Intel's OpenGL Linux Driver Is Now One Step Closer To GL 4.4: ARB_query_buffer_object

[Veerappan]

Why bother chasing OpenGL versions when the basics aren't covered? I can't connect an external monitor without getting a kernel oops. I can't run Chromium without the screen flashing insanely. No sane person is expecting to be playing games on an Intel GPU. But sane people do expect a stable desktop experience.

That's definitely not similar to my experience. I've got 2 external monitors hooked up to my haswell laptop, chromium works fine, gnome shell (currently on ubuntu 16.04) is stable... What's your setup look like (cpu generation, monitor cabling type, kernel, X version, etc)?

[Leinad]

Why bother chasing OpenGL versions when the basics aren't covered? I can't connect an external monitor without getting a kernel oops. I can't run Chromium without the screen flashing insanely. No sane person is expecting to be playing games on an Intel GPU. But sane people do expect a stable desktop experience.

I am more lucky, I only have log full of warnings and errors. And buggy sleep and resume with multiple monitors connected to dock. And problem with one monitor sometimes does not wakeup. Intel Broadwell on kernel 4.5. Fortunatelly no crashing, no artifacts, no screen flashing.

[jf33]

Dammit, another extension that's only available for new hardware. I still have an Ivy Bridge CPU/GPU.

[leio]

I am more lucky, I only have log full of warnings and errors. And buggy sleep and resume with multiple monitors connected to dock. And problem with one monitor sometimes does not wakeup. Intel Broadwell on kernel 4.5. Fortunatelly no crashing, no artifacts, no screen flashing.

I guess I should finally upgrade. With 4.4 and a dock, it's just meh. If I didn't use a rather newer git snapshot of intel DDX driver (release, anyone, hello? jokers), it was just rather impossible with dock on broadwell. Now it's just the second screen from dock going full "alternate current" when coming out of DPMS (with older DDX it was 100% times, now more like 60%; showing picture for a second, not showing for 2 seconds, rinse repeat), need to disable and re-enable it (disabling the screen in monitor settings and not accepting the changes seems quickest). And various crashes (complete freeze of GPU) in different random situations when docking or undocking + suspend/resume in either docked or undocked and maybe changing that when resuming or whatnot. Sometimes that's kernel panic instead of GPU freeze (getting to it via ssh vs not). I won't mention the tearing, in videos, but just awful in even browser when going triple-screen with third below primary (second right-of primary). Using a released intel DDX probably means no working graphics at all, given its age.

But gaming as far as dota2 is concerned at minimum details is great; higher details are limited by CPU though, maybe vulkan will help once autocad gets its scaleform thing for vulkan done or valve finally ditches it fully for panorama scripting or someone optimizes the driver for CPU usage more...

[Masush5]

If I didn't use a rather newer git snapshot of intel DDX driver (release, anyone, hello? jokers), it was just rather impossible with dock on broadwell.

If you don't depend on any functionality only offered by the intel-ddx, try using the modesetting-ddx. On my Ivy-Brigde laptop it's a much more stable experience.

[Veerappan]

Just as a note: I have a co-worker with the same laptop as me (Thinkpad T440p, haswell quad) and after his upgrade to Ubuntu 16.04 (which I'm also running), his laptop was performing like crap. It felt like it was running software rendering with the combination of his built-in monitor and a ~27" monitor (2560x1440) hooked up via a displayport to DVI adapter. I'm running dual 1080p external monitors instead, and usually leave the internal LCD off with the lid closed.

The only differences between his laptop and mine software-wise (both in gnome shell) is that he was running the stock Ubuntu 16.04 kernel (4.4-based with backports from 4.5), and he was still using DRI2.

We just upgraded his laptop to the 4.6rc6 kernel and switched his X driver over to DRI3, and the combination of those two changes made a huge improvement to his machine. Things are now running smoothly, and he's back to work.

The DRI3 change was accomplished by creating the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf with the following contents:

Section "Device"
   Identifier  "Intel Graphics"
   Driver      "intel"
   Option      "DRI"    "3"
   Option      "AccelMethod" "sna"
   Option      "TearFree" "true"
EndSection

[dkasak]

That's definitely not similar to my experience. I've got 2 external monitors hooked up to my haswell laptop, chromium works fine, gnome shell (currently on ubuntu 16.04) is stable... What's your setup look like (cpu generation, monitor cabling type, kernel, X version, etc)?

CPU stuff:

vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 78
model name : Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6200U CPU @ 2.30GHz
stepping : 3
microcode : 0x33

Kernel: 4.5.0-sabayon
X.Org X Server 1.17.4
xf86-video-intel-2.99.917_p20160213 ( built with DRI3 support )
mesa from git ( a couple of days back )

I don't generally run 'bleeding edge' stuff unless I have a good reason. But it feels like every time I have an Intel GPU, I'm always building mesa and xf86-video-intel, in the hope that things will finally improve. Oh - I connect to most monitors via VGA.

[leio]

Apparently it's impossible to quote or reply here via my android (the actions button on mobile just doesn't do anything useful), so now I remembered about this thread finally, so a late reply.

If you don't depend on any functionality only offered by the intel-ddx, try using the modesetting-ddx. On my Ivy-Brigde laptop it's a much more stable experience.

That's the thing, I don't really know what that functionality would be that intel ddx has but modesetting doesn't. Having any reasonable 2D acceleration at all via SNA might be one thing I suppose, but I don't know in what state GLAMOR is there. No clue what else. I think VA-API works with modesetting at least.
I planning to heading towards wayland instead, if I am to lose SNA anyway (which is probably a main cause of the issues, but gives the RENDER performance).

[Nille_kungen]

That's the thing, I don't really know what that functionality would be that intel ddx has but modesetting doesn't. Having any reasonable 2D acceleration at all via SNA might be one thing I suppose, but I don't know in what state GLAMOR is there. No clue what else. I think VA-API works with modesetting at least.
I planning to heading towards wayland instead, if I am to lose SNA anyway (which is probably a main cause of the issues, but gives the RENDER performance).

Read the man pages to see what's supported.
"man intel"
"man modesetting"