Intel gfx are a really mixed bag. The development seem to focus on latest upstream xserver + support tools and maybe Ubuntu/Fedora releases. When you look however at what happens when use debian stable, then you notice that this is too old to run Sandy Bridge gfx, therefore there is a newer X available in the backports.
But it is really no fun using those backports, even when you want to use em as build-depends only. In order to build newer mesa/ddx only a few additional backports are needed but even when you have em then the result is crashing even on X startup.
Somehow it is much simpler to run debian stable with binary drivers than using intel oss. When you look at the errors of the 2 possible X drivers on intel you see this:
a) pure debian stable (together with latest kernel)
It basically works for older systems, but still switching off kde OpenGL composite due to lack power and then reenabling it when power was connected back to a laptop can result in a black screen.
it does not support 3d at all for snb, modesetting works.
b) debian stable + bpo + latest kernel
for those systems which had been working realtively well before you experience a real drawback, not sure if the changed mesa version string is the case that composite is default off, but when you enable opengl composite then you get really stupid effects:
- run a full screen opengl app and close it -> this often results in a xserver crash
- if you disable composite then the panel bar is rendered usually in wrong colors, somehow toned black when it should be just grey
- it basically works whe you enable composite using xrender
- you need to replace 32 bit mesa lib manually on a 64 bit system, but that could be automated, but even if you do that, wine games tend to crash the xserver
- then when you think you could just update libva in order to get snb video acc, you notice that apps like xbmc hang after stopping a movie which was accellerated basically fine. It is really nice when you hear that it works on distro x version y, but not with the distro you want to use.
c) debian stable + bpo + some extra backports to fullfill build-deps of intel ddx/mesa
better do not try yourself, the result is an immediate crash usually as soon as you login into kde. in some cases you can manage to run it a few seconds when you disable composite. why on earth are build-deps checked but no runtime requirements?
I personally especially dislike point c), i could possibly live with the fact that out of the box snb experience is only good enough for websurfing an watching movies (without acc), but there should be really a way to use the hardware for a little bit more like basic gaming or accellerated movie playback. It is mainly intel that holds me a bit back releasing a new updated Kanotix with bpo enabled as it does not fully match my own quality standards. It works for simple usecases, but i hate to tell people to switch the distro when they want to do a bit more.
But it is really no fun using those backports, even when you want to use em as build-depends only. In order to build newer mesa/ddx only a few additional backports are needed but even when you have em then the result is crashing even on X startup.
Somehow it is much simpler to run debian stable with binary drivers than using intel oss. When you look at the errors of the 2 possible X drivers on intel you see this:
a) pure debian stable (together with latest kernel)
It basically works for older systems, but still switching off kde OpenGL composite due to lack power and then reenabling it when power was connected back to a laptop can result in a black screen.
it does not support 3d at all for snb, modesetting works.
b) debian stable + bpo + latest kernel
for those systems which had been working realtively well before you experience a real drawback, not sure if the changed mesa version string is the case that composite is default off, but when you enable opengl composite then you get really stupid effects:
- run a full screen opengl app and close it -> this often results in a xserver crash
- if you disable composite then the panel bar is rendered usually in wrong colors, somehow toned black when it should be just grey
- it basically works whe you enable composite using xrender
- you need to replace 32 bit mesa lib manually on a 64 bit system, but that could be automated, but even if you do that, wine games tend to crash the xserver
- then when you think you could just update libva in order to get snb video acc, you notice that apps like xbmc hang after stopping a movie which was accellerated basically fine. It is really nice when you hear that it works on distro x version y, but not with the distro you want to use.
c) debian stable + bpo + some extra backports to fullfill build-deps of intel ddx/mesa
better do not try yourself, the result is an immediate crash usually as soon as you login into kde. in some cases you can manage to run it a few seconds when you disable composite. why on earth are build-deps checked but no runtime requirements?
I personally especially dislike point c), i could possibly live with the fact that out of the box snb experience is only good enough for websurfing an watching movies (without acc), but there should be really a way to use the hardware for a little bit more like basic gaming or accellerated movie playback. It is mainly intel that holds me a bit back releasing a new updated Kanotix with bpo enabled as it does not fully match my own quality standards. It works for simple usecases, but i hate to tell people to switch the distro when they want to do a bit more.
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