Gaming on laptop with intel 915gm graphics chipset?

[rorschach]

Is this even possible?
My laptop will run games handily in that other operating system, however, I am unable to play WoW or even Warcraft III in linux. I have been reading through the forums, and I see that there are a number of people that are able to play these games on their systems, but it seems that these are all on Nvidia or ATI cards.

Am I wasting my time here? Should I just set up my system to dual-boot?


FYI I have reloaded my laptop no less than twice daily for the last few weeks. I have tried a number of the snapshot loads from dri.freedesktop.org, I have tied different versions of wine, I have tried moving to Dapper... all with varying degrees of failure.
I have had the greatest degree of success by installing wine 0.9.12 and loading Warcraft III - it runs, but only in d3d mode (opengl gives a black screen, sound is good though). Even under D3d mode, I have boxes all over the place that finally render if the screen stops moving, the sound is almost unlistenable because of this.

Upon completion of default install of Breezy - glxinfo shows that direct rendering is yes, lsmod shows that my module is being recognizes by the kernel (i915), and xorg.conf is calling the i810 module... all like the various threads around the Ubuntu forums (and some from the web) say that it should be.
When I try to install a dri snapshot, following their directions, opengl stops recognizing my module and drops to direct rendering = no, and I lose even the (apparently empty) promise of opengl rendering, failing over to indirect emulation.

Am I doing something wrong? or is this graphics chipset just a no-go for Linux overall?

[sorcererx84]

Try the 20060107 snapshot. I am using it and glxgears gives me about 1200 fps. I can even play ut2004 in opengl mode with some of the options turned to low. Warcraft 3 works perfectly.

[rorschach]

Thank you for the pointer.
I'm not seeing 20060107 in the snapshots - not even in the archive.

I'm willing to try others, however, like I said, everytime I try, opengl stops recognizing my video driver - any pointers on how you did your build/install? Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

[rorschach]

after some research, if what I am reading is true - all of the new snapshots from dri.freedesktop.org are for xorg 6.9 and 7.0, which is not on breezy.

Any clues or links to the older snapshots?

[rorschach]

Well, I downloaded and installed the common, i810, and i915 drivers from dri.freedesktop.org/snapshots. I got no errors this time, and here's my output from glxinfo and lsmodderrick@anubis:~/.wine/drive_c/Warcraft III$ glxinfo
name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: SGI
server glx version string: 1.2
server glx extensions:
GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating,
GLX_EXT_import_context, GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_SGI_make_current_read,
GLX_SGIS_multisample, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig
client glx vendor string: SGI
client glx version string: 1.4
client glx extensions:
GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_allocate_memory,
GLX_MESA_swap_control, GLX_MESA_swap_frame_usage, GLX_OML_swap_method,
GLX_OML_sync_control, GLX_SGI_make_current_read, GLX_SGI_swap_control,
GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGIS_multisample, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig,
GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group
GLX version: 1.2
GLX extensions:
GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_allocate_memory,
GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_SGI_make_current_read, GLX_SGIS_multisample,
GLX_SGIX_fbconfig
OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 915GM 20050225 x86/MMX/SSE2
OpenGL version string: 1.3 Mesa 6.3
OpenGL extensions:
GL_ARB_depth_texture, GL_ARB_fragment_program, GL_ARB_imaging,
GL_ARB_multisample, GL_ARB_multitexture, GL_ARB_point_parameters,
GL_ARB_shadow, GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp, GL_ARB_texture_compression,
GL_ARB_texture_cube_map, GL_ARB_texture_env_add,
GL_ARB_texture_env_combine, GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3,
GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat, GL_ARB_texture_rectangle,
GL_ARB_transpose_matrix, GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object,
GL_ARB_vertex_program, GL_ARB_window_pos, GL_EXT_abgr, GL_EXT_bgra,
GL_EXT_blend_color, GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate,
GL_EXT_blend_func_separate, GL_EXT_blend_minmax, GL_EXT_blend_subtract,
GL_EXT_clip_volume_hint, GL_EXT_cull_vertex, GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array,
GL_EXT_convolution, GL_EXT_copy_texture, GL_EXT_draw_range_elements,
GL_EXT_fog_coord, GL_EXT_histogram, GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays,
GL_EXT_packed_pixels, GL_EXT_point_parameters, GL_EXT_polygon_offset,
GL_EXT_rescale_normal, GL_EXT_secondary_color,
GL_EXT_separate_specular_color, GL_EXT_shadow_funcs, GL_EXT_stencil_wrap,
GL_EXT_subtexture, GL_EXT_texture, GL_EXT_texture3D,
GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp, GL_EXT_texture_env_add,
GL_EXT_texture_env_combine, GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3,
GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic, GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias,
GL_EXT_texture_object, GL_EXT_texture_rectangle, GL_EXT_vertex_array,
GL_3DFX_texture_compression_FXT1, GL_APPLE_client_storage,
GL_APPLE_packed_pixels, GL_ATI_blend_equation_separate,
GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip, GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat,
GL_INGR_blend_func_separate, GL_MESA_pack_invert, GL_MESA_ycbcr_texture,
GL_MESA_window_pos, GL_NV_blend_square, GL_NV_light_max_exponent,
GL_NV_texture_rectangle, GL_NV_texgen_reflection, GL_NV_vertex_program,
GL_NV_vertex_program1_1, GL_OES_read_format, GL_SGI_color_matrix,
GL_SGI_color_table, GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap, GL_SGIS_texture_border_clamp,
GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp, GL_SGIS_texture_lod, GL_SGIX_depth_texture,
GL_SUN_multi_draw_arrays
glu version: 1.3
glu extensions:
GLU_EXT_nurbs_tessellator, GLU_EXT_object_space_tess

