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Friday, January 14, 2011

Intel Graphics Card Linux Drivers

Looks like the future is perfect for Intel 845, Intel 855 and Intel 910 graphics chip-sets on Linux.

On my Mint 10 (aka Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat)... I was finally able to get all my resolutions and Graphics Acceleration after ages.


Okay, so initially the Framebuffer device (fbdev) was the default graphics device on Ubuntu 10.10 (aka Mint 10) and thus the intel driver is not loaded. In order to force loading the intel driver create the file
/etc/X11/xorg.conf
To create this file you must be root... here's how you could do it:

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
with the following contents:
Section "Device"
    Identifier "Configured Video Device"
    Driver "intel"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Default Screen"
    Monitor "Configured Monitor"
    Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection


Notice how the 'intel' driver is forced above. Now, the current intel driver for Xorg is pretty buggy, so we add this PPA[1] and install updated xorg-intel drivers from that repository. Here's how:


sudo add-apt-repository ppa:glasen/intel-driver
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel libdrm
All done, now reboot and enjoy!


NB:
If you have disabled kernel modesetting, you must re-enable it! Do not use nomodeset or i915.modeset=0 on the Kernel command line.

Also, if this did not work, it is probably because your chip-set is an intel 855 is not cache coherent. There is a patch for this here [2]. Mind you, only 855.


Sources
[1] https://launchpad.net/~glasen/+archive/intel-driver
[2] https://launchpad.net/~brian-rogers/+archive/graphics-fixes-testing
[3] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Mavericki8xxStatus
[4] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Lucidi8xxFreezes

11 comments:

  1. how to create /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.?

    ReplyDelete
  2. To create the /etc/xorg.conf use a standard editor... and copy and paste those lines...

    Remember you must be root also...
    From Debian systems where sudo is available, In short (if you have graphics):

    Press Alt+F2 then:

    gksudo gedit /etc/xorg.conf

    OR From a terminal:

    sudo nano /etc/xorg.cong

    Hope it solved your problem... :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi , I followed your instructions but when I do

    sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel libdrm

    I get

    Unable to locate package libdrm

    now I rebooted and my mouse is invisible!
    can you help me?
    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  4. @ale:

    Looks like there was an error installing the PPA. Redo from the "sudo add-apt-repository" and it should work.

    The mouse becomes invisible at times. You could do a xrefresh.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks very much. You've saved my life. I have been dying of searching a method to force enable "intel" driver.
    Send you thousand of kisses!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I still get the error no such thing as libdrm

    ReplyDelete
  7. Did you get any error when installing the PPA?

    You could download the file (libdrm) from the url I mentioned and install it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. http://ppa.launchpad.net/glasen/intel-driver/ubuntu/pool/main/libd/libdrm/

    Choose your appropriate package from here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. or you could use PPA from crack pushers here(better, newer, straight from git):

    ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa
    add it to synaptic sources on the second tab.

    ReplyDelete
  10. on second thought might as well push this too:
    medibuntu repoes and getDeb repoes as well.

    Dont forget updated mplayer/mencoder and libav unrestricted sources and (where applicable, Im in US) gstreamer-0.10 and ubuntu-restricted-extras... that should get you playing neaar HD... a crystalHD addon(look at your hardware if you can add it in.Grab a screwdriver...) is also an excelllent tweak. Dont forget to compile the FLEA sources by hand,though. There is a slight tweak that prevents builds from sources. OO LA LA HD.., though.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ubuntu 12.04 with Intel graphic chipset you can do:

    Delete Nouveau:
    sudo apt-get purge xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

    Delete NVIDIA:
    sudo apt-get purge nvidia-current

    Intel driver should be installed.
    sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel intel-gpu-tools libdrm-intel1 libva1 libva-x11-1

    Rerstart computer: sudo shutdown -r now

    (Source: http://lcardinaals.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/ubuntu-12-04-intel-grafische-chipset/ )

    ReplyDelete