Intel Updates Its -Testing Branch For, Well, Testing

Daniel Vetter has pushed out new -next and -testing branches for Intel's open-source Linux graphics DRM driver with a few highlights worth noting.

As mentioned on the mailing list, some of the key features include:

- RC6 power-savings and Turbo Boost support for Haswell, Intel's 2013 platform. As shared in a recent Phoronix article, with these latest changes, Intel Haswell Linux support should already be at parity to Ivy Bridge.

- GPU reset handling should be "rock-solid now" according to Intel developers.

- Support for Frame-buffer offsets greater than 4096 pixels for Intel "Gen4" hardware.

- A "Flush Me Harder" patch for Gen6+ (Sandy Bridge and newer) hardware.

- /dev/agpgart has now disappeared for Intel Sandy Bridge graphics processors and newer.

- Various other bug-fixes, code clean-ups, and minor enhancements. Most of the work comes down to getting Haswell ready for its debut next calendar year. Valley View support also appears about ready.

These DRM driver changes should be part of the Linux 3.6 kernel as soon as Linux 3.5 has been baked.