visual x bf lv rg d st colorbuffer ax dp st accumbuffer ms cav
id dep cl sp sz l ci b ro r g b a bf th cl r g b a ns b eat
----------------------------------------------------------------------
0x23 24 tc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x24 24 tc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x25 24 tc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x26 24 tc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x27 24 tc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
0x28 24 tc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
0x29 24 tc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
0x2a 24 tc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
0x2b 24 dc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x2c 24 dc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x2d 24 dc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x2e 24 dc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 None
0x2f 24 dc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
0x30 24 dc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 0 0 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
0x31 24 dc 0 32 0 r y . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
0x32 24 dc 0 32 0 r . . 8 8 8 8 0 24 8 16 16 16 16 0 0 Slow
derrick@anubis:~/.wine/drive_c/Warcraft III$ lsmod
Module Size Used by
nls_cp437 5664 1
isofs 35960 1
udf 90820 0
rfcomm 38460 0
l2cap 24740 5 rfcomm
speedstep_centrino 7636 1
cpufreq_userspace 4316 1
cpufreq_stats 5252 0
freq_table 4388 2 speedstep_centrino,cpufreq_stats
cpufreq_powersave 1696 0
cpufreq_ondemand 6044 0
cpufreq_conservative 6948 0
pcmcia 26568 2
video 15748 0
tc1100_wmi 6692 0
sony_acpi 5324 0
pcc_acpi 11104 0
hotkey 9284 0
dev_acpi 11108 0
i2c_acpi_ec 5472 0
i2c_core 21200 1 i2c_acpi_ec
button 6480 0
battery 9348 0
container 4384 0
ac 4708 0
i915 21760 3
drm 74104 4 i915
ipv6 251232 6
af_packet 21768 2
rtc 12344 0
pcspkr 3396 0
irtty_sir 8512 0
sir_dev 18444 1 irtty_sir
irda 187612 2 irtty_sir,sir_dev
crc_ccitt 1984 1 irda
hci_usb 14088 2
bluetooth 48356 7 rfcomm,l2cap,hci_usb
yenta_socket 25292 1
rsrc_nonstatic 13376 1 yenta_socket
pcmcia_core 49348 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
ipw2200 103880 0
firmware_class 9952 1 ipw2200
ieee80211 29380 1 ipw2200
ieee80211_crypt 5604 2 ipw2200,ieee80211
tpm_nsc 6656 0
tpm 9888 1 tpm_nsc
snd_intel8x0 33248 1
snd_ac97_codec 83932 1 snd_intel8x0
snd_pcm_oss 52704 0
snd_mixer_oss 19296 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 88840 3 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 24164 1 snd_pcm
snd 54884 8 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_ oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore 9600 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 10600 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
pci_hotplug 27508 0
intel_agp 23164 1
agpgart 34792 3 drm,intel_agp
dm_mod 57692 1
joydev 9984 0
tsdev 7776 0
evdev 9664 1
psmouse 30116 0
mousedev 11616 1
parport_pc 35236 1
lp 12292 0
parport 35912 2 parport_pc,lp
md 45584 0
ext3 136264 2
jbd 54776 1 ext3
mbcache 9252 1 ext3
thermal 13000 0
processor 22812 2 speedstep_centrino,thermal
fan 4484 0
tg3 96772 0
ehci_hcd 34248 0
uhci_hcd 31184 0
usbcore 118044 4 hci_usb,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd
ide_cd 41572 1
cdrom 39616 1 ide_cd
ide_disk 18464 4
ide_generic 1376 0
piix 10372 1
ide_core 138772 4 ide_cd,ide_disk,ide_generic,piix
unix 26896 699
fbcon 38496 0
tileblit 2368 1 fbcon
font 8224 1 fbcon
bitblit 5632 1 fbcon
vesafb 7992 0
cfbcopyarea 4608 1 vesafb
cfbimgblt 2944 1 vesafb
cfbfillrect 3872 1 vesafb
softcursor 2272 1 vesafb
capability 4712 0
commoncap 6816 1 capability
derrick@anubis:~/.wine/drive_c/Warcraft III$


