Intel Posts Linux Graphics Driver Patches For Raptor Lake - Same As Alder Lake

When writing this morning about intel "Raptor Lake" Linux enablement to begin, I didn't expect that to bear fruit so quickly in just a matter of hours... As predicted, that Linux bring-up for the Alder Lake successor is beginning now -- and doing so at full-speed with the initial Raptor Lake S (RPL-S) graphics support being posted.

Following that early indicator today of the Raptor Lake model ID being posted, Intel's graphics driver team has posted their initial patches bringing up Raptor Lake S graphics for their "i915" kernel graphics driver. As of writing, the Mesa Vulkan/OpenGL driver user-space patches haven't been posted but are likely coming out soon.

The Raptor Lake S enablement from the kernel driver side is quite small -- less than three dozen lines of code. The patches confirm Raptor Lake S from the graphics perspective is basically the same as Alder Lake S. Besides new PCI IDs, Raptor Lake S is now using GuC-based submission by default where as it was optional on Alder Lake S and prior. Intel for quite a while now has been working on their "GuC" graphics micro-controller based submission and by the time of Raptor Lake S next year they are planning to have it be the default driver path.

The patches are treating Raptor Lake S as a sub-platform of the existing Alder Lake S driver platform. "Raptor Lake S(RPL-S) is a version 12 Display, Media and Render. For all i915 purposes it is the same as Alder Lake S (ADL-S)...From graphics [point of view], RPL-S is the same as ADL-S."

The initial batch of Raptor Lake S PCI IDs added are 0xA780, 0xA781, 0xA782, 0xA783, 0xA788, 0xA789, 0xA78A, and 0xA78B. But as usual, that doesn't necessarily correlate to the number of different graphics variants they will be having but sometimes there are IDs reserved for pre-production / engineering samples, reserving extra but currently unplanned versions, etc.

The patches are out now and given the timing should be merged for Linux 5.17. On the plus side, at least with Raptor Lake S appearing to be the same as Alder Lake S graphics capabilities, the support should be mature and not hidden behind the "force probe" option as was the case with the ADL-S launch and remaining disabled by default up until the now-active Linux 5.16 cycle.

We'll see if from the ANV Vulkan and Iris OpenGL driver side if there are any other more invasive changes or new features being exposed for Raptor Lake when those patches debut. Raptor Lake as the successor to Alder Lake is expected for release in 2022.