Intel Iris 540 (Skylake) graphics not working (Debian). Install xserver-xorg-video-intel or not ?

mgai7755 · 04-09-2017, 07:08 AM

Hi,

I'm trying to get accelerated graphics and OpenGL > 3.2 on a very lightweight installation of Debian Jessie with Openbox as window manager.

I managed to install Mesa 13 using the Stretch backports repository, but still the drivers don't look to enable the hardware correctly : I still get OpenGL3, while Mesa 13 is supposed do give OpenGL 4+.

I also tried to install the latest kernel in the Stretch repository which gave some encouraging results (seen in Xorg0.log) but still glxinfo reports hardware initialisation errors and looks to revert to the VMware guest GL driver (which is strange but expected as far a I understood).

I read here and there that I should install the backport version of xserver-xorg-video-intel. However, the dedicated page of this package says : The use of this driver is discouraged if your hw is new enough (ca. 2007 and newer). You can try uninstalling this driver and let the server use it's builtin modesetting driver instead.

Any pointer to help me get OpenGL 3.2+ ?

Thanks

Matthieu

ondoho · 04-09-2017, 07:50 AM

does it have to be debian jessie?
wouldn't a distro with a newer release, or maybe even rolling release distro, be more suitable?

mgai7755 · 04-09-2017, 10:18 AM

Good question. I'm indeed ready to use any lightweight distro provided it is apt based. Feel free to advice :-)

DavidMcCann · 04-09-2017, 10:24 AM

Skylake graphics depends on having the right kernel: 4.4 or more recent: Stretch, not Jessie.

Timothy Miller · 04-09-2017, 12:50 PM

Or backports kernel from jessie-backports. Base Jessie kernel WAY too old, doesn't support any of the newer cpu's graphics.

mgai7755 · 04-09-2017, 12:52 PM

Timothy, David, that's what I did :

Quote:

I also tried to install the latest kernel in the Stretch repository which gave some encouraging results (seen in Xorg0.log) but still glxinfo reports hardware initialisation errors

Timothy Miller · 04-09-2017, 12:59 PM

Did you install the stretch kernel, or fully upgrade to stretch?

Emerson · 04-09-2017, 01:07 PM

Interesting ... I just checked and it seems I have 3.0 as well.

Code:

 ~ $ glxinfo | grep -i opengl
OpenGL vendor string: Intel Open Source Technology Center
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2) 
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.5 (Core Profile) Mesa 17.0.3
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.50
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 17.0.3
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.2 Mesa 17.0.3
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.20

mgai7755 · 04-09-2017, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timothy Miller

Did you install the stretch kernel, or fully upgrade to stretch?

No, stretch kernel from backports repository.

mgai7755 · 04-09-2017, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

Interesting ... I just checked and it seems I have 3.0 as well.

Wow ! I feel less alone now, but it isn't encouraging since you've Mesa v17 and your graphics seems to work correctly.

--> Mesa issue ?

Emerson · 04-09-2017, 01:34 PM

Curious, why you need 3.2? Anyhow, my hardware is supposed to support 4.2. Everything works for me, so I do not know what I'm missing.

mgai7755 · 04-09-2017, 01:52 PM

Good question again. I'm using a lighting software, MagicQ from Chamsys, that requires OpenGL 3.2 for its (multi-layers) video playback features.

Timothy Miller · 04-09-2017, 02:13 PM

So you've got mesa and kernel from backports, did you also install the intel drivers from backports?

seasons · 04-09-2017, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerson

Interesting ... I just checked and it seems I have 3.0 as well.

No. You're reading it wrong. The core profile is reported as 4.5 in your output. 3.0 is what programs get if they don't create a core context.
https://www.khronos.org/opengl/wiki/...ity_in_Context

Emerson · 04-09-2017, 02:56 PM

Thanks for correction!