vulkaninfo

Print full Vulkan information

$ vulkaninfo

$ vulkaninfo --summary

$ vulkaninfo --html

vulkaninfo [OPTIONS...]

--help
    Displays a help message with available options and their usage.

--json
    Outputs all collected Vulkan information in JSON format, suitable for programmatic parsing and automation.

--html
    Outputs all collected Vulkan information in HTML format, useful for web display or documentation.

--output
    Redirects the command's verbose output to the specified <file> instead of standard output.

--summary
    Provides a concise summary of Vulkan information, significantly reducing the verbosity compared to the default output.

--vk-api-version
    Specifies the target Vulkan API version to query information for (e.g., "1.1.0"). The command will only report features up to this version.

--color
    Forces colored output, even if the terminal does not automatically support or detect color capabilities.

--no-color
    Disables colored output, ensuring a monochrome text presentation.

--compact-properties
    Reduces the verbosity and line count of physical device property output, making it more concise.

--no-header
    Suppresses the standard header information typically displayed at the beginning of the command's output.

--display-errors
    Forces the display of Vulkan validation errors, even when advanced debug reporting layers are not explicitly enabled.

--check-drivers
    Attempts to perform a basic check for common Vulkan driver installation issues or missing components. (Availability may vary).

vulkaninfo is a command-line utility for Linux that provides comprehensive information about the Vulkan API implementation and the physical devices (GPUs) available on a system.
It's an indispensable tool for Vulkan developers, system administrators, and users for debugging, verifying driver installations, and understanding hardware capabilities. The output includes details on available Vulkan layers, extensions, physical device properties, memory heaps and types, queue families, supported formats, and more.
It helps identify issues with Vulkan driver setup, confirms the presence of specific hardware features, and provides essential data for optimizing Vulkan applications.

vulkaninfo requires a correctly installed Vulkan Runtime and compatible graphics drivers supporting the Vulkan API. Without these, the command may fail to execute or report no Vulkan devices.
The default output can be extremely verbose, especially on systems with multiple GPUs or extensive driver features. For manageability, consider using options like --summary or redirecting output to a file with --output.
This utility is typically part of the vulkan-tools package, which may need to be installed separately on some Linux distributions.

By default, vulkaninfo produces a very detailed human-readable text output. However, it also supports --json and --html options, which are highly beneficial for scripting, automated testing, or integrating Vulkan system information into other applications or web interfaces. The JSON output, in particular, provides a structured and easily parsable representation of all available Vulkan properties.

vulkaninfo is frequently used to confirm that Vulkan drivers are correctly installed and detected, to check for the presence of specific Vulkan extensions required by an application, or to identify the available memory types and heaps on a GPU for optimal memory allocation strategies in Vulkan development.
It's also a first-line diagnostic tool when a Vulkan application fails to launch or encounters rendering issues, providing clues about the system's Vulkan environment.

vulkaninfo emerged alongside the official release of the Vulkan API by Khronos Group in February 2016. Developed primarily by LunarG as part of the Vulkan SDK and tools suite, its purpose was to provide a standardized way for developers and users to query detailed information about the underlying Vulkan implementation and hardware capabilities. As the Vulkan ecosystem matured, vulkaninfo became an essential diagnostic tool, simplifying the process of debugging driver issues, verifying API support, and understanding the nuances of different GPU architectures. Its evolution mirrors the development of the Vulkan API itself, incorporating support for new features, extensions, and best practices.

glxinfo(1), lspci(8), vkcube(6), DRI_PRIME(1)