When I try to launch wine war3.exe -opengl - its sounds great!... and I have a blank screen.

from what I am seeing, glxinfo isn't seeing my new driver, right?
How do I fix this?

*note - perhaps this falls under the Hardware section - is it possible to move this thread there?

[sorcererx84]

It is seeing your driver - OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 915GM 20050225 x86/MMX/SSE2
Try glxgears -printfps. If your FPS is over 1000 you have 3D acceleration working and Warcraft or Wine is causing your problem.

[rorschach]

well, I am getting around 1260fps in the little window for glxgears...
however, I am still getting a blank screen when I try to launch Warcraft III with the -opengl tag.

I'm considering giving Cedega another shot... or just skipping to WoW and seeing if it runs (I was kinda using Warcraft three as a 'benchmark' for the few games I like).

Are there, maybe, any *other* games that are similar to Warcraft III that I could try out? Heck, I still play Starcraft on occasion, if that could be loaded.

[sorcererx84]

Your direct rendering is OK, check your configuration. I can run Warcraft 3 almost perfectly on my laptop with i915gm integrated graphics card.

[rorschach]

Here's the thing - if I try to launch without the -opengl tag, it launches, but is horribly choppy, this is a known issue with d3d, I think. However, when I launch *with* the -opengl tag, it does not bring up a display. I have set up my winecfg with windows2000, the cdrom is being seen correctly, however, when I try to access the sound tab, winecfg dies.

I'll try again tonight

[rorschach]

I give for now - no change.
Still getting choppy video/sound (to an unplayable level) in d3d mode, and opengl gives a blank black screen that sounds great, but nothing ever shows on the screen.

Unless someone has something else I can check, I feel somewhat stymied at this point, and am somewhat resigned to not being able to get Warcraft III to play.

I figure I must be doing something wrong, since you seem to have it working sorcererx84, but I don't know what! I feel like I have checked everything 5 or more times and it just.doesn't.work.

[Sector]

This is so frustrating, I have _exactly_ the same problem as rorschach, 1100+ fps on glxgears, 3D seems to be functioning. But in Warcraft III I get extremely low fps in D3D mode. And the -opengl mode is just a black screen (with good sound though).

I sincerely hope some guru could provide me (and rorschach) with some enlightenment on this issue. Thanks in advance.

[Kelsin]

I have the same issue. In opengl mode the game "runs" but just with a black screen. I read on some random forum that you need newer DRI drivers... but haven't tried to update mine yet. I'm hoping the package will update soon and solve it for me :)

[prowler]

Same here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=409674