release. Check that your plan's GPU is on it before you plan a ROCm workload.

### Why does the installer version differ from the ROCm version?

The amdgpu-install package and the ROCm documentation use their own numbering. Take the file name from AMD's quick start page for the current release.

### Can I use the GPU in containers?

Yes. AMD GPUs are passed to containers as the devices /dev/kfd and /dev/dri; see our guide on GPUs in Docker containers.

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Source: <https://hyperdc.com/guides/products/install-amd-rocm>\
Updated: 2026-10-15