[ubuntu] HowTo fix Intel video in Jaunty (alternative way)

[dentaku65]

*Updated 28/04/09

A new version of Intel driver has been released through PPA.
This driver really improve performances with Jaunty upstream.
The page/repos are here:
https://edge.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x...ive/x-updates/

1) Add the PPA repo to the end of your APT sorces.list

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and add the following lines:

# Intel latest drv for upstream deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main

2) Add the gpg key of this PPA repo

sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com AF1CDFA9

2) Upgrade the drivers:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

3) Modify your Device section in xorg.conf

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Section "Device" Identifier "Configured Video Device" Driver "intel" Option "AccelMethod" "UXA" EndSection

4) Reboot

* END UPDATE =============

Hi all.
I'm writing this HowTo in order to give a different way to fix the issues for Intel video cards on Jaunty.

The way showed here is lighter than the one described here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1130582
and I suggest to give a try to this one -before- approaching the one posted by psyke83, that involving the substitution of drivers (xorg-hedgers repository) and kernel (vanilla 2.6.30rc2).

What will follow worked for my Intel card and uses the default Jaunty packages and kernel.

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)

I think that on other Intel cards should work as well. Feedbacks are welcome.

1)
Discovering the memory of your card; do this command:

lspci -vv

and search in the output for the block regarding VGA; in my case:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02) Subsystem: Fujitsu Siemens Computers Device 106a Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx+ Latency: 0 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16 Region 0: Memory at d8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M] Region 1: Memory at e0380000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K] Region 2: I/O ports at ec00 [size=8] Capabilities: <access denied> Kernel modules: intelfb

In red you can see the amount of the memory that your card can manage and in blue the non-prefetchable memory. In order to use the video card memory in the correct way, you can use Videoram option in xorg.conf; but we must calculate the ram from MB to KB in order to use it in Videoram option; here the table:

16 -> 16384 32 -> 32768 64 -> 65536 128 -> 131072 256 -> 262144

Now we have to subtract the value of non-prefetchable to our amount of ram; in my case:

131072 - 512 = 130560

2)
As soon as you calculate your video ram minus the non-prefetchable memory, you can modify your xorg.conf in the device section:

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

In my case the device section is configured like this:

Section "Device" Identifier "Configured Video Device" Driver "intel" Option "AccelMethod" "UXA" VideoRam 130560 EndSection

Please be sure that VideoRam matching the ram of Video card based on what you calculate above. Of course the option UXA is mandatory too.
Save xorg.conf

3)
If you are using Compiz, please modify these settings using Compiz manager:

ccsm

Choose General options -> General -> remove the flag on Unredirect Fullscreen Windows Choose General options -> Display Settings -> remove the flag Sync To VBlank

Close ccsm

4)
Reboot your box

Hope this help

[SquiffSquiff]

Thanks dentaku65

This has worked for me although for 2D only. Still get "Desktop effects could not be enabled" (Compiz). Output of

lspci -nn | grep VGA

gives

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a02] (rev 03)

[dentaku65]

Originally Posted by SquiffSquiff Thanks dentaku65 This has worked for me although for 2D only. Still get "Desktop effects could not be enabled" (Compiz). Output of lspci -nn | grep VGA gives 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a02] (rev 03)

Did you tried with a 3d game like Ppracer?

sudo apt-get install planetpenguin-racer

..just to know if is a 3d issue or compiz issue.

[psyke83]

dentaku,

Precisely what issue does your method fix? I don't think your proposed VideoRam option makes any difference at all, sorry.

conn@inspiron:/var/log$ cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i videoram
(WW) intel(0): VideoRam configuration found, which is no longer recommended.
(II) intel(0): Continuing with default 131072kB VideoRam instead of 130560 kB.
(**) intel(0): VideoRam: 131072 KB

Performance is equal to before. In ppracer - with EXA, about 19-20fps; with UXA, about 25fps. Applying the MTRR fix improves framerate slightly, but not as good as with kernel 2.6.30-rc2 and newer drivers.

