Vulkan is an Explicit API, enabling direct control over how GPUs actually work. By design, minimal error checking is done inside a Vulkan driver. Applications have full control and responsibility for correct operation. Any errors in how Vulkan is used can result in a crash. This project provides Vulkan validation layers that can be enabled to assist development by enabling developers to verify their applications correct use of the Vulkan API.
Vulkan supports multiple GPUs and multiple global contexts (VkInstance). The ICD loader is necessary to support multiple GPUs and VkInstance-level Vulkan commands. Additionally, the loader manages inserting Vulkan layer libraries such as validation layers between the application and the ICD.
The following components are available in this repository:
Please see the CONTRIBUTING.md file in this repository for more details. Please see the GOVERNANCE.md file in this repository for repository management details.
BUILD.md Includes directions for building all components as well as running validation tests and demo applications.
Information on how to enable the various Validation layers is in layers/README.md.
Architecture and interface information for the loader is in loader/LoaderAndLayerInterface.md.
This work is released as open source under a Apache-style license from Khronos including a Khronos copyright.
See COPYRIGHT.txt for a full list of licenses used in this repository.
While this project has been developed primarily by LunarG, Inc., there are many other companies and individuals making this possible: Valve Corporation, funding project development; Google providing significant contributions to the validation layers; Khronos providing oversight and hosting of the project.