Introducing architecture variants: amd64v3 now available in Ubuntu 25.10

Project Discussion Foundations
1

Ubuntu prides itself on being among the most compatible Linux distributions. Compatibility is often a conscious trade-off against bleeding-edge performance. In Ubuntu 25.10, we have added support for packages that target specific silicon variants, meaning you can have your cake and eat it too!

Back in 2023 I wrote an article talking about the history of the amd64/x86-64 architecture and described the “levels” x86-64-v2, -v3, and -v4 (often referred to as amd64v3, amd64v4, etc.). Since then, we’ve been working on a means to better exploit modern processors without compromising support for older hardware.

To do this, we have added the concept of an “architecture variant.” By making changes to dpkg, apt and Launchpad, we are able to build multiple versions of a package, each for a different level of the x86-64 architecture, meaning we can have packages that specifically target x86-64-v3, for example.

As a result, we’re very excited to share that in Ubuntu 25.10, some packages are available, on an opt-in basis, in their optimized form for the more modern x86-64-v3 architecture level.

What’s been done?

For 25.10 we were mostly focused on building the required infrastructure and have not yet rebuilt every package for the x84-64-v3 / amd64v3 architecture. Most packages in the main component have been rebuilt (around 2000 source packages). It is worth noting that these packages have not yet received the usual level of testing that most packages in Ubuntu receive. So while we expect them to work, early adopters might find some bugs.

For the upcoming 26.04 LTS release, we will rebuild amd64v3-enabled versions of all packages and test them in the same rigorous way as we test every other Ubuntu package.

Previous benchmarks we have run (where we rebuilt the entire archive for x86-64-v3) show that most packages show a slight (around 1%) performance improvement and some packages, mostly those that are somewhat numerical in nature, improve more than that.

Try it out

The vast majority of cloud instance types and machines manufactured within the last ten years will support x86-64-v3, and you can check for support on a machine like so:

$ ld.so --help | grep '\-v[0-9]'
x86-64-v4 (supported, searched)
x86-64-v3 (supported, searched)
x86-64-v2 (supported, searched)

If your machine is supported, and you’d like to try out the new packages, you can opt-in to the x86-64-v3-enabled packages. First, install the latest version of dpkg:

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install dpkg

Then enable amd64v3 and update the packages, like so:

echo 'APT::Architecture-Variants "amd64v3";' | sudo tee /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99enable-amd64v3
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Note that apt may print that it is “downgrading” these packages – this is just a cosmetic thing and will be fixed in 26.04 as well.

If you do install the available amd64v3 versions of packages, you will not be able to transfer your hard-drive/SSD to an older machine that does not support x86-64-v3. Usually, we try to ensure that moving drives between systems like this would work. For 26.04 LTS, we’ll be working on making this experience cleaner, and hopefully provide a method of recovering a system that is in this state.

What’s next?

We are very excited about the future of architecture variants and will keep you posted along the way. We hope that early adopters see some benefits of making the most of their hardware. Let us know how you get on!

20 Likes
2 
1129 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.

Updated :innocent:

1 Like
3

And now the question is, won’t I be able to install normal binaries but only v3?

liviu@bobdenaut:~$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu questing-security InRelease
Hit:2 https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com stable InRelease                            
Hit:3 https://repo.librewolf.net librewolf InRelease                                             
Hit:4 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kubuntu-ppa/backports/ubuntu questing InRelease           
Hit:5 https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla InRelease                                         
Hit:6 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu questing InRelease                        
Hit:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu questing-updates InRelease
Hit:8 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu questing-backports InRelease
All packages are up to date.    
Notice: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-amd64v3/Packages' as repository 'https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla InRelease' doesn't support architecture 'amd64v3'

I keep getting that notice from mozilla.

4

Ah no that message is just saying that the repo did not supply a binary-amd64v3 Packages file (unsurprisingly). apt has downloaded the amd64 Packages and will install packages from this (the message should not be displayed at the default verbosity level, I think Julian is planning to fix this).

1 Like
5

great!

and another one, I think ubuntu-drivers stopped working:

liviu@bobdenaut:~$ ubuntu-drivers list
liviu@bobdenaut:~$ ubuntu-drivers devices
liviu@bobdenaut:~$ 


[ 2224.783528] software-proper[8707]: segfault at 10 ip 000000000053d201 sp 00007fff6519c6c0 error 4 in python3.13[13d201,420000+340000] likely on CPU 4 (core 8, socket 0)
[ 2224.783548] Code: 2d f5 50 00 48 3d a0 d4 53 00 0f 85 c8 01 00 00 48 85 ff 0f 84 be 01 00 00 55 48 89 e5 48 83 ec 10 64 48 8b 04 25 e8 ff ff ff <48> 8b 40 10 48 8b 88 30 2a 00 00 48 89 f8 48 c1 e8 31 48 8b 94 c1
6

(post deleted by author)

7

I am getting this error when trying to upgrade to amd64v3:

Se encontraron errores al procesar:
 /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-AFnNVu/0288-librsvg2-common_2.60.0+dfsg-1build1_amd64v3.deb
Error: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
8

We tried to reproduce this and it worked for us – could you file a bug with more details?

