Nouveau video acceleration not working properly and freezing the system

URUBU · 06-12-2023, 03:36 PM

I am using the nouveau driver on the geforce gt 210, and I followed the steps at nouveau.freedesktop.org of extracting the firmware from the nvidia binary driver to enable video acceleration. After that vainfo and vdpauinfo returns a list of codecs and apparently does not report any errors. But when I try to watch some video in vlc with vaapi or any other player, a bunch of green artifacts appear on the video and the system freezes making me have to pull the computer from the outlet in order to shut down. And using vlc with vdpau the video runs for a while but the screen starts to stutter and the system freezes too. Can someone please help?

Arnulf · 06-12-2023, 04:32 PM

If you want specific help you have to tell us a little bit more about the affected system:

processor model
mainboard model
Linux distro
Linux kernel

Especially on elder hardware e.g. socket-939 or socket-AM2 based artifacts caused by nouveau are not uncommon. Only one solution works in these cases: Replacing nvidia graphics card with an Ati graphics card. Think about this. The nvidia GeForce GT210 is a very poor graphics card. It is nvidia's lowest end graphics card of the GeForce GT2xx series. A cheap used Ati graphics card e.g. a Radeon HD 5450 will give better performance with Linux and it is compatible to many elder hardware.

lvm_ · 06-13-2023, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnulf

Only one solution works in these cases: Replacing nvidia graphics card with an Ati graphics card.

If desktop applications and video decoding is all that is needed, CPU with a built-in video may be a more sensible choice. Anyhow hardware upgrade of some sorts is recommended: noveau is unstable and buggy, I am yet to see it run without major issues especially with video decoding, and while nvidia proprietary drivers are as steady as a rock, support of older cards is systematically removed, so to use them you'll have to stick to older kernels. Don't use nvidia, you'll be sorry.

mrmazda · 06-13-2023, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnulf

The nvidia GeForce GT210 is a very poor graphics card. It is nvidia's lowest end graphics card of the GeForce GT2xx series. A cheap used Ati graphics card e.g. a Radeon HD 5450 will give better performance with Linux and it is compatible to many elder hardware.

Using mine normally, I never would have guessed there was any significant difference. I bought both around the same time too long ago to remember for how much, but they had to have been in the USD$20-$30 range, new old stock. However:

Code:

# inxi -SCG
System:
  Host: hp945 Kernel: 5.14.21-150500.53-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    Desktop: KDE v: 3.5.10 Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.5
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 6600 bits: 64 type: MCP cache: L2: 4 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1600 min/max: 1600/2400 cores: 1: 1600 2: 1600
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GT218 [GeForce 210] driver: nouveau v: kernel
    chip-ID: 10de:0a65
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: nouveau gpu: nouveau resolution: 1: 1680x1050~60Hz
    2: 1920x1200~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 22.3.5 renderer: NVA8
# glmark2
=======================================================
    glmark2 2021.12
=======================================================
    OpenGL Information
    GL_VENDOR:      nouveau
    GL_RENDERER:    NVA8
    GL_VERSION:     3.3 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 22.3.5
    Surface Config: buf=32 r=8 g=8 b=8 a=8 depth=24 stencil=0 samples=0
    Surface Size:   800x600 windowed
...
=======================================================
                                  glmark2 Score: 166
#

Note I use the nouveau kernel driver, but not the nouveau display driver on my NVidia, while on my Radeon, I'm using the radeon display driver instead of modesetting.

Code:

# inxi -CGS
System:
  Host: vizio Kernel: 5.14.21-150500.53-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    Desktop: Trinity v: R14.1.0 Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.5
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 Duo E8400 bits: 64 type: MCP cache:
    L2: 6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2830 min/max: N/A cores: 1: 2992 2: 2669
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Cedar [Radeon HD 5000/6000/7350/8350 Series] driver: radeon ### HD5450
    v: kernel chip-ID: 1002:68f9
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: radeon
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa dri: r600 gpu: radeon
    resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.5 Mesa 22.3.5 renderer: AMD CEDAR (DRM 2.50.0 /
    5.14.21-150500.53-default LLVM 15.0.7)
# glmark2
=======================================================
    glmark2 2021.12
=======================================================
    OpenGL Information
    GL_VENDOR:      X.Org
    GL_RENDERER:    AMD CEDAR (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.14.21-150500.53-default, LLVM 15.0.7)
    GL_VERSION:     4.5 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 22.3.5
    Surface Config: buf=32 r=8 g=8 b=8 a=8 depth=24 stencil=0 samples=0
    Surface Size:   800x600 windowed
...
=======================================================
                                  glmark2 Score: 798 (using radeon DDX; 619 using modesetting DIX)
#

798 / 166 = 4.807
Yikes! But, I wonder how much difference, if any, the slower CPU serving the 210 makes? 2.4 / 3.0 = 0.80. I can't readily swap them. The 5450 is short. The 210 is tall, and in a PC under a table under a printer, no small chore to work on.

Arnulf · 06-14-2023, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lvm_

If desktop applications and video decoding is all that is needed, CPU with a built-in video may be a more sensible choice.

In many cases, the answer is: No!

Many older mainboards don't support CPUs with IGPs.
It's more easy to replace a graphics card with another graphics card in comparison to replace a graphics card with a CPU with IGP.
Replacement of a graphics card with a CPU with IGP generally decreases system memory performance caused by use of "shared memory" by IGP.