May 10, 2022 — Arm is happy to announce that Arm Compiler for Linux, its toolchain package for HPC application developers, is now available free of charge.

You no longer need license files to use Arm’s LLVM-based C/C++/Fortran compilers and optimized libraries with BLAS, FFT, LAPACK, Sparse Linear Algebra functionality. For questions or issues with the toolchain, you can still get help using the HPC community forum. Arm technical staff monitor this forum with an intent to respond to all queries in a timely manner. Existing customers with active licenses continue to receive direct support.

What is in the Arm Compiler for Linux package?

Arm C/C++ Compiler (armclang) provides the earliest, most complete, and most accurate support for the latest architectural features and extensions of the Arm architecture. Based on LLVM and clang, it supports the latest C++ language features.

Arm Fortran Compiler (armflang) supports modern Fortran (up to Fortran 2008) and OpenMP standards. It is built on top of LLVM and Classic Flang projects. Working with HPC application developers, Arm engineers have tuned this compiler for their flagship HPC codes and mini-apps.

Meanwhile, Arm engineers are working with upstream LLVM on the new Fortran frontend, flang. Currently, this frontend is under development and not ready for production use. Once it becomes mature, Arm Fortran Compiler will switch to using the LLVM Flang Fortran frontend.

GNU toolchain is also provided as part of the package. With this toolchain, users get access to the most recent version of GCC and gfortran compilers. The recent versions benefit from the optimization work done by Arm GNU engineers and the wider ecosystem.

Arm Performance Libraries is a collection of optimized libraries with BLAS, LAPACK, FFT, Sparse Linear Algebra functionality. These libraries are tuned for Arm’s Neoverse series of processors including the latest Arm Neoverse V1 core.

Arm engineers routinely develop and tune math and string routines for the latest Arm-based hardware. Arm Performance Libraries ships these routines when they are developed. These routines are also made available via Arm hosted Optimized Routines project. Optimized Routines project has a permissive license, allowing other products to benefit from tuned routines.

Why use Arm Compiler for Linux?

Arm Compiler for Linux provides a packaged solution that integrates LLVM-based compilers with Arm Performance Libraries and is validated against the key HPC platforms. The solution has yet-to-be-upstreamed optimizations in addition to the base LLVM compiler. Sometimes, upstreaming takes longer when a feature (e.g SVE) needs extensive changes to LLVM.

Our focus on ensuring changes arrive in upstream LLVM ensures that our partners that rely on LLVM – including other commercial compilers – will also benefit from our investment.

Final thoughts

Arm Compiler for Linux package provides you free-to-use community-supported latest C/C++/Fortran compilers and optimized libraries. Arm continues to improve the toolchain and related upstream projects and you can benefit from these changes using our latest toolchain.

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Source: Ashok Bhat, Arm