How to use the command 'nvcc' (with examples)
The NVIDIA CUDA Compiler Driver (nvcc) is a command-line tool that is used to compile CUDA programs. It takes CUDA source files as inputs and produces executable files for GPU architectures.
Use case 1: Compile a CUDA program
Code:
nvcc path/to/source.cu -o path/to/executable
Motivation: This use case is used to compile a CUDA program written in C++ or CUDA C.
Explanation:
path/to/source.cu: This argument specifies the path to the CUDA source file that needs to be compiled.-o path/to/executable: This argument specifies the output file name and location for the compiled executable.
Example output:
If the compilation is successful, the resulting executable file will be created at the specified location.
Use case 2: Generate debug information
Code:
nvcc path/to/source.cu -o path/to/executable --debug --device-debug
Motivation: This use case is used to generate debug information for debugging CUDA programs.
Explanation:
--debug: This argument enables debug mode, which generates additional debug information in the compiled executable.--device-debug: This argument enables device-side debugging, allowing you to debug CUDA device code.
Example output:
The output executable file will contain additional debug information, making it easier to debug the CUDA program.
Use case 3: Include libraries from a different path
Code:
nvcc path/to/source.cu -o path/to/executable -Ipath/to/includes -Lpath/to/library -llibrary_name
Motivation: This use case is used to include libraries from custom paths in the compilation process.
Explanation:
-Ipath/to/includes: This argument specifies the path to additional include files that need to be included during the compilation. These include files are typically header files.-Lpath/to/library: This argument specifies the path to additional library files that need to be linked during the compilation.-llibrary_name: This argument specifies the library file name that needs to be linked.
Example output:
The compiled executable file will include the specified libraries from the provided paths during the compilation process.
Use case 4: Specify the compute capability for a specific GPU architecture
Code:
nvcc path/to/source.cu -o path/to/executable --generate-code arch=arch_name,code=gpu_code_name
Motivation: This use case is used to specify the compute capability for a specific GPU architecture during the compilation process.
Explanation:
--generate-code arch=arch_name,code=gpu_code_name: This argument specifies the compute capability (arch_name) and the GPU code name (gpu_code_name) that needs to be generated during the compilation.
Example output:
The compiled executable file will be optimized for the specified GPU architecture and compute capability.
Conclusion:
The ’nvcc’ command is a powerful tool for compiling CUDA programs. It provides various options for compiling and optimizing code for NVIDIA GPUs. By using the different use cases, you can compile CUDA programs, generate debug information, include libraries from custom paths, and specify the compute capability for specific GPU architectures.