P.S. Tested this xorg configuration on kernel 2.6.28-11-generic and the official Jaunty versions of all packages. Also tested using newer kernel and xorg-edgers packages - no difference.

[dentaku65]

Originally Posted by psyke83 dentaku, Precisely what issue does your method fix? I don't think your proposed VideoRam option makes any difference at all, sorry. conn@inspiron:/var/log$ cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i videoram (WW) intel(0): VideoRam configuration found, which is no longer recommended. (II) intel(0): Continuing with default 131072kB VideoRam instead of 130560 kB. (**) intel(0): VideoRam: 131072 KB Performance is equal to before. In ppracer - with EXA, about 19-20fps; with UXA, about 25fps. Applying the MTRR fix improves framerate slightly, but not as good as with kernel 2.6.30-rc2 and newer drivers. P.S. Tested this xorg configuration on kernel 2.6.28-11-generic and the official Jaunty versions of all packages. Also tested using newer kernel and xorg-edgers packages - no difference.

I have good performances indeed; unfortunately I cannot post FPS of ppracer because "ppracer -a" give me this:

get fences failed: -1 param: 6, val: 0 Benchmark error: unable to set course:

without -a switch is playable very good in fullscreen too

Glxgears give me this:

1396 frames in 5.0 seconds = 279.030 FPS 1412 frames in 5.0 seconds = 282.383 FPS 1427 frames in 5.0 seconds = 285.396 FPS 1423 frames in 5.0 seconds = 284.433 FPS 1427 frames in 5.0 seconds = 285.277 FPS 1420 frames in 5.0 seconds = 283.888 FPS 1426 frames in 5.0 seconds = 285.185 FPS

[densou]

it seems your stuff can work better on i8xx cards rather on i9xx ones

have you upgraded your Gnome Mplayer to 0.9.5 ? It solved my awful video output when using UXA with fairly new 2.7.0 driver (GMA950) ....

[rnrover]

Fantastic, your quick fix worked. Many thanks.

After checking the automatic upgrade option in package manager I have had a terrible 24 hours. I lost the upgrade completely. Had to download the "full Jaunty" and start over.

Compiz was jumpy and opening any window was slow.

My experience with automatic upgrades are over. I wish Canonical or the developers of new releases would disable that feature until they are sure it works for all platforms. After my upgrade my system would not boot into a gui or terminal. The safe mode did not fix anything because the eth0 couldn't be enabled to download the broken packages.

My system:
Toshiba Satellite P105 w/ 4Gig memory/ Intel graphics/

This is my Xorg.conf file that I changed with your instructions.

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Driver "intel"
Option "AccelMethod" "UXA"
VideoRam 261888
EndSection

Again Thanks, Mucho Gracias,

[dentaku65]

Originally Posted by rnrover Fantastic, your quick fix worked. Many thanks. After checking the automatic upgrade option in package manager I have had a terrible 24 hours. I lost the upgrade completely. Had to download the "full Jaunty" and start over. Compiz was jumpy and opening any window was slow. My experience with automatic upgrades are over. I wish Canonical or the developers of new releases would disable that feature until they are sure it works for all platforms. After my upgrade my system would not boot into a gui or terminal. The safe mode did not fix anything because the eth0 couldn't be enabled to download the broken packages. My system: Toshiba Satellite P105 w/ 4Gig memory/ Intel graphics/ This is my Xorg.conf file that I changed with your instructions. Section "Device" Identifier "Configured Video Device" Driver "intel" Option "AccelMethod" "UXA" VideoRam 261888 EndSection Again Thanks, Mucho Gracias,

Good
Can you post your card model, please?

lspci |grep VGA

[rnrover]

Originally Posted by dentaku65 Good Can you post your card model, please? lspci |grep VGA

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

Here you go

[drbenway2]

Thanks much, dentaku65. Your fix also worked perfectly for me. I have an older Compaq desktop.

brw@brw-desktop:~$ lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device (rev 03)