9

Installing this package works for me. Can you pastebin or something the full output?

10

I upgraded my packages, but got 2 errors. Both were easily fixed, but point to a build error?
librsvg2-common and libgphoto2-6t64 both complained about difference in /usr/share/doc/PKG/changelog.Debian.gz. Removing that file/renaming it to something else made it succeed.

dpkg: fout bij verwerken van archief /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-cH6afL/102-libgphoto2-6t64_2.5.31-4build1_amd64v3.deb (--unpack):
 poging tot overschrijven van gedeelde '/usr/share/doc/libgphoto2-6t64/changelog.Debian.gz', dat verschilt van andere exemplaren van pakket libgphoto2-6t64:
amd64
11

Sure!
Please tel me where to, thanks.

12

I’ve updated and everything is going well, very well. I haven’t had any error messages so far. But just in case, is there any way to check if everything is okay? Thanks.

13

This seems to work fine on Resolute too. Just in case someone is already testing.

1 Like
15

Is there any way I can check if ubuntu-drivers isn’t working because amd64v3 or not?

liviu@bobdenaut:~$ sudo ubuntu-drivers devices
[sudo: authenticate] Password: 
liviu@bobdenaut:~$ sudo ubuntu-drivers list
liviu@bobdenaut:~$ sudo ubuntu-drivers debug
=== log messages from detection ===
DEBUG:root:package_get_nv_allowing_driver(): unable to read /etc/custom_supported_gpus.json
DEBUG:root:package_get_nv_allowing_driver(): unable to read /etc/custom_supported_gpus.json
DEBUG:root:Loading custom detection plugin /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/detect/arm-gles.py
DEBUG:root:plugin /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/detect/arm-gles.py return value: None
DEBUG:root:Loading custom detection plugin /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/detect/sl-modem.py
DEBUG:root:plugin /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/detect/sl-modem.py return value: None
=== modaliases in the system ===
platform:acpi-cpufreq
acpi:INT33A1:PNP0D80:
platform:intel_rapl_msr
acpi:INTC1085:
acpi:USBC000:PNP0CA0:
acpi:PNP0C14:
wmi:05901221-D566-11D1-B2F0-00A0C9062910
wmi:0B3CBB35-E3C2-45ED-91C2-4C5A6D195D1C
wmi:97845ED0-4E6D-11DE-8A39-0800200C9A66
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acpi:ASUS2018:
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acpi:MSFT0101:
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platform:asus-nb-wmi
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acpi:NVDA0820:
wmi:1F13AB7F-6220-4210-8F8E-8BB5E71EE969
platform:pcspkr
pci:v00008086d00007A3Dsv00000000sd00000000bc06sc04i00
pci:v000010ECd00008168sv00001043sd0000205Fbc02sc00i00
wmi:603E9613-EF25-4338-A3D0-C46177516DB7
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acpi:INTC1046:
pci:v00008086d0000A70Dsv00001043sd000014D3bc06sc04i00
pci:v000010DEd00002860sv00001043sd000014D3bc03sc00i00
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hdaudio:v10DE00A6r00100100a01
input:b0000v0000p0000e0000-e0,5,kramlsfw6,8,
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acpi:CSC3551:
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spi:cs35l41-hda
platform:idma64
pci:v00008086d0000A71Dsv00001043sd000014D3bc11sc80i00
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mei::6861ec7b-d07a-4673-856c-7f22b4d55769:02:
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spi:spi-nor
pci:v00008086d00007A50sv00001043sd00001C9Fbc04sc03i80
hdaudio:v80862818r00100000a01
hdaudio:v10EC0294r00100004a01
input:b0000v0000p0000e0000-e0,5,kramlsfw4,
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acpi:ASUF1205:PNP0C50:
hid:b0018g0004v00002808p00000106
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usb:v322Ep2122d1118dcEFdsc02dp01ic0Eisc02ip00in01
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platform:iTCO_wdt
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dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInternational,LLC.:bvrG614JI.331:bd11/11/2024:br5.27:efr0.81:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnROGStrixG614JI_G614JI:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnG614JI:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:sku:
acpi:LNXSYSTM:
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acpi:ACPI0007:
acpi:PNP0C0F:
acpi:PNP0C02:
input:b0019v0000p0001e0000-e0,1,k74,8F,ramlsfw
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input:b0019v0000p0003e0000-e0,1,k8E,ramlsfw
acpi:PNP0A08:PNP0A03:
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acpi:LNXVIDEO:
input:b0019v0000p0006e0000-e0,1,kE0,E1,E3,F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,ramlsfw
acpi:ACPI0003:
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input:b0019v0000p0005e0000-e0,5,kramlsfw0,
acpi:INTC109C:PNP0C02:
acpi:PNP0100:
acpi:PNP0000:
acpi:PRP00001:PNP0A05:
acpi:PNP0C0B:
=== matching driver packages ===
16

(post deleted by author)

17

The exact same two errors for me. The one is a dependency for Gimp and Inkscape, the other for Skanlite (among others).

18

is there a specific flag or env for dpkg-buildpackage to build/rebuild package for amd64v3?